MAGNETIC RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY CELL WITH IMPROVED DISPERSION OF THE SWITCHING FIELD

• US 20130016551A1
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allegro Microsystems Incorporated (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Crocus Technology S.A. (Sanken Electric Company Limited)
• Inventors: Lombard, Lucien, Prejbeanu, Ioan Lucian
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/145
• 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 11/1659 Cell access
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1675 Writing or programming circuits or methods

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a magnetic random access memory MRAM cell comprising a tunnel magnetic junction formed from a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization that can be oriented relative to an anisotropy axis of the second ferromagnetic layer at a predetermined high temperature threshold, and a tunnel barrier; a first current line extending along a first direction and in communication with the magnetic tunnel junction; the first current line being configured to provide an magnetic field for orienting the second magnetization when carrying a field current; wherein the MRAM cell is configured with respect to the first current line such that when providing the magnetic field, at least a component of the magnetic field is substantially perpendicular to said anisotropy axis. The MRAM cell has an improved switching efficiency, lower power consumption and improved dispersion of the switching field compared to conventional MRAM cells.

Claims

1. A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell comprising

a tunnel magnetic junction comprising a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization that can be oriented relative to an anisotropy axis of the second ferromagnetic layer at a predetermined high temperature threshold, and a tunnel barrier between the first and second ferromagnetic layer;

a first current line extending along a first direction and in communication with the magnetic tunnel junction;

the first current line being configured to provide an magnetic field for orienting the second magnetization when carrying a field current;

the MRAM cell being configured with respect to the first current line such that when providing the magnetic field, at least a component of the magnetic field is substantially perpendicular to said anisotropy axis;

the second ferromagnetic layer having an asymmetrical shape along at least one of its dimension such that the second magnetization comprises a C-state pattern, and

said C-state pattern being changeable into a S-state pattern by the second field component and the second magnetization being switchable by the first field component, when the magnetic field is provided.

2. The MRAM cell according to claim 1, wherein the anisotropy axis is oriented at a predetermined angle with the direction of the current line.

3. The MRAM cell according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined angle is in a range comprised above 0°

and below 90°

.

4. The MRAM cell according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined angle is in a range comprised between 0°

and 45°

, and preferably being substantially 45°

.

5. The MRAM cell according to claim 1, wherein the second ferromagnetic layer has an anisotropic shape and wherein the anisotropy axis is determined by the anisotropic shape of the second ferromagnetic layer.

6. The MRAM cell according to claim 1, wherein the second ferromagnetic layer comprises a magnetocrystalline anisotropy and wherein the anisotropy axis is determined by the magnetocrystalline anisotropy.

7. The MRAM cell according to claim 1, wherein said dimension comprises the anisotropy axis.

8. A MRAM device comprising a plurality of the MRAM cell according to claim 1, the MRAM cells being arranged in rows and columns;

a plurality of the first current line extending along the first direction and connecting MRAM cells along a row; and

a plurality of the second current line, connecting MRAM cells along a column.

9. A method for writing the MRAM cell according to claim 1, comprising:

heating the magnetic tunnel junction;

once the magnetic tunnel junction has reached the predetermined high temperature threshold, switching the second magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer; and

cooling the magnetic tunnel junction at a predetermined low temperature threshold for freezing the second magnetization in its written state;

wherein

said switching the second magnetization comprises passing the field current in the first current line for applying the magnetic field comprising at least a component substantially perpendicular to said anisotropy axis, and wherein

said switching the second magnetization further comprises changing the C-state pattern of the second magnetization into a S-state pattern by the second field component.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the magnetic field further comprises a first field component that is oriented substantially parallel to the anisotropic axis, switching the second magnetization.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein said passing the field current is performed prior said cooling the magnetic tunnel junction.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising turning off the field current and wherein said cooling the magnetic tunnel junction at a predetermined low temperature threshold is performed prior to turning off the field current.