Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Read Rite Corporation

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Hugh Craig Hiner

Xizeng Shi

Kyusik Sin

William D Jensen

Yingjian Chen

Benjamin P Chen

Matthew R Gibbons

Lien-Chang Wang

Wei Zhang

Hua-Ching Tong

Durga P Ravipati

Shin Funada

Lei Wang

Yugang Wang

Francis H Liu

Roberto Bez

Giulio Casagrande

Hongping Yuan

Danning Yang

Billy Wayne Crue

Brant Nease

Yun-Lin Hsiao

Durga I Ravipati

Marco Pasotti

Paolo Giuseppe Cappelletti

Ut Tran

Yong Shen

Yun-Fei Li

Steven C Rudy

Zi-Wen Dong

Chester Xiaowen Chien

Lijie Zhao

Hariharakeshava S Hegde

Yunju Ra

Joyce Thompson

Xizeng (Stone) Shi

Lein-Chang Wang

Paolo Cappeletti

Kristian M Bjelland

A shaper mask for particle flux includes a central portion extending from a body of the shaper mask along a first axis to block at least a first portion of a particle flux through the shaper mask from a first direction. The mask also includes at least one off-axis portion. Each off-axis portions extends from the body of the shaper mask along a respective second axis different from the first axis. Each off-axis portion is shaped to block a respective second portion of the particle flux traveling through the shaper mask from a second direction different from the first direction.

Mask for increased uniformity in ion beam deposition

A magnetic element includes a pinned layer, a nonferromagnetic spacer layer, and a free layer. The nonferromagnetic spacer layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer has a track width of not more than 0.08 micron.

Magnetic element having a smaller critical dimension of the free layer

A method and system for providing a magnetic structure that includes at least one magnetic material is disclosed. The method and system include defining the magnetic structure. The magnetic structure also includes a top layer that is insensitive to an istroropic carbonyl reactive ion etch. The defining of the magnetic structure results in at least one artifact. The method and system further includes cleaning the at least one artifact using at least one isotropic carbonyl reactive ion etch.

Method and system for cleaning magnetic artifacts using a carbonyl reactive ion etch

The method and system for providing a magnetic element are disclosed. The method and system include providing a magnetic element stack that includes a plurality of layers and depositing a stop layer on the magnetic element stack. The method and system also include providing a dielectric antireflective coating (DARC) layer on the stop layer, forming a single layer mask for defining the magnetic element on a portion of the DARC layer, and removing a remaining portion of the DARC layer not covered by the single layer mask. The portion of the DARC layer covers a portion of the stop layer. The method further includes removing a remaining portion of the stop layer and defining the magnetic element using at least the portion of stop layer as a mask.

Method and system for providing a smaller critical dimension magnetic element utilizing a single layer mask

In a method and system for reducing power consumed by a magnetic memory, magnetic memory cells are coupled to a bit line and are associated with a plurality of digit lines. A bit line current is provided in the bit line. Digit currents are provided in parallel in the digit lines at substantially the same time as the bit line current. The digit and bit line currents allow the magnetic memory cells to be written to a plurality of states in parallel.

Method and system for controlling MRAM write current to reduce power consumption

A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device has increased &#x394;R/R for sensing a state of a pin-dependent tunneling (SDT) device. The MRAM device includes plural transistors connected to a read line for sensing the state of the SDT device. Plural transistors lower an underlying resistance during reading, increasing &#x394;R/R. The plural transistors can share a source region.

Magnetic memory cell with plural read transistors

Electromagnetic transducers are disclosed having write poles with a leading edge that is smaller than a trailing edge, which can reduce erroneous writing for perpendicular recording systems. The write poles may have a trapezoidal shape when viewed from a direction of an associated medium. The write poles may be incorporated in heads or sliders that also contain read elements such as magnetoresistive sensors, and may be employed with information storage systems such as disk drives.

Magnetic heads for perpendicular recording with trapezoidal pole tips

An MRAM cell includes a pinned layer, a free layer, and a bit line with a magnetic sheath. The magnetic sheath allows a magnetic field to circulate in a loop around the bit line. The looping magnetic field can couple with the magnetic field of the free layer for enhanced stability with respect to stray magnetic fields and elevated temperatures.

