Patent · US Active

Magnetic memory with a thermally assisted writing procedure and reduced writing field

US8391053B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
8References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 4, 2010
Grant dateMar 5, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 28, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/1659
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell with a thermally assisted switching (TAS) writing procedure, comprising a magnetic tunnel junction formed from a ferromagnetic storage layer having a first magnetization adjustable at a high temperature threshold, a ferromagnetic reference layer having a fixed second magnetization direction, and an insulating layer, said insulating layer being disposed between the ferromagnetic storage and reference layers; a select transistor being electrically connected to said magnetic tunnel junction and controllable via a word line; a current line electrically connected to said magnetic tunnel junction; characterized in that the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnetic storage layer is essentially orthogonal with the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnetic reference layer. The TAS-MRAM cell of the invention can be written with a smaller magnetic field than the one used in conventional TAS-MRAM cells and has low power consumption.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.