Magnetoresistive element including a yoke that surrounds a conductor, magnetic memory cell and magnetic memory device including the same
US7002840B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 19, 2004 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 19, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C11/16
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention provides a magnetic memory device capable of stably performing information writing operation by efficiently using a magnetic field generated by current flowing in write lines and having a high degree of flexibility in designing. A magneto-resistive element has: a magnetic yoke disposed annularly in a circumferential direction so as to surround a write word line and a write bit line, and having a pair of open ends facing each other while sandwiching a gap provided in a part in the circumferential direction; and a stacked body including a second magnetic layer of which magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field and a pair of end faces. The stacked body is disposed in the gap so that each of the pair of end faces and each of the pair of open ends face each other. With the configuration, magnetization of the second magnetic layer can be efficiently inverted and, as compared with the case where the stacked body and the magnetic yoke are in contact with each other, the material of the stacked body can be selected from a wider range and the magnetic and electric performances of the stacked body can be sufficiently displayed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.