Storage element and memory

• US 20060092696A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bessho, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,313,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/171
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/00 Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one galvanomagnetic or Hall-effect element covered by groups H10N50/00 - H10N52/00 MRAM devices H10B61/00

Abstract

A memory includes a storage element (10) composed of a storage layer (5) for holding information with the magnetization state of a magnetic material, a magnetization fixed layer (3) provided relative to the storage layer (5) through an intermediate layer (4), the magnetization of the storage layer (5) being changed with application of an electric current to the laminated layer direction to record information on the storage layer (5) and a drive layer (7) provided relative to the storage layer (5) through a nonmagnetic layer (6), the magnetic direction thereof being substantially fixed to the laminated layer direction and an electric current supplying means for applying an electric current to the storage element (10) along the laminated layer direction, wherein contents of information to be recorded are changed during a time period in which an electric current is supplied from the electric current supplying means to the storage element (10).

Claims

1. A storage element comprising:

a storage layer for holding information with the magnetization state of a magnetic material;

a magnetization fixed layer provided relative to said storage layer through an intermediate layer, the magnetization of said storage layer being changed with application of an electric current to the laminated layer direction to record information on said storage layer; and

a drive layer provided relative to said storage layer through a nonmagnetic layer, the magnetic direction thereof being substantially fixed to the laminated layer direction.

2. A storage element according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate layer is a tunnel insulating layer and said nonmagnetic layer is a nonmagnetic conductive layer.

3. A storage element according to claim 1, wherein said drive layer is composed of more than two layers of laminated layer films, a layer made of a material with higher polarizability being provided on said drive layer at its side opposing said storage layer and a layer made of a material with larger vertical magnetic anisotropy being provided on said storage layer at its side that does not oppose said storage layer.

4. A memory comprising:

a storage element composed of a storage layer for holding information with the magnetization state of a magnetic material, a magnetization fixed layer provided relative to said storage layer through an intermediate layer, the magnetization of said storage layer being changed with application of an electric current to the laminated layer direction to record information on said storage layer and a drive layer provided relative to said storage layer through a nonmagnetic layer, the magnetic direction thereof being substantially fixed to the laminated layer direction; and

electric current supplying means for applying an electric current to said storage element along said laminated layer direction, wherein contents of information to be recorded are changed a duration of time in which an electric current is supplied from said electric current supplying means to said storage element.

5. A memory according to claim 4, wherein said electric current applied from said electric current supplying means to said storage element has only one polarity when information is recorded.