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 .
Status of claim(s) to be treated in this office action:
a. Independent: 1 and 12
b. Pending: 1-20
Per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) is submitted on 11/20/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Magnetic memory device with exchange coupling layer and spacer layer.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20140281231).
Regarding independent claim 1, Lee discloses a magnetic memory device (Figs. 1A-10), comprising:
a conductive line extended in a first direction (Figs. 4A-4C and [0052] describes conductive layers 210 and 280);
a magnetic track line provided on the conductive line and extended in the first direction (Figs. 4A-4C and [0052] describes first, second, and third magnetic layers 230, 250, and 270); and
a non-magnetic line provided on the magnetic track line and extended in the first direction (Figs. 4A-4C and [0052] describes a non-magnetic layer 240),
wherein the magnetic track line comprises:
a lower magnetic layer and an upper magnetic layer stacked on the conductive line (Figs. 4A-4C and [0052] describes magnetic layers 230, and 270);
an exchange coupling layer between the lower and upper magnetic layers (Fig. 4C and [0055] describes that magnetic spacer 300A can enhance exchange coupling (EC) between the magnetic layers 230 and 250); and
a spacer layer between the exchange coupling layer and the upper magnetic layer (Fig. 4C and [0053] describes tunnel barrier layer 260 may include non-magnetic insulating materials),
wherein the exchange coupling layer is in contact with a bottom surface of the spacer layer (Fig. 4C), and
the lower and upper magnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled with each other by the exchange coupling layer ([0036]-[0037] describes that anti-ferromagnetic layer 220 functions to stably pin the magnetization direction of a magnetization-pinned layer and may include anti-ferromagnetic materials. The combination of the non-magnetic layer 240, the first and the second magnetic layers 230 and 250 may be structured to form a magnetization-pinned layer. The first and the second magnetic layers 230 and 250 may be anti-ferromagnetically or ferromagnetically coupled with each other via the non-magnetic layer 240 interposed therebetween).
Regarding claim 2, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and further a face-centered cubic structure (111) crystal facet of the lower magnetic layer is parallel to an interface between the lower magnetic layer and the exchange coupling layer ([0037] describes that exchange coupling (EC) characteristic between the first and the second magnetic layers 230 and 250 can be controlled by controlling the thickness of the non-magnetic layer 240. Here layer 240 is parallel to magnetic layers 230, 250 and so on. So, the technology of fabricating exchange coupling layer parallel to magnetic layer is known in the technology).
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and further a body-centered cubic structure (001) crystal facet of the upper magnetic layer is parallel to an interface between the upper magnetic layer and the non-magnetic line (Fig. 4C shows magnetic layer 270 is parallel to non-magnetic line 240).
Regarding claim 4, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and further the lower magnetic layer comprises:
lower magnetic domains arranged in the first direction, and lower magnetic domain walls placed between the lower magnetic domains, wherein the upper magnetic layer comprises: upper magnetic domains arranged in the first direction, and upper magnetic domain walls placed between the upper magnetic domains, and wherein the upper magnetic domains vertically overlap with the lower magnetic domains, respectively ([0016] describes magnetic spacer in contact with a side wall of the stacked structure, the magnetic spacer structured to cover at least part of the sidewall of the magnetization-pinned layer without being in contact with the free magnetization layer to provide shielding of the free magnetization layer from a stray magnetic field produced by the magnetization-pinned layer. Figs. 5A-5D all show multiple domains and walls).
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and further the spacer layer comprises a non-magnetic metal element (Fig. 4C, [0038] and [0053] describes tunnel barrier layer 260 may include non-magnetic metal materials as for example, aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2O.sub.3)).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and further the conductive line is configured to produce a spin orbit torque by a current flowing through the conductive line ([0034]-[0035] and [0043] describes that first conductive layer 210 and second conductive layer 280 may function as electrodes and may include conductive materials capable of applying voltage or a current to the variable resistance element 200. The third magnetic layer 270 may form a free magnetization layer having a variable magnetization direction that can switch its magnetization direction in response to an applied current or voltage. The magnetization-pinned layer, the free magnetization layer, and the tunnel barrier layer 260 interposed between the magnetization-pinned layer and the free magnetization layer may form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) whose electrical resistance is changed by spin transfer torque (STT) or a magnetic field. Accordingly, the variable resistance element 200 may exhibit a variable electrical resistance that is changed by the magnetization direction of the third magnetic layer 270 having a variable magnetization direction).
