A storage element and storage devices containing the same, having a layered structure and being configured for storing information are disclosed. In one example, the storage element comprises a storage portion with a storage magnetization that is perpendicular to a film surface of the layered structure, wherein a direction of the storage magnetization is configured to change according to the information. The storage element also includes a fixed magnetization portion with reference magnetization serving as a reference to the storage magnetization, and an intermediate portion between the storage portion and the fixed magnetization portion that is made of a non-magnetic material. The fixed magnetization portion includes a laminated ferrimagnetic structure that comprises a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer. The fixed magnetization portion includes a first magnetic material that is an alloy or a laminated structure including Pt, Co, and Y.

In the systems and methods for synthesizing a thin film with desired properties (e.g. magnetic, conductivity, photocatalyst, etc.), a metal oxide film may be deposited on a substrate. The metal oxide film may be achieved utilizing any suitable method. A reducing agent may be deposited before, after or both before and after the metal oxide layer. Oxygen may be removed or liberated from the deposited metal oxide film by low temperature local or global annealing. As a result of the annealing to remove oxygen, one or more portions of the metal oxide may be transformed into materials with desired properties. As a nonlimiting example, a metal oxide film may be treated to provide a magnetic multilayer film that is suitable for bit patterned media.

A method for making an ordered magnetic alloy includes (a) providing a thermally conductive base having opposite first and second surfaces; (b) forming a thermal barrier layer on the first surface of the thermally conductive base; (c) forming a disordered magnetic alloy layer on the thermal barrier layer, the disordered magnetic alloy layer being made from a disordered alloy which contains a first metal selected from Fe, Co, and Ni, and a second metal selected from Pt and Pd; and (d) after step (c), applying a transient heat to the thermally conductive base to cause rapid thermal expansion of the thermally conductive base, which, in turn, causes generation of an in-plane tensile stress in the disordered magnetic alloy layer.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a heat assisted magnetic recording HAMR media structure and methods for reducing the Curie temperature distribution to improve the signal-to-noise characteristics of HAMR media. A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, and a magnetic recording layer on the heat sink layer. The magnetic recording layer includes a plurality of magnetic recording grains configured for recording and comprising a first magnetic alloy. The magnetic recording layer further includes a plurality of segregants disposed to isolate the plurality of magnetic recording grains and comprising a second magnetic alloy. A Curie temperature of the second magnetic alloy is higher than a Curie temperature of the first magnetic alloy.

A magnetic element is disclosed wherein a composite seed layer such as TaN/Mg enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying magnetic layer that may be a reference layer, free layer, or dipole layer. The first seed layer is selected from one or more of Ta, Zr, Nb, TaN, ZrN, NbN, and Ru. The second seed layer is selected from one or more of Mg, Sr, Ti, Al, V, Hf, B, and Si. A growth promoting layer made of NiCr or an alloy thereof is inserted between the seed layer and magnetic layer. In some embodiments, a first composite seed layer/NiCr stack is formed below the reference layer, and a second composite seed layer/NiCr stack is formed between the free layer and a dipole layer. The magnetic element has thermal stability to at least 400° C.

A CoPt-oxide-based in-plane magnetized film having a magnetic coercive force of 2.00 kOe or more and remanent magnetization per unit area Mrt of 2.00 memu/cm.sup.2 or more. The in-plane magnetized film for use as a hard bias layer of a magnetoresistive element contains metal Co, metal Pt, and an oxide. The in-plane magnetized film contains the metal Co in an amount of 55 at % or more and less than 95 at % and the metal Pt in an amount of more than 5 at % and 45 at % or less relative to a total of metal components of the in-plane magnetized film, and contains the oxide in an amount of 10 vol % or more and 42 vol % or less relative to a whole amount of the in-plane magnetized film. The in-plane magnetized film has a thickness of 20 nm or more and 80 nm or less.

A device including a templating structure and a magnetic layer on the templating structure is described. The templating structure includes D and E. A ratio of D to E is represented by D.sub.1-xE.sub.x, with x being at least 0.4 and not more than 0.6. E includes a main constituent. The main constituent includes at least one of Al, Ga, and Ge. Further, E includes at least fifty atomic percent of the main constituent. D includes at least one constituent that includes Ir, D includes at least 50 atomic percent of the at least one constituent. The templating structure is nonmagnetic at room temperature. The magnetic layer includes at least one of a Heusler compound and an L1.sub.0 compound, the magnetic layer being in contact with the templating structure.

A device including a first magnetic layer, a templating structure and a second magnetic layer is described. The templating structure is on the first magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer is on the templating structure. The templating structure includes D and E. A ratio of D to E is represented by D.sub.1-xE.sub.x, with x being at least 0.4 and not more than 0.6. E includes a main constituent. The main constituent includes at least one of Al, Ga, and Ge. E includes at least fifty atomic percent of the main constituent. D includes at least one constituent that includes Ir. D includes at least 50 atomic percent of the at least one constituent. The templating structure is nonmagnetic at room temperature. At least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes at least one of a Heusler compound and an L1.sub.0 compound.

A device including a templating structure and a magnetic layer is described. The templating structure includes D and E. A ratio of D to E is represented by D.sub.1-xE.sub.x, with x being at least 0.4 and not more than 0.6. E includes a main constituent. The main constituent includes at least one of Al, Ga, and Ge. E includes at least fifty atomic percent of the main constituent. D includes at least one constituent that includes Ir. D includes at least 50 atomic percent of the at least one constituent. The magnetic layer is on the templating structure and includes at least one of a Heusler compound and an L1.sub.0 compound. The magnetic layer is in contact with the templating structure and being magnetic at room temperature.

A semiconductor memory structure includes a substrate, a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack disposed on the substrate, and an encapsulation layer surrounding the MTJ stack. The encapsulation layer comprises an outer silicon oxynitride layer with a composition of SiO.sub.x1N.sub.y1 and an inner silicon oxynitride layer with a composition of SiO.sub.x2N.sub.y2, wherein x1/y1>x2/y2.