Magneto resistive storage device having a magnetic field sink layer
View Patent ↗An electro-magnetic device, such as magnetic memory device, is disclosed that includes means for structuring, attenuating or eliminating stray fields at the boundaries that produce an offset in the magneto-resistive response. The device comprises a conductive first layer and the attenuating means comprises a sink layer, electro-magnetically coupled to the first layer, to attenuate the stray boundary magneto-resistive offset at a boundary of the first layer during electrical operation.
1. An array of magnetic memory devices comprising:
a plurality of sense lines;
a plurality of pinned layers, one for each of the magnetic memory devices within the array;
a plurality of barrier layers, one placed between a sense layer and each pinned layer;
a plurality of pinning layers running generally perpendicular to the plurality of sense lines and at least partially aligned with a portion of the pinned layer; and
at least one magnetic sink, the magnetic sink layer extending beyond the other layers, placed in electro-magnetic communication with at least one of the magnetic memory devices within an array, to modify magnetic field effects at the boundaries of the word line, a pinned layer, and a pinning line associated with the at least one magnetic memory device.
2. The magnetic memory array according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic sink comprises at least one seed layer having a first portion adjacent which an associated pinning layer is formed, the first portion functioning as a pinned layer, and a second portion extending beyond the other layers and the first portion.
3. The magnetic memory array according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic sink comprises a soft magnetic material.
4. The magnetic memory array according to claim 1 wherein the magnetic sink extends along one of the lines formed within the array.
5. The magnetic memory array according to claim 1 further comprising a conductive non-magnetic layer adjacent to the magnetic sink.