DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) Form PTO-1449, filed 07/16/2065. The information disclosed therein was considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-10 & 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated Nakatsuji et al (US20180301177) .
Regarding claim 1, Nakatsuji discloses a magnetic memory element comprising (FIG 2; [0028-0029]; discloses 20): an anti-ferromagnetic layer having a uniaxial strain and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, the uniaxial strain being an in-plane tensile strain, or an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive strain (FIG 2; [0029] discloses 20 comprising 12 an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 is made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical) Note, strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layer) , a spin torque being configured to allow manipulation of a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal, the magnetic order being oriented (i) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the tensile strain, or (ii) in a direction of the compressive strain. (FIG 1-3; [0025 ,0029 & 0033-0034] discloses Mn.Sub.3Sn has a spin texture with a vector e.g., Spin Torque, note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers).
Regarding claim 2, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic layer has the tensile strain as the uniaxial strain (FIG 1 & 3; Mn having a tensile strain as the uniaxial strain e.g., orientations direction 2110).
Regarding claim 3, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagetic layer has the compressive strain as the uniaxial strain (FIG 3; discloses different orientations having different compressive strain e.g., some are more compressed than the other).
Regarding claim 4, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic layer is an epitaxial film (FIG 2-3; [0028]0029] 12 forming an epitaxial (crystallographically hexagonal structure) e.g., 12 in a film form, a non-magnetic layer 12 and 14 stacked in this order e.g., orientations).
Regarding claim 5, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic metal is configured to exhibit an anomalous Hall effect (FIG 1-3; [0025 & 0033] discloses having anomalous Hall effect in accordance with a magnetization direction).
Regarding claim 6, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic metal has a spin order of a cluster magnetic octupole (FIG 3; discloses spin order of a cluster having octupole e.g., eight-time middle sections by 2.829 top two, sides three on the left and right, on bottom and one middle).
Regarding claim 7, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic layer has the tensile strain as the uniaxial strain in an in-plane direction (FIG 1 & 3; Mn having a tensile strain as the uniaxial strain e.g., orientations direction 2110 in a plane direction), and the magnetic order of the cluster magnetic octupole is oriented perpendicularly to a direction of the tensile strain (FIG 3; [0029] discloses Mn.sub.3Sn having hexagonal structure and forms a Kagome lattice structure within a distortions distance between adjacent Mn atoms on the ab-lane having axis [2-1-10] and b-axis e.g., 2110 1210 0001 in a perpendicular direction).
Regarding claim 8, Nakatsuji discloses wherein the antiferromagnetic layer has the compressive strain as the uniaxial strain (FIG 3; discloses different orientations having different compressive strain e.g., some are more compressed than the other), and the magnetic order of the cluster magnetic octupole is oriented in a direction of the compressive strain (FIG 3; discloses spin order of a cluster having octupole e.g., eight-time middle sections by 2.829 top two, sides three on the left and right, on bottom and one middle in a direction of the compressive strain).
Regarding claim 9, Nakatsuji discloses further comprising: a spin Hall layer in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer and made of a material that exhibits a spin Hall effect(FIG 2; [0036-0038] discloses 12 is made of material that exhibits a spin Hall effect e.g., exhibits the anomalous Hall effect), a write current flowing through the spin Hall layer in an in-plane direction being configured to generate a spin current(FIG 2; bit of data is rewritten by reversing the magnetization direction of layer 12, and rewritten data is read, a write current Ip1), wherein the spin current is configured to induce a spin-orbit torque to act on the magnetic order in the antiferromagnetic layer, thereby allowing reversal of the magnetic order(FIG 2; [0027, 0034 & 0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT).
