| US 7,538,987 B2 | ||
| CPP spin-valve element | ||
| Hideo Fujiwara, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (US); Keiichi Nagasaka, Kawasaki (Japan); Tong Zhao, Milpitas, Calif. (US); William H. Butler, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (US); Julian Velev, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (US); and Amrit Bandyopadhyay, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (US) | ||
| Assigned to University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (US); and Fujitsu, Ltd., Kawasaki-shi (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 03, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/611,978. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2005/0002126 A1, Jan. 06, 2005 | ||
| Int. Cl. G11B 5/39 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 360—324.1 | 13 Claims |
| 1. A CPP spin-valve element formed on a substrate comprising:
a free layer structure including at least one ferromagnetic layer;
a pinned layer structure including at least one ferromagnetic layer, the free layer is magnetically softer than the pinned
layer; and
a thin non-magnetic current confining (CC)-layer structure configured to separate the free and pinned layers, to prevent a
substantial magnetic coupling between said free and pinned layer structures, and to allow an electric current to go through
the confined current paths;
wherein the width of at least one of the confined current paths of said CC-layer structure is greater than t3/2 where t is the thickness of at least one of said free layer structure and said pinned layer measured in nano-meters.
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