Method of writing to scalable magnetoresistance random access memory element

• US 6,545,906 B1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Everspin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rizzo, Nicholas D., Engel, Bradley N., Janesky, Jason Allen, Deherrera, Mark F., Savtchenko, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN THU T
• Application Number:
  US09/978,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20030072174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 365/48, 365/50, 365/55, 365/158, 365/171, 365/173, 365/180
• US Class Current: 365/158
• 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

Abstract

A method to switch a scalable magnetoresistive memory cell including the steps of providing a magnetoresistive memory device sandwiched between a word line and a digit line so that current waveforms can be applied to the word and digit lines at various times to cause a magnetic field flux to rotate the effective magnetic moment vector of the device by approximately 180°. The magnetoresistive memory device includes N ferromagnetic layers that are anti-ferromagnetically coupled. N can be adjusted to change the magnetic switching volume of the device.

Claims

1. A method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device comprising the steps of:

providing a magnetoresistive memory element adjacent to a first conductor and a second conductor wherein the magnetoresistive memory element includes a pinned magnetic region and a free magnetic region separated by a tunneling barrier, the free magnetic region includes N anti-ferromagnetically coupled layers of a ferromagnetic material, where N is an integer greater than or equal to two, and where the N layers define a volume and each layer of the N layers has a moment adjusted to provide a writing mode, and wherein a sub-layer magnetic moment fractional balance ratio of the one of the first and second magnetic regions is in a range 0≦

|M_br|≦

0.1, and the free magnetic region has a magnetic moment vector adjacent to the tunneling barrier oriented in a preferred direction at a time t₀; and

applying a word current pulse to one of the first and second conductors at a time t₁ and turning off the word current pulse at a time t₃ while additionally applying a digit line current pulse to another of the first and second conductors at a time t₂ and turning off the digit line current pulse at a time t₄, wherein t₀<

t₁<

t₂<

t₃<

t₄ so that the magnetic moment vector of the free magnetic region adjacent to the tunneling barrier at the time t₄ is oriented in a direction different from the initial preferred direction at the time t₀.

2. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes adjusting the magnetic moment of each layer of the N layers to provide a direct write mode at an operating current such that the current in each of the first and second conductors is pulsed with a same polarity to write a state and the current in each of the first and second conductors is pulsed with an opposite polarity to reverse the state.

3. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the time t₃ is approximately equal to t₄ so that the magnetoresistive memory device operates in the direct write mode at the operating current.

4. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the time t₁ is approximately equal to t₂ so that the magnetoresistive memory device operates in the direct write mode at the operating current.

5. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 including in addition steps of reading the magnetoresistive memory device to obtain stored information and comparing the stored information to program information to be written prior to the steps of turning on and turning off at least one of the word current pulses and digit line current pulses.

6. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 including in addition steps of providing the word current pulses and digit line current pulses by using unipolar direction currents.

7. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes adjusting the moment of each layer of the N layers to provide a toggle write mode at an operating current such that the current in each of the first and second conductors is pulsed with a same polarity to write a state and the current in each of the first and second conductors is pulsed with the same polarity to reverse the state.

8. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 7 including in addition steps of reading the magnetoresistive memory device to obtain stored information and comparing the stored information to program information to be written prior to the steps of applying the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse and turning off the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse.

9. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 7 including in addition the steps of applying the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse by using unipolar direction currents.

10. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive element including N layers of ferromagnetic material includes a step of separating the N layers by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling material to provide the anti-ferromagnetic coupling.

11. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the anti-ferromagnetic coupling material has a thickness in a range of approximately 4 Å

to 30 Å

.

12. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes using one of Ru, Os, Re, Cr, Rh, and Cu in the anti-ferromagnetic coupling material.

13. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 further including a step of orientating the first and second conductors at approximately a 90°

angle relative to each other.

14. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 13 further including a step of setting the preferred direction at the time t₀ to be at a non-zero angle to the first and second conductors.

15. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of applying the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse to the first and second conductors, includes using a current magnitude that is large enough to cause the magnetic moment vector of the free magnetic region adjacent to the tunneling barrier to switch to a different direction relative to the orientation at the time t₀.

16. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes using one of Ni, Fe, Mn, Co, and combinations thereof, in the layers of ferromagnetic material.

17. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes forming each layer of the N layers with a thickness in a range of approximately 15 Å

to 100 Å

.

18. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes providing an element with a substantially circular cross section.

19. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 including in addition a step of scaling the volume by increasing N such that the volume remains substantially constant or increases and a sub-layer magnetic moment fractional balance ratio remains constant as the magnetoresistive memory element is scaled laterally to smaller dimensions.

20. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 1 including in addition a step of adjusting the magnetic moment of the N layers so that a magnetic field needed to switch the magnetic moment vector of the free magnetic region remains substantially constant as the device is scaled laterally to smaller dimensions.

21. A method of switching a magnetoresistive device comprising the steps of:

providing a magnetoresistive device adjacent to a first conductor and a second conductor wherein the magnetoresistive device includes a free magnetic region and a fixed magnetic region separated by a tunneling barrier, the free magnetic region including an N layer synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure that defines a volume, where N is an integer greater than or equal to two, the N layer synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure includes anti-ferromagnetically coupled ferromagnetic layers with an magnetic moment vector adjacent the tunneling barrier oriented in a preferred direction at a time t₀, and the N layer synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure is adjusted to provide a toggle write mode;

reading an initial state of the magnetoresistive memory device and comparing the initial state with a new state to be stored in the magnetoresistive memory device; and

applying a word current pulse, only if the initial state and the new state to be stored are different, to one of the first and second conductors at a time t₁ and turning off the word current pulse at a time t₃ while additionally applying a digit line current pulse to another of the first and second conductors at a time t₂ and turning off the digit line current pulse at a time t₄.

22. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the magnetic moment vector adjacent to the tunneling barrier is oriented at a different direction at the time t₄ relative to the preferred direction at the time t₀, and t₀<

t₁<

t₂<

t₃<

t₄.

23. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the time t₃ is approximately equal to the time t₄ so that the magnetoresistive memory device operates in a direct write mode at an operating current.

24. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 23 wherein the time t₁ is approximately equal to the time t₂ so that the magnetoresistive memory device operates in the direct write mode at the operating current.

25. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 further including a step of orientating the first and second conductors at approximately a 90°

angle relative to each other.

26. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 further including a step of setting the preferred direction at the time t₀ to be at a non-zero angle to the first and second conductors.

27. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the step of applying the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse to the first and second conductors includes using a current magnitude that is large enough to cause the magnetic moment vector of the N layer synthetic anti-ferromagnetic structure to orient in a direction different from the initial preferred direction at the time t₀.

28. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the step of forming the magnetoresistive memory element includes using one of Ru, Os, Re, Cr, Rh, and Cu to provide the anti-ferromagnetic coupling.

29. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 wherein the step of providing the magnetoresistive memory element includes providing an element with a substantially circular cross section.

30. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 including in addition a step of scaling the volume by increasing N such that the volume remains substantially constant or increases and a sub-layer moment fractional balance ratio remains constant as the magnetoresistive memory element is scaled laterally to smaller dimensions.

31. The method of switching a magnetoresistive memory device as claimed in claim 21 including in addition a step of providing the word current pulse and the digit line current pulse by using unipolar direction currents.