The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 28, 2003
Filed:
Feb. 06, 2002
Kyusik Sin, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Shin Funada, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Hugh Craig Hiner, Fremont, CA (US);
Hua-Ching Tong, San Jose, CA (US);
Xizeng Shi, Fremont, CA (US);
Western Digital (Fremont), Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A tunneling barrier for a spin dependent tunneling (SDT) device is disclosed that includes a plurality of ferromagnetic particles. The presence of such particles in the tunneling barrier has been found to increase a magnetoresistance or &Dgr;R/R response, improving the signal and the signal to noise ratio. Such an increased &Dgr;R/R response also offers the possibility of decreasing an area of the tunnel barrier layer and/or increasing a thickness 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. Increasing the thickness of the tunnel barrier can afford improvements in manufacturing such as increased yield.