Intentional asymmetry imposed during fabrication and/or access of magnetic tunnel junction devices
US6368878B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 21, 2000 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C11/1675
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Magnetic memory cells include a changeable magnetic region with a magnetic axis along which two directions of magnetization can be imposed, thereby providing two respective states into which the cells are changeable according to electrical and resultant magnetic stimuli applied thereto. Asymmetry in the magnetic stimuli applied to the cell while writing a state therein is disclosed to provide a predictable magnetization pattern evolution from the first direction to the second direction. Physical asymmetry in the layout and/or magnetization of the cell is also disclosed which provides the predictable pattern evolution. These principles can be applied to magnetic random access memory (MRAM) arrays which employ magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cells at the intersections of bitlines and wordlines which supply the electrical and resultant magnetic stimuli to write the cells therein.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.