Method and system for providing a magnetic junction having an engineered barrier layer

摘要

A magnetic junction usable in a magnetic memory and a method for providing the magnetic memory are described. The method includes providing a pinned layer, providing an engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer, and providing a free layer. The pinned layer and the free layer each include at least one ferromagnetic layer. The engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer has a tuned resistance area product. In some aspects, the step of providing the engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer further includes radio-frequency depositing a first oxide layer, depositing a metal layer, and oxidizing the metal layer to provide a second oxide.

主权项

1. A method for fabricating a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic memory comprising:
providing a pinned layer including at least one ferromagnetic layer; providing an engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer, the engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer having a tuned resistance area product, the step of providing the engineered nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer further including
depositing a first metal insertion layer wherein the first metal insertion layer is a non-magnetic metal insertion layer;radio-frequency depositing a first oxide layer on the first metal insertion layer;depositing a metal layer; andoxidizing the metal layer to provide a second oxide layer, the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer being on the first metal insertion layer, the method being free of an oxidation step between the step of depositing the first metal insertion layer and at least one of depositing the metal layer and radio-frequency depositing the first oxide layer; and providing a free layer including at least an additional ferromagnetic layer, the nonmagnetic tunneling barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer configured to be switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction.