Magnetic junctions programmable using spin-orbit interaction torque in the absence of an external magnetic field
US9608039B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 3, 2016 |
| Grant date | Mar 28, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 3, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10N50/10
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetic memory including a plurality of magnetic junctions and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer is described. Each of the magnetic junctions includes a reference layer, a free layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The magnetic junction includes a biasing structure for providing a magnetic bias in a first direction and/or the free layer has a length in the first direction and a width in a second direction. The width is less than the length. The SO active layer(s) are adjacent to the free layer and carry a current in a third direction. The third direction is at a nonzero acute angle from the first direction. The SO active layer(s) exerts a SO torque on the free layer due to the current passing through the at least one SO active layer. The free layer is switchable using the SO torque.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.