Regarding claim 10, Nakatsuji discloses a magnetic memory element comprising: a spin Hall layer made of a material that exhibits a spin Hall effect(FIG 1-2; [0036-0038] discloses comprising 20, comprising 12 is made of material that exhibits a spin Hall effect e.g., exhibits the anomalous Hall effect) , a write current flowing through the spin Hall layer in an in-plane direction being configured to generate a spin current (FIG 2; [0027, 0034 &0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort(write current e.g., ip1) and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT); a free layer stacked on the spin Hall layer(FIG 2; [0028] discloses free layer 12 stacked on 20) , having a uniaxial strain, and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, the uniaxial strain being an in-plane tensile strain, or an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive strain (FIG 2; [0029] discloses 20 comprising an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 is made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical, note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers).), the spin current being configured to induce a spin-orbit torque that allows reversal of a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic, metal, the magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal being oriented (i) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the tensile strain, or (ii) in a direction of the compressive strain (FIG 2; bit of data is rewritten by reversing the magnetization direction of layer 12, and rewritten data is read, note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers); a non-magnetic layer stacked on the free layer(FIG 2; 13 stacked on 12); and a reference layer stacked on the non-magnetic layer and made of a ferromagnetic metal or an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, of a magnetic order of the ferromagnetic metal or the antiferromagnetic metal being fixed(FIG 2; [0034 & 0040] discloses 14 fixed layer e.g., reference layer on 13,and made antiferromagnet material).
Regarding claim 12, Nakatsuji discloses an information processing system comprising the magnetic memory element according to claim 1 (FIG 2; 10 comprising 20).
Regarding claim 13, Nakatsuji discloses an information processing system comprising a magnetic memory device (FIG 2; 10 comprising 20), the magnetic memory device comprising a plurality of magnetic memory elements arranged in a matrix, each of the plurality of magnetic memory elements being defined as the magnetic memory element according to claim 1, (FIG 2; [0090] discloses plurality of free magnetization layers e.g., 20 plurality comprising plurality of 12 layers arrange in matrix e.g., x and y directions (columns and rows)).
Regarding claim 14, Nakatsuji discloses a method for controlling a magnetic memory element(FIG 2-3; [0027, 0034, 0038 & 0060] discloses a method for controlling 20 e.g., using Hall voltage) , the magnetic memory element comprising an antiferromagnetic layer having a uniaxial strain and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese(FIG 2; [0029] discloses 20 comprising an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 is made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical), note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers), the method comprising: manipulating a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal by a spin torque (FIG 2; [0027, 0034 &0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT).
Regarding claim 15, Nakatsuji discloses a method for controlling a magnetic memory element, the magnetic memory element comprising: a spin Hall layer made of a material that exhibits a spin Hall effect(FIG 2-3; [0027, 0034, 0038 & 0060] discloses method for controlling 20 e.g., using Hall voltage, wherein comprising 12 is made of material that exhibits a spin Hall effect e.g., exhibits the anomalous Hall effect)); a free layer stacked on the spin Hall layer(FIG 2; 12 stacked on 17 e.g., Vb Va), having a uniaxial strain, and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, the uniaxial strain being an in-plane tensile strain, or an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive strain, a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal being oriented (i) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the tensile strain, or (ii) in a direction of the compressive strain (FIG 2; [0029] discloses 20 comprising an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 is made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical, strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers); a non-magnetic layer stacked on the free layer(13 on 12); and a reference layer stacked on the non-magnetic layer and made of a ferromagnetic metal or an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese(14 on 13), a magnetic order of the ferromagnetic metal or the antiferromagnetic metal being fixed FIG 2; [0034 & 0040] discloses 14 fixed layer e.g., reference layer on 13,and made antiferromagnet material), the method comprising: a step of causing a write current to flow through the spin Hall layer in an in-plane direction to generate a spin current(FIG 2; [0027, 0034 &0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort(write current e.g., ip1) and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT); and a step of reversing the magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal in the free layer by a spin-orbit torque induced by the spin current (FIG 2; [0027, 0034 & 0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 11 & 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakatsuji et al.
