Patent ID: 8545999
Filing Date: 2013-10-01
Classification: G01R,G11B,H01F,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A magnetoresistive structure comprising: a first electrode, the first electrode including at least a first magnetic material and boron, the first electrode having a first surface having a first surface roughness; an insertion layer having a first boron affinity, adjoining the first surface of the first electrode and having a second surface opposite to the first electrode, the insertion layer having a thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than fifteen Angstroms, the insertion layer being a ternary alloy selected from the group consisting of CoFeTa and CoFeZr; a crystalline tunneling barrier layer including at least one constituent, the insertion layer residing between the crystalline tunneling barrier layer and the first electrode, the at least one constituent having at least a second boron affinity, the at least the second boron affinity being less than the first boron affinity; and a second electrode, the second electrode including at least a second magnetic material; the insertion layer configured to prevent diffusion of boron from the first electrode to the crystalline tunneling barrier layer at an anneal having a temperature of at least one hundred degrees centigrade and such that the second surface of the insertion layer has a second surface roughness substantially equal to the first surface roughness, the second surface having the second surface roughness forming a growth surface for the crystalline tunneling barrier layer.