IP Library Granted Patent US 11,925,120
Granted Patent B2
US 11,925,120 · App. 17/387,270 · Granted Mar 5, 2024

Spintronic devices with self-cooling function

Inventors: Susumu Okamura (San Jose, CA); Christian Kaiser (San Jose, CA); Xinjiang Shen (Fremont, CA); Yongchul Ahn (San Jose, CA); James Mac Freitag (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
H10N10/17G01R33/093G11B5/3909G11C11/161H10N10/82H10N50/10H10N50/80H10N50/85
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,925,120
App. No.
17/387,270
Granted
Mar 5, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to spintronic devices, and more specifically to self-cooling spintronic devices. In an embodiment, a device is provided. The device includes a spintronic device having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first layer disposed on the first side, and a second layer disposed on the second side, the first layer having a Seebeck coefficient that is different from a Seebeck coefficient of the second layer.

Claims (50)

1. A device, comprising:

a spintronic device having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

a first layer disposed on the first side; and

a second layer disposed on the second side, the first layer having a Seebeck coefficient that is different from a Seebeck coefficient of the second layer,

wherein the first layer is tapered such that a first surface of the first layer has a width that is shorter than a second width of a second surface of the first layer, the second surface opposite the first surface, and the first surface adjacent to the spintronic device, and

wherein the spintronic device is sandwiched between a bottom lead and a top lead.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the spintronic device is a spintronic oscillator (STO), a spin-orbit torque (SOT) device, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), or a current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) device.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer are positioned about the spintronic device such that electrons flow from the layer having a higher Seebeck coefficient to the layer having a lower Seebeck coefficient when a current is applied to the spintronic device.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein a difference in Seebeck coefficient between the first layer and the second layer is about 5 μV/K or more.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the difference in Seebeck coefficient between the first layer and the second layer is about 15 μV/K or more.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first layer comprises a cobalt containing material; and

the second layer comprises a chromium containing material.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the first layer comprises Co, CoFe, CoMnGe, CoMnSn, CoTiAl, CoTiSn, Ni, NiFe, NiCu, or combinations thereof; and

the second layer comprises Cr, NiCr, FeCr, or combinations thereof.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the Seebeck coefficient of the first layer and the second layer are both greater than zero; or

the Seebeck coefficient of the first layer and the second layer are both less than zero.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is tapered.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second layer is tapered such that a first surface of the second layer has a width that is shorter than a second width of a second surface of the second layer, the second surface opposite the first surface, and the first surface adjacent to the spintronic device.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein an article is electrically coupled to the spintronic device, the article being a component of a magnetic media drive, a magnetoresistive random access memory device, a magnetic sensor, a magnetic recording write head, or a microwave assisted magnetic recording device.

12. A magnetic recording device comprising a write head, the write head comprising the device of claim 1 .

13. A magnetic recording device comprising a read head, the read head comprising the device of claim 1 .

14. A magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) comprising the device of claim 1 .

15. A device, comprising:

a bottom lead;

a spintronic device disposed over the bottom lead, the spintronic device comprising a spintronic oscillator (STO), a spin-orbit torque (SOT) device, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), or a current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) device;

a top lead disposed over the spintronic device; and

a first layer, the first layer disposed between the bottom lead and the spintronic device or disposed between the top lead and the spintronic device, wherein the device is configured to self-cool when a current is applied to the device, wherein the first layer is tapered such that a first surface of the first layer has a width that is shorter than a second width of a second surface of the first layer, the second surface opposite the first surface, and the first surface adjacent to the spintronic device.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein, when the first layer is disposed between the bottom lead and the spintronic device, the first layer has a Seebeck coefficient that is greater than a Seebeck coefficient of the top lead.

17. The device of claim 16 , further comprising a second layer disposed between the top lead and the spintronic device, the second layer having a Seebeck coefficient that is less than the Seebeck coefficient of the first layer.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein:

the second layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface of the second layer, a width of the first surface of the second layer being shorter than a width of the second surface of the second layer, the first surface of the second layer in contact with the spintronic device.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein, when the first layer is disposed between the top lead and the spintronic device, the first layer has a Seebeck coefficient that is greater than the bottom lead.

20. The device of claim 19 , further comprising a second layer disposed between the bottom lead and the spintronic device, the second layer having a Seebeck coefficient that is less than the Seebeck coefficient of the first layer.

21. A magnetic recording device comprising a write head, the write head comprising the device of claim 15 .

22. A magnetic recording device comprising a read head, the read head comprising the device of claim 15 .

23. A magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) comprising the device of claim 15 .

24. A spintronic device, comprising:

a bottom lead,

a first layer disposed over the bottom lead, the first layer having a Seebeck coefficient, wherein the first layer is tapered such that a first surface of the first layer has a width that is shorter than a second width of a second surface of the first layer, the second surface opposite the first surface, and the first surface adjacent to the spintronic device;

a spintronic oscillator (STO) disposed over the first layer, the spintronic oscillator having a width of about 10 nm to about 100 nm;

a second layer disposed over the STO, the second layer having a Seebeck coefficient, the Seebeck coefficient of the second layer being different from the Seebeck coefficient of the first layer; and

a top lead disposed over the second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are positioned about the STO such that electrons flow from the layer having a higher Seebeck coefficient to the layer having a lower Seebeck coefficient when a current is applied to the spintronic device.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein a difference in Seebeck coefficient between the first layer and the second layer is about 5 μV/K or more.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the difference in Seebeck coefficient between the first layer and the second layer is about 15 μV/K or more.

27. A magnetic recording device comprising a write head, the write head comprising the device of claim 24 .

28. A magnetic recording device comprising a read head, the read head comprising the device of claim 24 .

29. A magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) comprising the device of claim 24 .

Assignments (5)
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 067045/0156 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - A&R LOAN AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 064715/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 058426 FRAME 0815 Recorded Feb 8, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 058965/0679 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 058426/0815 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2021
From: OKAMURA, SUSUMU; KAISER, CHRISTIAN; SHEN, XINJIANG; AHN, YONGCHUL; FREITAG, JAMES MAC
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 057662/0988 →