Memory element

• US 5,459,687 A
• Filed: 10/28/1993
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Irie, Yousuke, Sakakima, Hiroshi, Satomi, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): YOO, DO H
• Application Number:
  US08/144,593
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 365/158, 365/171, 365/173, 360/113, 360/119
• US Class Current: 365/158
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/14 using thin-film elements

Abstract

A high performance thin film memory device uses an artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film, and operable with a low magnetic field and room temperature; and the device has a magnetic film part M, current feed lines R and R'"'"' for generating magnetic field for information data writing-in, and an information data readout line S of an artificial lattice magnetoresistance film of a lamination structure of a metallic magnetic thin layers such as Ni--Fe--Co system and a metallic nonmagnetic thin layers such as Cu.

Claims

1. A memory element comprising:

a magnetic film member which is formed by a patterning process,

a read out line for information data readout provided on said magnetic film member in a manner insulated from said magnetic film member, said read out line being made of an artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film, and

a first current feed line and a second current feed line arranged at right angles to each other and in parallel with a plane including said read out line, said first and second current feed lines being insulated from each other and from said magnetic film member and said read out line by insulation layers, said first and second current feed lines performing a writing-data action of the memory element by impressing a magnetic field on said magnetic film member by feeding a first current in said first current feed line and a second current in said second current feed line,

said read out line of said artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film having a structure of an alternate lamination of metallic magnetic layers of a thickness of 5-50Å and

metallic nonmagnetic layers of a thickness of 5-50Å

.

2. A memory element in accordance with claim 1 wherein said metallic nonmagnetic layers are substantially either one of Cu, Ag, or Au.

3. A memory element in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metallic magnetic layers of said artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film are of (Ni_x Co_1-x)_x,Fe_1-x, as their main composition and x is selected to be in a range of 0.6-1.0 and x'"'"' is selected to be in a range of 0.7-1.0.

4. A memory element in accordance with claim 2 wherein said metallic magnetic layers are made of (Co_y Ni_1-y)_z Fe_-z as their main composition and y is selected to be in a range of 0.4-1.0 and Z is selected to be in a range of 0.8-1.0.

5. A memory element in accordance with claim 3 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 6-13Å

.

6. A memory element in accordance with claim 3 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 19-26Å

.

7. A memory element in accordance with claim 4 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 6-13Å

.

8. A memory element in accordance with claim 4 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 19-26Å

.

9. A memory element comprising:

a magnetic film member which is formed by a patterning process,

a read out line for information data readout provided on said magnetic film member in a manner insulated from said magnetic film member, said read out line being made of an artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film, and

a first current feed line and a second current feed line arranged at right angles to each other and in parallel with a plane including said read out line, said first and second current feed lines being insulated from each other and from said magnetic film and said read out line by insulation layers, said first and second current feed lines performing a writing-data action of the memory element by impressing a magnetic field on said magnetic film member by feeding a first current in said first current feed line and a second current in said second current feed line,

said read out line of said artificial lattice magnetoresistance effect film having a structure of an alternate lamination of first metallic magnetic layers of a thickness of 5-50Å

, second metallic magnetic layers of a thickness of 5-50Å and

metallic nonmagnetic layers of a thickness of 5-50Å

, in a manner to intermediating said metallic nonmagnetic layers therebetween, where said first metallic magnetic layers include (Ni_x Co_1-x)_x, (0.6≦

x≦

1.0, 0.7≦

x'"'"'≦

1.0) as their main composition, said second metallic magnetic layers include (Co_y Ni_1-y)_1-z (0.4≦

y≦

1.0, 0.8≦

z≦

1.0) as their main composition, and the metallic nonmagnetic layers include either one of Cu, Ag, or Au as their main composition.

10. A memory element in accordance with claim 9 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 6-13Å

.

11. A memory element in accordance with claim 9 wherein the thickness of said metallic nonmagnetic layers is 19-26Å

.