Claims 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al (US 20140281231) in view of Ohta et al. (US 20180172781).
Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and through Ohta further the non-magnetic line comprises metal oxide (Fig. 3 and [0047] describes that non-magnetic layer 43 is configured by a metal oxide (for example, MgO)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to apply the teachings of Ohta to modified Lee in order to provide with triaxial magnetic sensor that can detect magnetic fields in three axial directions with high precision, and a method of manufacturing such as taught by Ohta ([0010]).
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses all the elements of claim 1 as above and through Ohta further a reference magnetic pattern on the non-magnetic line, wherein the reference magnetic pattern has a magnetization direction that is fixed to a specific direction (Fig. 3 and [0042] describes layer 42 in which the magnetization direction is fixed and non-magnetic layer 43 is positioned on the magnetization fixed layer 42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to apply the teachings of Ohta to modified Lee in order to provide with triaxial magnetic sensor that can detect magnetic fields in three axial directions with high precision, and a method of manufacturing such as taught by Ohta ([0010]).
Regarding claim 8, Lee and Ohta together disclose all the elements of claim 7 as above and through Lee further the reference magnetic pattern comprises: a first pinned pattern; a second pinned pattern between the first pinned pattern and the non-magnetic line; and a first non-magnetic pattern between the first pinned pattern and the second pinned pattern (Fig. 1A and [0032]-[0035] describes first magnetic layer 230, non-magnetic layer 240 in-between, and second magnetic layer 250. The first magnetic layer 230 and the second magnetic layer 250 may form a magnetization-pinned layer having a pinned magnetization direction), wherein the first pinned pattern and the second pinned pattern are antiferromagnetically coupled with each other by the first non-magnetic pattern (Fig. 1A and [0037] describes that first and the second magnetic layers 230 and 250 may be anti-ferromagnetically or ferromagnetically coupled with each other via the non-magnetic layer 240 interposed therebetween).
Regarding claim 9, Lee and Ohta together disclose all the elements of claim 7 as above and through Lee further the lower magnetic layer comprises lower magnetic domains arranged in the first direction, the upper magnetic layer comprises upper magnetic domains arranged in the first direction, and the reference magnetic pattern vertically overlaps with a corresponding one of the lower magnetic domains and a corresponding one of the upper magnetic domains to thereby form a magnetic tunnel junction (Figs. 1C, 5A-5D all show multiple domains and [0043] describes that magnetization-pinned layer, the free magnetization layer, and the tunnel barrier layer 260 interposed between the magnetization-pinned layer and the free magnetization layer may form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) whose electrical resistance is changed by spin transfer torque (STT) or a magnetic field).
Regarding claim 10, Lee and Ohta together disclose all the elements of claim 9 as above and through Ohta further the lower magnetic layer, the upper magnetic layer, and the reference magnetic pattern have a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (Fig. 3 and [0044], [0047] describes that by using a material having a vertical magnetic anisotropy such as Co—Pt, Fe—Pt, [Co/Pd].sub.n or the like as the material configuring the free layer 44, it is possible to suitably induce uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in which the film surface vertical direction is the axis of easy magnetization in the free layer 44. In addition, when the below-described non-magnetic layer 43 is configured by a metal oxide (for example, MgO), by configuring the layer in the free layer 44 touching the non-magnetic layer 43 by Co—Fe—B, it is possible to use the interface vertical magnetic anisotropy working on the interface between the metal oxide and the ferromagnetic material as the above-described uniaxial magnetic anisotropy).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to apply the teachings of Ohta to modified Lee in order to provide with triaxial magnetic sensor that can detect magnetic fields in three axial directions with high precision, and a method of manufacturing such as taught by Ohta ([0010]).
Claims 12-20 recites same claim limitations as in claims 1-11 in slightly different format and spread over various claims. Henceforth these group of claims are rejected the same way as above with references Lee et al (US 20140281231) and Ohta et al. (US 20180172781).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Wang et al. (US 11183227) --- Figs. 1B, 2 show the layers recited in independent claim 1 of instant application.
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/SULTANA BEGUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824 7/16/2026
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