SPIN TORQUE OSCILLATOR SENSOR ENHANCED BY MAGNETIC ANISOTROPY

摘要

A spin torque oscillator device having a magnetic free layer with a magnetic anisotropy that has a component that is oriented perpendicular to a direction of an applied magnetic field. The spin torque oscillator device includes a magnetic reference layer, a magnetic free layer and a non-magnetic layer sandwiched there-between. A component of the magnetic anisotropy of the free layer can be oriented perpendicular to a magnetization of the reference layer, and this orientation relative to the magnetization of the reference layer can be either in lieu of or in addition to its orientation relative to the applied magnetic field. The magnetic anisotropy cants the magnetization of the free layer which would otherwise be oriented antiparallel with the magnetization of the reference layer. The magnetic anisotropy in the free layer improves performance of the spin torque sensor by reducing noise.