Defect injection structure and mechanism for magnetic memory

• US 10,692,556 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Silicon Solution Incorporated (Uphill Investment Co.)
• Original Assignee: Spin Memory, Inc.
• Inventors: Tzoufras, Michail, Gajek, Marcin
• Primary Examiner(s): Auduong, Gene N
• Application Number:
  US16/147,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20200105325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/155 with cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/161 details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1673 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1675 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/18 using Hall-effect devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 19/0841 using electric current
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3272 by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3286 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/329 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetisation of the free layer is switched by a spin-polarised current, e.g. spin torque effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/00 Galvanomagnetic devices Hall-effect devices H10N52/00; integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N59/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/20 Spin-polarised current-controlled devices magnetoresistive devices H10N50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/85 Magnetic active materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 52/00 Hall-effect devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N59/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 52/80 Constructional details

Abstract

The various implementations described herein include magnetic memory devices and systems, and methods for injecting defects into the devices and systems. In one aspect, a magnetic memory device comprises a non-magnetic cylindrical core, a first portion, and a second portion. The core is configured to receive a current. The first portion surrounds the core and is configured to introduce magnetic instabilities into the second portion. The second portion is adjacent to and arranged in a stack with respect to the first portion. The second portion also surrounds the core and is configured to store information based on a respective position of the magnetic instabilities. The second portion comprises a first plurality of magnetic layers and a first plurality of non-magnetic layers. Respective magnetic layers of the first plurality of magnetic layers are separated by respective non-magnetic layers of the plurality of non-magnetic layers.

Claims

1. A magnetic memory device comprising:

a non-magnetic cylindrical core configured to receive a current;

a first portion surrounding the cylindrical core, the first portion configured to introduce one or more magnetic instabilities into a second portion, the second portion adjacent to the first portion and arranged in a stack with respect to the first portion; and

the second portion also surrounding the cylindrical core and configured to store information based on a respective position of the one or more magnetic instabilities, wherein;

the second portion comprises a first plurality of magnetic layers and a first plurality of non-magnetic layers; and

respective magnetic layers of the first plurality of magnetic layers are separated by respective non-magnetic layers of the first plurality of non-magnetic layers.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more magnetic instabilities is associated with two adjacent magnetic layers having a same magnetization direction.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an input terminal coupled to a first end of the cylindrical core; and

a current source, coupled to the input terminal, the current source configured to supply current to the cylindrical core by imparting a Spin Hall Effect (SHE) around a circumference of the cylindrical core, wherein the SHE imparted around a circumference of the cylindrical core contributes to magnetization of the first portion and the second portion.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising an output terminal coupled to a second end of the cylindrical core opposite to the first end, the output terminal being configured to provide a current readout to a third portion of the magnetic memory device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the third portion is coaxial with the cylindrical core and surrounds a region of the second portion, and wherein the third portion includes:

a concentric spacer layer that surrounds at least one magnetic layer of the first plurality of magnetic layers;

a ferromagnetic layer surrounding the concentric spacer layer; and

a third terminal connected to the ferromagnetic layer and configured to close a readout circuit with the output terminal.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the third portion is a first one of a plurality of third portions, each of the plurality of third portions surrounding a respective region of the second portion.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the spacer layer is composed of a dielectric material.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a single magnetic layer.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a second plurality of magnetic layers.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first portion further includes a second plurality of non-magnetic layers;

and respective magnetic layers of the second plurality of magnetic layers are separated by respective non-magnetic layers of the second plurality of non-magnetic layers.

11. A method of operating a magnetic memory, comprising:

at a magnetic memory device including;

a cylindrical core;

a first portion surrounding the cylindrical core, the first portion including a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization in a first direction; and

a second portion adjacent to the first portion and arranged in a stack with respect to the first portion, wherein;

the second portion includes a plurality of magnetic layers and a plurality of non-magnetic layers;

the plurality of magnetic layers includes a second magnetic layer that is separated from the first magnetic layer by a non-magnetic layer;

the plurality of magnetic layers includes a first subset having the first magnetization in the first direction and a second subset having a second magnetization in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

respective magnetic layers of the plurality of magnetic layers are separated by respective non-magnetic layers of the plurality of non-magnetic layers; and

the method including;

supplying a sequence of currents to an input terminal at a first end of the cylindrical core, the sequence of currents including a first current and a second current after the first current, wherein;

the first current causes switching of magnetization direction of the second subset from the second direction to the first direction; and

the second current causes switching of magnetization direction of respective layers of the plurality of magnetic layers such that the second portion has an antiferromagnetic configuration with the second magnetic layer having the first direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first current has a larger magnitude than the second current.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

each of the first magnetization and the second magnetization is a vortex magnetization;

the first direction is a first rotational direction of the vortex magnetization; and

the second direction is a second rotational direction of the vortex magnetization opposite to the first rotational direction.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first current imparts a first Spin Hall Effect (SHE) around a circumference of the cylindrical core;

the second current imparts a second SHE around the circumference of the cylindrical core;

switching of the magnetization direction of the second subset is based at least in part on the first SHE; and

switching of the magnetization direction of the respective layers of the plurality of magnetic layers is based at least in part on the second SHE.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of magnetic layers includes a third magnetic layer between the second magnetic layer and a fourth magnetic layer;

the second, third, and fourth magnetic layers are arranged in the antiferromagnetic configuration; and

supplying the sequence of currents further comprises supplying a third current after the second current, wherein;

the third current causes switching of magnetization direction of the second magnetic layer from the first direction to the second direction;

the third magnetic layer preserves the second magnetization in the second direction when the third current is supplied; and

the fourth magnetic layer preserves the first magnetization in the first direction when the third current is supplied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein supplying the sequence of currents further comprises supplying a fourth current after the third current, wherein the fourth current causes switching of magnetization of the third magnetic layer from the second direction to the first direction and the fourth magnetic layer preserves the first magnetization in the first direction when the fourth current is supplied.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sequence of currents is a sequence of current pulses;

each of the first, second, third, and fourth currents is a current pulse having a respective amplitude and/or duration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

each of the amplitudes and/or durations provides a respective Spin Hall current;

each Spin Hall current exceeds a respective predetermined current threshold and enables switching of magnetization of a specific magnetic layer of the plurality of magnetic layers.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein supplying the sequence of currents further comprises supplying a fifth current after the fourth current, wherein the fifth current causes switching of magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer from the first direction to the second direction, thereby resulting in both the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer to be magnetized in the second direction.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the third current and the fourth current are part of a current pulse having a leading edge and a trailing edge, the third current corresponds to a peak value of the leading edge and the fourth current corresponds to a predefined value of the trailing edge.