Method for fabricating a spacer layer for a magnetoresistive element
View Patent ↗A method and system for manufacturing a spacer layer in a magnetoresistive element are described. The spacer layer resides between a free layer and a pinned layer. The method and system include providing a first metallic layer and oxidizing the first metallic layer in a first environment including at least oxygen and a first gas inert with respect to the first metallic layer. The method and system further include providing a second metallic layer and oxidizing the second metallic layer in a second environment including at least oxygen and a first gas inert with respect to the first metallic layer.
1. A method for manufacturing a spacer layer in a magnetoresistive element, the spacer layer residing between a free layer and a pinned layer, comprising;
providing a first metallic layer;
oxidizing the first metallic layer in a first environment including at least oxygen and a first gas inert with respect to the first metallic layer;
providing a second metallic layer;
oxidizing the second metallic layer in a second environment including at least the oxygen and a second gas inert with respect to the second metallic layer.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the oxygen and the first gas and the oxygen and the second gas are premixed.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the first environment and the second environment includes less than or equal to three percent of the oxygen.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first gas and the second gas consists essentially of Ar.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the first environment and the second environment includes less than or equal to three percent of the oxygen.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one of the first environment and the second environment includes between one half and one and one half percent oxygen.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the spacer layer has a thickness of less than twenty-five Angstroms.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the free layer and the pinned layer has a spin polarization of greater than or equal to forty percent.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the at least one of the free layer and the pinned layer include at least one of Co 90 Fe 10 , CO 75 Fe 25 , and CO 50 Fe 50 .
10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer include at least one of aluminum, hafnium, chromium, copper, and zirconium.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metallic layer providing further includes:
forming less than four monolayers of the first metallic layer.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the second metallic layer providing further includes:
forming less than four monolayers of the second metallic layer.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
repeating the first metallic layer providing, the first metallic layer oxidizing, the second metallic layer providing, and the second metallic layer oxidizing to provide the spacer layer having a desired thickness.
14. A method for manufacturing a spacer layer in a magnetoresistive element, the spacer layer residing between a free layer and a pinned layer, comprising;
providing a first metallic layer;
oxidizing the first metallic layer in a first environment including a first premixture of oxygen and argon, the first premixture including between one half and one and one-half percent oxygen;
providing a second metallic layer;
oxidizing the second metallic layer in a second environment including a second premixture of the oxygen and the argon, the second premixture including between one half and one and one-half percent oxygen;
wherein the spacer layer has a thickness of less than between two and twenty Angstroms.