Patent ID: 8697484
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: G11C,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method for setting a reference layer of a pinned layer in magnetic junction including a free layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, and the pinned layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the pinned layer including a plurality of ferromagnetic layers interleaved with at least one spacer layer, the plurality of ferromagnetic layers including the reference layer and having at least one easy axis, at least a portion of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being magnetically coupled by a coupling field, the at least the portion of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers including the reference layer and at least one other ferromagnetic layers, the method comprising: applying a magnetic field in a direction parallel to an easy axis of the at least one easy axis, the magnetic field having a magnitude greater than a coercivity of each of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers and less than the coupling field between the at least the portion of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers, the coercivity of each of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being less than the coupling field, a ferromagnetic layer of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers having a saturation magnetic moment greater than a reference layer saturation magnetic moment, the reference layer being between the ferromagnetic layer and the free layer.