Patent · US Active

Method for writing in a MRAM-based memory device with reduced power consumption

US8441844B2 · kind B2 · utility

47Cited by
0References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 8, 2011
Grant dateMay 14, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 8, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/1673
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of writing in a memory device comprising a plurality of MRAM cells, each cell including a magnetic tunnel junction having a resistance that can be varied during a write operation when heated at a high threshold temperature; a plurality of word lines connecting cells along a row; and a plurality of bit lines connecting cells along a column; the method comprising supplying a bit line voltage to one of the bit lines and a word line voltage to one of the word lines for passing a heating current through the magnetic tunnel junction of a selected cell; said word line voltage is a word line overdrive voltage being higher than the core operating voltage of the cells such that the heating current has a magnitude that is high enough for heating the magnetic tunnel junction at the predetermined high threshold temperature. The memory device can be written with low power consumption.

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