Magnetic tunnel junction MRAM with improved stability

A method and system for providing a writer is disclosed. The method and system include providing a first pole, an insulator covering a portion of the first pole and a coil on the first insulator. The coil includes a plurality of turns. The method and system also include providing a second insulator covering the coil, providing a second pole on the second insulator and providing a write gap separating a portion of the first pole from a second portion of the second pole. A first portion of the second pole is coupled with the first pole. In one aspect, the method and system include providing a coil having a plurality of turns with a pitch of no more than 1.2 micrometers. In another aspect, the plurality of turns of the coil is provided using a hard mask layer on a photoresist layer. A portion of the hard mask layer and a portion of the photoresist layer define a plurality of spaces between the pluralities of turns of the coil. In another aspect, the writer is a pedestal defined zero throat writer. In this aspect, the first insulator has a depression therein and the coil is provided on the depression.

Method for providing pedestal-defined zero throat writer

A tunneling barrier for a spin dependent tunneling (SDT) device is disclosed that includes a plurality of ferromagnetic atoms disposed in a substantially homogenous layer. The presence of such atoms in the tunneling barrier is believed to increase a magnetoresistance or &Dgr;R/R response, improving the signal and the signal to noise ratio. Such an increase &Dgr;R/R response also offers the possibility of decreasing an area of the tunnel barrier layer. Decreasing the area of the tunnel barrier layer can afford improvements in resolution of devices such as MR sensors and increased density of devices such as of MRAM cells.

Spin dependent tunneling barriers formed with a magnetic alloy

A method and system for providing a tunneling magnetoresistive sensor is disclosed. The method and system include providing a pinned layer, a free layer and an insulating layer between the pinned and free layers. The pinned and free layers are ferromagnetic. The method and system also include providing a hard mask layer to be used in defining the sensor at the top of the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor. The method and system also include using the hard mask layer to define the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor. Thus, the pinned layer, the free layer and the insulating layer are capable of having a minimum dimension of less than 0.2 &mgr;m.

Method and system for making TMR junctions

An inductive transducer having first and second magnetic pedestals disposed between first and second magnetic pole layers and adjacent to a media-facing surface, the pedestals separated by a submicron, nonmagnetic gap. The first pedestal extends less than the second pedestal from the media-facing surface, defining a short throat height. The second pedestal extends further to provide sufficient area for stitching to the second pole layer. The stitching and the thickness provided by the pedestals allow plural coil layers to be disposed between the pole layers, and the second pedestal, as well as other features, can be defined by high-resolution photolithography. The two coil layers have lower resistance, lower inductance and allow the pole layers to be shorter, improving performance. All or part of either or both of the pedestals may be formed of high magnetic saturation material, further enhancing performance.

Inductive transducer with stitched pole tip and pedestal defining zero throat height

A method and system for providing a tunneling junction is disclosed. The method and system includes providing a free layer, a pinned layer, and a barrier between the free layer and the pinned layer. The free layer and the pinned layer are ferromagnetic. The barrier layer is an insulator. The magnetic tunneling junction is coupled to an &agr;-Ta lead.

&agr;-tantalum lead for use with magnetic tunneling junctions

A method and system for providing a magnetic tunneling junction is disclosed. The method and system includes providing a free layer, a pinned layer, and a barrier between the free layer and the pinned layer. The free layer and the pinned layer are ferromagnetic. The barrier layer is an insulator. The magnetic tunneling junction is coupled to a bit line. The bit line includes a ferromagnetic liner and a nonmagnetic core. The nonmagnetic core includes a top, a bottom and sides. The ferromagnetic liner includes at least one tab and is adjacent to the sides and a portion of the bottom of the nonmagnetic core. The at least one tab is adjacent to the portion of the bottom of the nonmagnetic core.

Magnetic tunneling junction with improved power consumption

A method and structure for providing a tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) element is disclosed. The method and structure include providing a TMR layer that includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer and a first insulating layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The method and structure also include providing a first material and a protective layer. The first material allows electrical contact to be made to the tunneling magnetoresistive layer and is disposed above the tunneling magnetoresistive layer. The first material is capable of being undercut by an plasma etch without exposing a portion of the tunneling magnetoresistive layer under a remaining portion of the first material. The second protective layer covers a portion of the tunneling magnetoresistive sensor and a portion of the first material. In one aspect, the method and structure also include providing a second material disposed between the tunneling magnetoresistive layer and the first material. The second material allows electrical contact to be made to the tunneling magnetoresistive layer and is resistant to removal by the plasma etch.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Hugh Craig Hiner