METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING MAGNETIC TUNNELING JUNCTION ELEMENTS HAVING IMPROVED PERFORMANCE THROUGH CAPPING LAYER INDUCED PERPENDICULAR ANISOTROPY AND MEMORIES USING SUCH MAGNETIC ELEMENTS

• US 20140151829A1
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Watts, Steven M., Diao, Zhitao, Tang, Xueti
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/421
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/098 comprising tunnel junctions, e.g. tunnel magnetoresistance sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• 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 11/1675 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5607 using magnetic storage elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3286 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/307 insulating or semiconductive spacer
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/34 in patterns, e.g. by lithography
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/10 comprising components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes or MIM elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices

Abstract

A magnetic element and a magnetic memory utilizing the magnetic element are described. A contact is electrically coupled to the magnetic element. The magnetic element includes pinned, nonmagnetic spacer, and free layers and a perpendicular capping layer adjoining the free layer and the contact. The free layer has an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy that is less than the out-of-plane demagnetization energy. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the pinned and free layers. The perpendicular capping layer induces at least part of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The free layer is switchable between magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element. The free layer includes ferromagnetic layers interleaved with capping layer(s) such that a ferromagnetic layer resides at an edge of the free layer. The capping layer(s) are configured such that the ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled.

Claims

1. A magnetic element for use in a magnetic device including a contact electrically coupled to the magnetic element, the magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer;

a free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy that is less than the out-of-plane demagnetization energy, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the free layer, wherein the free layer includes a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and at least one capping layer, the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being interleaved with the at least one capping layer such that a ferromagnetic layer of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers resides at an edge of the free layer, each of the at least one capping layer being configured such that the plurality of ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled; and

a perpendicular spacer layer adjoining the free layer, the free layer residing between the perpendicular spacer layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the perpendicular spacer layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer and being nonmagnetic, the perpendicular spacer layer including at least one of a doped nitride layer and a doped oxide layer;

a second pinned layer, the perpendicular spacer layer residing between the free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

2. The magnetic element of claim 1 wherein the nonmagnetic spacer layer is a tunneling barrier layer.

3. The magnetic element of claim 2 wherein the perpendicular spacer layer is configured to induce the at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy without substantially changing an in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the free layer.

4. The magnetic element of claim 3 wherein the perpendicular capping layer further includes Ti-doped MgO.

5. The magnetic element of claim 3 wherein the perpendicular capping layer is a multilayer.

6. The magnetic element of claim 5 wherein the multilayer includes a first layer and a second layer, the first layer including doped MgO and the second layer consists of at least one of Ru, Mg, Cr, W, and V.

7. The magnetic element of claim 5 wherein the perpendicular spacer layer further includes doped MgO.

8. The magnetic element of claim 2 wherein the pinned layer includes a plurality of layers.

9. The magnetic element of claim 2 further comprising:

an additional free layer residing between the free layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer; and

a perpendicular capping layer residing on the additional free layer and between the additional free layer and the free layer, the perpendicular capping layer being configured such that the free layer and the additional free layer are antiferromagnetically dipole coupled.

10. A magnetic element for use in a magnetic device including a contact electrically coupled to the magnetic element, the magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer;

a tunneling barrier layer including crystalline MgO;

a free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy that is less than the out-of-plane demagnetization energy, the tunneling barrier layer residing between the first pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer further including a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and at least one capping layer, the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being interleaved with the at least one capping layer such that a ferromagnetic layer of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers resides at an edge of the free layer, each of the at least one capping layer being configured such that the plurality of ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled;

a perpendicular spacer layer adjoining the free layer, the free layer residing between the perpendicular spacer layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer, the perpendicular spacer layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy substantially without changing the in-plane anisotropy, the free layer and being nonmagnetic, the perpendicular spacer layer including doped crystalline MgO;

a second pinned layer, the perpendicular spacer layer residing between the free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

11. The magnetic element of claim 10 further comprising:

an additional free layer residing between the free layer and the tunneling barrier layer; and

a perpendicular capping layer residing on the additional free layer and between the additional free layer and the free layer, the perpendicular capping layer being configured such that the free layer and the additional free layer are antiferromagnetically dipole coupled.

12. A magnetic memory comprising:

a plurality of magnetic storage cells, each of the plurality of magnetic storage cells including a plurality of contacts and at least one magnetic element, each of the at least one magnetic element including a first pinned layer, a free layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the first pinned layer and the free layer, a perpendicular spacer layer, and a second pinned layer, the perpendicular spacer layer residing between the free layer and the second pinned layer, the perpendicular spacer layer including at least one of a doped nitride layer and a doped oxide layer, the free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, the out-of-plane demagnetization energy being greater than the perpendicular anisotropy energy, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the perpendicular spacer layer adjoining the free layer and inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer, the magnetic element being configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element by the contacts, the free layer including a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and at least one capping layer, the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being interleaved with the at least one capping layer such that a ferromagnetic layer of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers resides at an edge of the free layer, each of the at least one capping layer being configured such that the plurality of ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled;

a plurality of word lines coupled with the plurality of magnetic storage cells; and

a plurality of bit lines coupled with the plurality of storage cells.

13. The magnetic memory of claim 12 wherein the spacer layer is a tunneling barrier layer.

14. The magnetic memory of claim 13 wherein the perpendicular spacer layer induces the at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy substantially without changing an in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the free layer.

15. The magnetic memory of claim 14 wherein the pinned layer includes a plurality of layers.

16. The magnetic memory of claim 13 wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements further includes:

an additional free layer residing between the free layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer; and

a perpendicular capping layer residing on the additional free layer and between the additional free layer and the free layer, the perpendicular capping layer being configured such that the free layer and the additional free layer are antiferromagnetically dipole coupled.

17. A method for fabricating a magnetic element for use in a magnetic device including a contact electrically coupled to the magnetic element, the method comprising:

providing a first pinned layer;

providing a nonmagnetic spacer layer;

providing a free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy, the out-of-plane demagnetization energy being greater than the perpendicular anisotropy energy, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer including a plurality of ferromagnetic layers and at least one capping layer, the plurality of ferromagnetic layers being interleaved with the at least one capping layer such that a ferromagnetic layer of the plurality of ferromagnetic layers resides at an edge of the free layer, each of the at least one capping layer being configured such that the plurality of ferromagnetic layers are ferromagnetically coupled; and

providing a perpendicular spacer layer adjoining the free layer, the perpendicular spacer layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer and including at least one of a doped nitride and doped MgO;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.