Regarding claim 11, Nakatsuji discloses a magnetic memory element comprising(FIG 2; 10 comprising 20): a reference layer made of a ferromagnetic metal or an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, a magnetic order of the ferromagnetic metal or the antiferromagnetic metal being fixed (FIG 2; [0034 & 0040] discloses 14 fixed layer e.g., reference layer on 13,and made antiferromagnet material); ; and a free layer stacked (12 layer stacked), having a uniaxial strain(FIG 2; [0029] discloses comprising 12 an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical, note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers), and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, the uniaxial strain being an in- plane tensile strain, or an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive strain ,, a write current flowing through the magnetic, layer, the magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal in the free layer being oriented (i) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the tensile strain, or (ii) in a direction of the compressive strain. (FUG 2; Ip1 current flowing through 12).
However, Nakatsuji does not show a non-magnetic layer stacked on the reference layer; and a free layer stacked on the non-magnetic layer. However, since Nakatsuji shows the reference layer 14 stacked on a non-magnetic layer 13 stacked on the free layer 12, the particular placement of the order of the layers was held to be an obvious matter of design choice Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success by modify to rearrange the layers. Please see MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 16, Nakatsuji discloses a method for controlling a magnetic memory element(FIG 2-3; 20), the magnetic memory element comprising: a reference layer made of a ferromagnetic metal or an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese(FIG 2; [0034 & 0040] discloses 14 fixed layer e.g., reference layer on 13,and made antiferromagnet material), a magnetic order of the ferromagnetic metal or the antiferromagnetic metal being fixed(14 is fixed layer); a non-magnetic layer stacked(13); and a free layer stacked (12), having a uniaxial strain, and made of an antiferromagnetic metal containing manganese, he uniaxial strain being an in-plane tensile strain, or an in-plane or out-of-plane compressive strain, a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal in the free layer being oriented (i) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the tensile strain, or (ii) in a direction of the compressive strain,(FIG 2; [0029] discloses comprising 12 an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese) and having uniaxial strain e.g., geometrical, note strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers), the method comprising: causing a write current to flow through the magnetic memory element in an out-of-plane direction FUG 2; Ip1 current flowing through 12) , thereby reversing a magnetic order of the antiferromagnetic metal in the free layer by a spin transfer torque(FIG 2; [0027, 0034 & 0037] discloses since layer 12 is made of an antiferromagnet, it exhibits the anomalous Hall effort and has a reversible magnetization direction e.g., using SOT).
However, Nakatsuji does not show a non-magnetic layer stacked on the reference layer; and a free layer stacked on the non-magnetic layer. However, since Nakatsuji shows the reference layer 14 stacked on a non-magnetic layer 13 stacked on the free layer 12, the particular placement of the order of the layers was held to be an obvious matter of design choice Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have had a reasonable expectation of success by modify to rearrange the layers. Please see MPEP 2144.04.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remark sections pages 6-12, filed 08/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) of 1-10 & 12-15 of Nakatsuji et al under 102a(1) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. the applicant has stated that in page 8 “Nakatsuji does not disclose the claimed relationship (relationship between strain direction and magnetic order orientation)”,
In response to the arguments presented above by the applicant, the examiner respectfully disagreed. For example, the examiner clearly has distinguished in the rejection of claim 1, clearly Nakatsuji discloses the uniaxial strain in plain tensile strain e.g., xyz direction in figure 2 that having 12 an antiferromagnet for forming free magnetization layer 12 made of Mn.Sub.Sn e.g., Mn(manganese). Clearly, strain alters in crystal lattice e.g., FIG 2 & 3 having MN3Sn[0032] material can occur, which changes the magnetic orientations and directions of the antiferromagnetic layers.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Kula et al (US2020357982 FIG 3-7; [0047] discloses ferromagnetic layer, storage layer 11 experiencing uniaxial strain upon a phase transition e.g., induced by temperature treatment).
Lou et al (US20100188895 FIG 2 & 6A; discloses antiferromagnetic layer, reference layer & free magnetic layer).
Dimitrov et al (US20100085803 FIG 8B-8E; discloses antiferromagnetic layers having magnetic orientations).
Katti et al (US20050098807 FIG 5; discloses ferromagnetic layer 114, non-magnetic layer 112, and reference layer (110, 108 and 106).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/MUNA A TECHANE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2827
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