Patent · US Active

Magnetic random access memory having perpendicular enhancement layer

US9070855B2 · kind B2 · utility

37Cited by
0References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 14, 2013
Grant dateJun 30, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 14, 2033

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/0002
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a spin transfer torque (STT) MRAM device having a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element. The memory element includes a perpendicular MTJ structure in between a non-magnetic seed layer and a non-magnetic cap layer. The MTJ structure comprises a magnetic free layer structure and a magnetic reference layer structure with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the magnetic reference layer structure, and a magnetic fixed layer formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. At least one of the magnetic free and reference layer structures includes a non-magnetic perpendicular enhancement layer, which improves the perpendicular anisotropy of magnetic layers adjacent thereto.

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