Takeo Kagami

Low resistance and high thermal stability of spin-dependent tunnel junctions with synthetic antiferromagnetic CoFe/Ru/CoFe pinned layers

In this work, submicron-size (down to 0.273 μm2) spin–dependent tunnel junctions with resistance as low as ∼30 Ω μm2 have been fabricated, where the tunneling barrier of AlOx was formed by in situ natural oxidation. These junctions annealed at 250 °C for 5 h showed tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) of 14.3% and 25.8% for the pinned layers of CoFe/RuRhMn and CoFe/PtMn, respectively, while the TMR is further increased to 31.6% for a synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer of CoFe/Ru/CoFe/PtMn due to less interdiffusion at CoFe/Ru interface. The investigation has indicated that the growth of ultrathin Al layer is very sensitive to the surface roughness of bottom ferromagnetic electrode, and large surface roughness leads to small junction resistance.

Magnetic tunnel junctions on magnetic shield smoothed by gas cluster ion beam

In this work, a technique, gas cluster ion beam (GCIB), was introduced to smooth the bottom NiFe magnetic shield for magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) read heads. The GCIB treatment can bring the surface roughness of the shield from 15 to 20 A to around 5 A, and the most of scratch marks can be removed. The efficiency of the GCIB process is dependent on the initial surface morphology. The MTJs grown on the magnetic shield smoothed by the GCIB show that the resistance area product RA is increased from 60 to ∼100 Ω μm2 with the GCIB dose up to 1×1016 ions/cm2, arising from a smooth insulating layer, meanwhile, the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) is almost constant or slightly decreases. This GCIB process can also improve breakdown voltage (approximately 0.019 V per 1015 ions/cm2) of the MTJs, and slightly increase the ferromagnetic coupling mainly due to the change of the surface morphology. Using this technology, an RA as low as 3.5–6.5 Ω μm2 together with a TMR of 14%–18% can be obtained for MTJs grown on ...

Evaluation of front flux guide-type magnetic tunnel junction heads

Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) heads have been successfully fabricated using the free layer as flux guide to prevent electrical short during the definition of the air bearing surface (ABS). For a 6 Gbits/in/sup 2/ design, an output as high as 5740 /spl mu/Vpp was achieved for 3 mA sense current, and the output waveform was stable and noise free. Noise analysis confirmed that shot noise is prevailing in these MTJ heads, suggesting that the junction resistance has to be further reduced to challenge spin-valve heads in terms of signal to noise ratio. Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulations showed that for 20 Gbits/in/sup 2/ application, the flux guide height should not exceed 0.1 /spl mu/m.

A performance study of next generation's TMR heads beyond 200 gb/in/sup 2/

Practical level performance for /spl sim/200 Gb/in/sup 2/ has been verified by AlOx barrier tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) heads, which resistance area product (RA) is more than 3 ohm/spl middot//spl mu/m/sup 2/, in perpendicular recording mode. In addition, improved AlOx barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) formed on plated bottom shield with smoothed surface achieved TMR ratio of 25% and 16% with RA of 1.9 and 1.0 ohm/spl middot//spl mu/m/sup 2/, respectively, indicating over 200 Gb/in/sup 2/ is also possible by the AlOx barrier TMR heads with lower RA. Furthermore, TMR heads with crystalline MgO barrier were fabricated. The MgO barrier MTJs formed on plated bottom shield with smoothed surface achieved TMR ratio of 88% with RA of 2.0 ohm/spl middot//spl mu/m/sup 2/, which is 3.5 times higher than that of AlOx barrier MTJs under similar RA. Dynamic electrical test was also performed for TMR heads with the MgO barrier. As a result, good readback waveform with huge output was obtained. This is the first confirmation of readback waveform generated from TMR heads with crystalline MgO barrier. Our results indicate that the future of TMR heads technology is promising beyond 200 Gb/in/sup 2/ application.

Frequency response of common lead and shield type magnetic tunneling junction head

In this work, the frequency response in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) heads was studied. Both stray capacitance and junction resistance, forming a low-pass-filter, have to be reduced to improve the cutoff frequency in MTJ heads. By employing an Ar gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) process, junctions grown on the magnetic shield show a resistance area product as low as 3.6 /spl Omega//spl mu/m/sup 2/ and tunneling magneto-resistance over 14%. The dominant capacitance in common lead and shield MTJ heads was found mainly resulting from the shield-to-shield spacing, whose capacitance can be reduced by using an SiO/sub 2/ gap layer instead of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ layer and thus leading to an improved frequency response. Simple analysis indicates that a read amplifier design with low impedance could be helpful to realize a high data transfer rate, and a rate of around 800 Mbps for 100 Gbits/in/sup 2/ recording system can be thus expected.

Electrical performance and reliability of tunnel magnetoresistance heads for 100-Gb/in/sup 2/ application

Tunnel magnetoresistance (TuMR) heads are attractive candidates for future high-density recording. To achieve the high areal density, it is necessary for TuMR heads to get lower resistance and higher delta R/R film. A low resistance and high delta R/R tunneling junction film has been developed and used for this study. The resistance area product and delta R/R are 3 /spl Omega//spl middot//spl mu/m/sup 2/ and 18%, respectively. Reliability that includes lifetime was also studied. We have found TuMR heads can be a promising candidate for 100 Gb/in/sup 2/ application.

Anti-Static Robustness Enhancement and High-Frequency Noise Pickup Immunity by Internal Shunting for Tunneling Magnetoresistive Sensors

Internal shunting is introduced on tunneling magnetoresistive heads to enhance device anti-static robustness and external high-frequency noise pickup immunity. The details of the shunting scheme and the mechanism leading to both anti-static robustness and reduced high-frequency noise pickup are discussed.

Low-frequency noise analysis of TMR heads

1/f noise as time traces of the fluctuation and low-frequency noise (pulse noise) were observed in TMR heads. These were then related to the quality of the oxide layer in the TMR heads.