US Patent 7385842 Magnetic memory having synthetic antiferromagnetic pinned layer

A magnetic memory element includes a sense structure, a tunnel barrier adjacent the sense structure, and a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) adjacent the tunnel barrier on a side opposite the sense structure. The SAF includes an antiferromagnetic structure adjacent a ferromagnetic seed layer. The ferromagnetic seed layer provides a texture so that the antiferromagnetic structure deposited on the ferromagnetic seed layer has reduced pinning field dispersion.