The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory element including a magnetic free layer structure incorporating three magnetic free layers separated by two perpendicular enhancement layers (PELs) and having a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure; a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer opposite the magnetic free layer structure; a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by a third perpendicular enhancement layer; an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer; and a magnetic fixed layer formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The first and second magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The magnetic fixed layer has a second invariable magnetization direction substantially opposite to the first invariable magnetization direction.

A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor device is disclosed that includes one or more TMR sensors. The TMR sensor device comprises a first resistor comprising a first TMR film, a second resistor comprising a second TMR film different than the first TMR film, a third resistor comprising the second TMR film, and a fourth resistor comprising the first TMR film. The first TMR film comprises a reference layer having a first magnetization direction anti-parallel to a second magnetization direction of a pinned layer. The second TMR film comprises a reference layer having a first magnetization direction parallel to a second magnetization direction of a first pinned layer, and a second pinned layer having a third magnetization direction anti-parallel to the first magnetization direction of the reference layer and the second magnetization direction of the first pinned layer.

A magnetoresistive element comprises a novel iPMA cap layer on a surface of a recording layer to induce a giant interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (G-iPMA) of the recording layer and a method of making the same. The recording layer comprises a first free layer immediately contacting to the tunnel barrier layer and having a body-centered cubic structure with a (100) texture, and a second free layer having a body-centered cubic structure with a (110) texture or a face-centered cubic structure with a (111) texture, and a crystal-breaking layer inserted between the first free layer and the second free layer.

A magnetic device and method for providing the magnetic device are disclosed. The magnetic device includes a multilayer structure and a magnetic layer. The multilayer structure includes alternating layers of A and E. A includes a first material. The first material includes at least one of Co, Ru, or Ir. The first material may include an IrCo alloy. E includes at least one other material that includes Al. The other material(s) may include an alloy selected from AlGa, AlSn, AlGe, AlGaGe, AlGaSn, AlGeSn, and AlGaGeSn. A composition of the multilayer structure is represented by A.sub.1-xE.sub.x, where x is at least 0.45 and not more than 0.55. The magnetic layer includes an Al-doped Heusler compound. The magnetic layer shares an interface with the multilayer structure.

An MRAM device includes a bottom electrode over a substrate, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure on the bottom electrode, and a top electrode on the MTJ structure. The MRAM device also includes spacers on sidewalls of the top electrode and the MTJ structure, and a first dielectric layer surrounding the spacers. The MRAM device further includes a patterned etch stop layer on the first dielectric layer and the spacers. In addition, the MRAM device includes a second dielectric layer on the patterned etch stop layer, and a top electrode via embedded in the second dielectric layer and in contact with the top electrode and the patterned etch stop layer.

A magnetic memory device includes a spin-orbit torque (SOT) induction spin Hall electrode and a free layer of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack disposed on the spin Hall electrode which is a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure. The free layer has a magnetic moment which is askew of the long axis of the MTJ stack and askew the direction of current flow through the spin Hall electrode. The MTJ stack internally generates a magnetic field to switch the state of the free layer. The free layer includes a first layer separated from a second layer by a spacer layer, where the first layer and the second layer may have the same or different crystalline structures.

A semiconductor device includes a base structure of an embedded memory device including a bottom electrode contact (BEC) landing pad within a memory area of the embedded memory device and a first metallization level having at least a first conductive line within a logic area of the embedded memory device, a cap layer disposed on the base structure, a BEC disposed through the cap layer on the BEC landing pad, a memory pillar disposed on the BEC and the cap layer, encapsulation layers encapsulating the memory pillar to protect the memory stack, and a second metallization level including a second conductive line surrounding the top electrode, a via disposed on the first conductive line such that the second via is below the top electrode, and a third conductive line disposed on the via to enable the memory pillar to be fitted between the first and second metallization levels.

A magnetic memory element including first and second magnetic free layers having a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof; a first perpendicular enhancement layer (PEL) interposed between the first and second magnetic free layers; first and second magnetic reference layers having a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof; a second PEL interposed between the first and second magnetic reference layers; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed between the first magnetic free layer and reference layer; an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer; a magnetic fixed layer formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer and having a second invariable magnetization direction substantially opposite to the first invariable magnetization direction; a non-magnetic layer comprising oxygen and a transition metal and formed adjacent to the second magnetic free layer; and a magnesium oxide layer formed adjacent to the non-magnetic layer.

Disclosed herein is a stress sensor that includes a stress detection layer including a laminated body including a first ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked one on another. The antiferromagnetic layer includes Mn, and the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer is fixed by the exchange bias caused by the exchange coupling with the antiferromagnetic layer. The stress sensor detects a stress by an electric resistance depending upon a relative angle between magnetization directions of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the relative angle changing depending upon an externally applied stress.

A perpendicular magnetoresistive element includes a novel buffer layer having rocksalt crystal structure interfacing to a CoFeB-based recording tri-layer has (100) plane parallel to the substrate plane and with {110} lattice parameter being slightly larger than the bcc CoFe lattice parameter along {100} direction, and crystallization process of amorphous CoFeB material in the recording layer during thermal annealing leads to form bcc CoFe grains having epitaxial growth with in-plane expansion and out-of-plane contraction. Accordingly, a perpendicular anisotropy, as well as a perpendicular magnetization, is induced in the recording layer. The invention preferably includes materials, configurations and processes of perpendicular magnetoresistive elements suitable for perpendicular spin-transfer torque MRAM applications.