Patent ID: 7695761

Claim:
A method for providing a spin tunneling element comprising: providing a pinned layer; providing a barrier layer having a first crystal structure, and having a texture; and providing a free layer having a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being adjacent to the second ferromagnetic layer and between the second ferromagnetic layer and the barrier layer, the first ferromagnetic layer having the first crystal structure and the texture, the second ferromagnetic layer having a second crystal structure different from the first crystal structure after fabrication of the spin tunneling junction is complete, the step of providing the free layer further including: depositing the first ferromagnetic layer having the first crystal structure and the texture; performing a rapid thermal anneal on the first ferromagnetic layer such that the first ferromagnetic layer retains the first crystal structure and the texture; depositing the second ferromagnetic layer having the second crystal structure after the rapid thermal anneal has been performed.