An improved magnetic tunnel junction with two oxide interfaces on each side of a ferromagnetic layer (FML) leads to higher PMA in the FML. The novel stack structure allows improved control during oxidation of the top oxide layer. This is achieved by the use of a FML with a multiplicity of ferromagnetic sub-layers deposited in alternating sequence with one or more non-magnetic layers. The use of non-magnetic layers each with a thickness of 0.5 to 10 Angstroms and with a high resputtering rate provides a smoother FML top surface, inhibits crystallization of the FML sub-layers, and reacts with oxygen to prevent detrimental oxidation of the adjoining ferromagnetic sub-layers. The FML can function as a free or reference layer in an MTJ. In an alternative embodiment, the non-magnetic material such as Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sr, Ba, and B is embedded by co-deposition or doped in the FML layer.

An MTJ structure having vertical magnetic anisotropy is provided. The MTJ structure having vertical magnetic anisotropy can comprise: a substrate; an artificial antiferromagnetic layer located on the substrate; a buffer layer located on the artificial antiferromagnetic layer, and including W or an alloy containing W; a first ferromagnetic layer located on the buffer layer, and having vertical magnetic anisotropy; a tunneling barrier layer located on the first ferromagnetic layer; and a second ferromagnetic layer located on the tunneling barrier layer, and having vertical magnetic anisotropy. Accordingly, in the application of bonding the artificial antiferromagnetic layer with a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB structure, the MTJ structure having improved thermal stability at high temperature can be provided by using the buffer layer therebetween.

A storage element is provided. The storage element includes a memory layer; a fixed magnetization layer; an intermediate layer including a non-magnetic material; wherein the intermediate layer is provided between the memory layer and the fixed magnetization layer; wherein the fixed magnetization layer includes at least a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a non-magnetic layer, and wherein the first magnetic layer includes a CoFeB composition. A memory apparatus and a magnetic head are also provided.

A method for providing a magnetic device and the magnetic device so provided are described. The magnetic device includes a magnetic layer having a surface. In some aspects, the magnetic layer is a free layer, a reference layer, or a top layer thereof. A tunneling barrier layer is deposited on the magnetic layer. At least a portion of the tunneling barrier layer adjacent to the magnetic layer is deposited at a deposition angle of at least thirty degrees from a normal to the surface of the magnetic layer. In some aspects, the deposition angle is at least fifty degrees.

Example implementations are concerned with magnetoresistive sensors and with corresponding fabrication methods for magnetoresistive sensors. One example here relates to a magnetoresistive sensor having a layer stack. The layer stack comprises a reference layer having a reference magnetization, which is fixed and has a first magnetic orientation. The layer stack comprises a magnetically free layer. The magnetically free layer has a magnetically free magnetization. The magnetically free magnetization is variable in the presence of an external magnetic field. The magnetically free magnetization has a second magnetic orientation in a ground state. One of the first or the second magnetic orientation is oriented in-plane and the other is oriented out-of-plane. The layer stack comprises a metal multilayer. In this case, either the metal multilayer is arranged adjacent to the magnetically free layer, or the metal multilayer constitutes the magnetically free layer.

An in-plane magnetized film for use as a hard bias layer of a magnetoresistive effect element contains metal Co, metal Pt, and an oxide and has a thickness of 20 nm or more and 80 nm or less, wherein: the in-plane magnetized film contains the metal Co in an amount of 45 at% or more and 80 at% or less and the metal Pt in an amount of 20 at% or more and 55 at% or less relative to a total of metal components of the in-plane magnetized film; the in-plane magnetized film contains the oxide in an amount of 3 vol% or more and 25 vol% or less relative to a whole amount of the in-plane magnetized film; and the in-plane direction average grain diameter of magnetic crystal grains of the in-plane magnetized film is 15 nm or more and 30 nm or less.

Embodiments of the inventive concepts provide a flat perpendicular magnetic layer having a low saturation magnetization and a perpendicular magnetization-type tunnel magnetoresistive element using the same. The perpendicular magnetic layer is a nitrogen-poor (Mn.sub.1−xGa.sub.x)N.sub.y layer (0<x≦0.5 and 0<y<0.1) formed by providing nitrogen (N) into a MnGa alloy while adjusting a nitrogen amount. The perpendicular magnetic layer can be formed flat.

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.

There is provided a magnetic element including a ferromagnetic reference layer having a fixed or pinned magnetization direction, a ferromagnetic free layer having a switchable magnetization direction based on spin transfer torque, an insulating spacer layer disposed between the ferromagnetic reference layer and the ferromagnetic free layer such that the ferromagnetic reference layer, the insulating spacer layer, and the ferromagnetic free layer form a magnetic tunnel junction, and at least one multilayer disposed on or in the magnetic tunnel junction, the at least one multilayer including Co/Ni/Pt which exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. There is also provided a corresponding method of fabricating such a magnetic element and a magnetic memory device including an array of such magnetic elements.

A spin orbit torque-based spintronics device that includes a ferromagnet layer having a first surface and a second surface opposed to each other, a metal layer and a spacer layer covering the first surface and the second surface of the ferromagnet layer, respectively, and an dielectric layer covering either the metal layer or the spacer layer. Also disclosed are two related spin orbit torque-based spintronics devices and methods of using these three spintronics devices.