MEMORY ELEMENT AND MEMORY DEVICE

• US 20150145080A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Higo, Yutaka, Hosomi, Masanori, Ohmori, Hiroyuki, Bessho, Kazuhiro, Yamane, Kazutaka, Uchida, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,735,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/421
• 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: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/85 Magnetic active materials

Abstract

There is disclosed a memory element including a memory layer that has a magnetization perpendicular to a film face; a magnetization-fixed layer that has a magnetization that is perpendicular to the film face; and an insulating layer that is provided between the memory layer and the magnetization-fixed layer, wherein an electron that is spin-polarized is injected in a lamination direction of a layered structure, and thereby the magnetization direction of the memory layer varies and a recording of information is performed, a magnitude of an effective diamagnetic field which the memory layer receives is smaller than a saturated magnetization amount of the memory layer, and in regard to the insulating layer and the other side layer with which the memory layer comes into contact at a side opposite to the insulating layer, at least an interface that comes into contact with the memory layer is formed of an oxide film.

Claims

1. A memory element, comprising:

a memory portion that has a magnetization perpendicular to a film face and a magnetization direction, wherein the magnetization direction is configured to change;

a magnetization-fixed portion that has a magnetization that is perpendicular to the film face and is a reference for the information stored in the memory portion; and

an insulating portion that is provided between the memory portion and the magnetization-fixed portion,

wherein the insulating portion includes a first oxide film, and the memory portion includes a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and the first face comes into contact with first oxide film, and the second face comes into contact with a second oxide film.

2. The memory element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first oxide film and the second oxide film is an MgO film.

3. The memory element according to claim 2, wherein the memory portion includes Co—

Fe—

B.

4. A memory device, comprising:

a memory element that retains information through a magnetization state of a magnetic material; and

two kinds of interconnects that intersect each other,

wherein the memory element includes;

a memory portion that has a magnetization perpendicular to a film face and a magnetization direction, wherein the magnetization direction is configured to change;

a magnetization-fixed portion that has a magnetization that is perpendicular to the film face and is a reference for the information stored in the memory portion; and

an insulating portion that is provided between the memory portion and the magnetization-fixed portion, and

wherein the insulating portion includes a first oxide film, and the memory portion includes a first face and a second face opposite the first face, and the first face comes into contact with first oxide film, and the second face comes into contact with a second oxide film, and the memory element is disposed between the two kinds of interconnects.

5. A storage element comprising:

a first portion has a magnetization perpendicular to a film face and a magnetization direction, wherein the magnetization direction is configured to change;

a second portion has a magnetization that is perpendicular to the film face and is a reference for the information stored in the first portion;

a third portion including MgO, wherein the third portion is positioned between the first portion and the second portion; and

a fourth portion including MgO, wherein the first portion is positioned between the third portion and the fourth portion.

6. The storage element according to claim 5, wherein the first portion includes Co—

Fe—

B.

7. The storage element according to claim 6, wherein the second portion includes Co—

Fe—

B.

8. The storage element according to claim 7, wherein a thickness of the fourth portion is less than 1.5 nm.