Magnetic element utilizing spin transfer and an MRAM device using the magnetic element

• US 6,920,063 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Semiconductor Incorporated (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Grandis, Inc. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Paul P., Huai, Yiming
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung, Anh
• Application Number:
  US10/741,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20040130940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 365/173, 365/171, 365/158, 365/189.04
• US Class Current: 365/171
• 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: H01F 10/3263 the exchange coupling being symmetric, e.g. for dual spin valve, e.g. NiO/Co/Cu/Co/Cu/Co/NiO
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/302 for applying spin-exchange-coupled multilayers, e.g. nanostructured superlattices spin-exchange-coupled multilayers H01F10/32

Abstract

A method and system for providing a magnetic element capable of being written using spin-transfer effect while generating a high output signal and a magnetic memory using the magnetic element are disclosed. The magnetic element includes a first ferromagnetic pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a ferromagnetic free layer, an insulating barrier layer and a second ferromagnetic pinned layer. The pinned layer has a magnetization pinned in a first direction. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is conductive and is between the first pinned layer and the free layer. The barrier layer resides between the free layer and the second pinned layer and is an insulator having a thickness allowing electron tunneling through the barrier layer. The second pinned layer has a magnetization pinned in a second direction. The magnetic element is configured to allow the magnetization of the free layer to change direction due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

Claims

1. A magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being conductive;

a simple free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the simple free layer, the simple free layer being ferromagnetic and having a free layer magnetization;

a barrier layer, the barrier layer being an insulator and having a thickness that allows tunneling through the barrier layer;

a second pinned layer, the barrier layer being between the simple free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer magnetization to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;

wherein the simple free layer contains boron.

2. The magnetic element of claim 1 wherein the simple free layer also includes CoFe and/or Co.

3. A magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer, the first pinned layer being a first synthetic pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being conductive;

a simple free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the simple free layer, the simple free layer being ferromagnetic and having a free layer magnetization;

a barrier layer, the barrier layer being an insulator and having a thickness that allows tunneling through the barrier layer;

a second pinned layer, the barrier layer being between the simple free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer magnetization to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;

wherein the first synthetic pinned layer includes a ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, wherein the ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization and the second pinned layer has a second magnetization and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

4. The magnetic element of claim 3 further comprising:

a first antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the first pinned layer, the first antiferromagnetic layer having a first blocking temperature; and

a second antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second pinned layer, the second antiferromagnetic layer having a second blocking temperature;

wherein the first blocking temperature is substantially the same as the second blocking temperature.

5. The magnetic element of claim 3 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include a particular antiferromagnetic material.

6. The magnetic element of claim 5 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include PtMn.

7. A magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer, the first pinned layer being a first synthetic pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being conductive;

a simple free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the simple free layer, the simple free layer being ferromagnetic and having a free layer magnetization;

a barrier layer, the barrier layer being an insulator and having a thickness that allows tunneling through the barrier layer;

a second pinned layer, the barrier layer being between the simple free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer magnetization to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;

wherein the second pinned layer is a second synthetic pinned layer.

8. The magnetic element of claim 7 wherein the first synthetic pinned layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, wherein the second synthetic pinned layer includes a second ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the barrier layer, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization, wherein the second ferromagnetic layer has a second magnetization, and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

9. A magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being conductive;

a simple free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the simple free layer, the simple free layer being ferromagnetic and having a free layer magnetization;

a barrier layer, the barrier layer being an insulator and having a thickness that allows tunneling through the barrier layer;

a second pinned layer, the barrier layer being between the simple free layer and the second pinned layer, the second pinned layer being a first synthetic pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer magnetization to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element;

wherein the first synthetic pinned layer includes a ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the barrier layer, wherein the ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization and the first pinned layer has a second magnetization and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

10. The magnetic element of claim 9 further comprising:

a first antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the first pinned layer, the first antiferromagnetic layer having a first blocking temperature; and

a second antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second pinned layer, the second antiferromagnetic layer having a second blocking temperature;

wherein the first blocking temperature is substantially the same as the second blocking temperature.

11. The magnetic element of claim 10 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include a particular antiferromagnetic material.

12. The magnetic element of claim 11 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include PtMn.

13. A magnetic element comprising:

a first pinned layer;

a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being conductive;

a free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer having a free layer magnetization;

a barrier layer, the barrier layer being an insulator and having a thickness that allows tunneling through the barrier layer;

a second pinned layer, the barrier layer being between the free layer and the second pinned layer;

wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer magnetization to be switched due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element; and

wherein the first pinned layer and the second pinned layer are configured such that charge carriers both from the first pinned layer and from the second pinned layer can contribute to switching of the free layer magnetization due to spin transfer.

14. The magnetic element of claim 13 wherein the first pinned layer is a first synthetic pinned layer.

15. The magnetic element of claim 14 wherein the first synthetic pinned layer includes a ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, wherein the ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization and the second pinned layer has a second magnetization and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

16. The magnetic element of claim 15 further comprising:

a first antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the first pinned layer, the first antiferromagnetic layer having a first blocking temperature; and

a second antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second pinned layer, the second antiferromagnetic layer having a second blocking temperature;

wherein the first blocking temperature is substantially the same as the second blocking temperature.

17. The magnetic element of claim 16 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include PtMn.

18. The magnetic element of claim 14 wherein the second pinned layer is a second synthetic pinned layer.

19. The magnetic element of claim 14 wherein the first synthetic pinned layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the nonmagnetic spacer layer, wherein the second synthetic pinned layer includes a second ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the barrier layer, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization, wherein the second ferromagnetic layer has a second magnetization, and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

20. The magnetic element of claim 19 further comprising:

a first antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the first pinned layer, the first antiferromagnetic layer having a first blocking temperature; and

a second antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second pinned layer, the second antiferromagnetic layer having a second blocking temperature;

wherein the first blocking temperature is substantially the same as the second blocking temperature.

21. The magnetic element of claim 20 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include PtMn.

22. The magnetic element of claim 13 wherein the second pinned layer is a synthetic pinned layer.

23. The magnetic element of claim 22 wherein the synthetic pinned layer includes a ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the barrier layer, wherein the ferromagnetic layer has a first magnetization and the first pinned layer has a second magnetization and wherein the first magnetization and the second magnetization are oriented in opposite directions.

24. The magnetic element of claim 23 further comprising:

a first antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the first pinned layer, the first antiferromagnetic layer having a first blocking temperature; and

a second antiferromagnetic layer adjacent to the second pinned layer, the second antiferromagnetic layer having a second blocking temperature;

wherein the first blocking temperature is substantially the same as the second blocking temperature.

25. The magnetic element of claim 24 wherein the first antiferromagnetic layer and the second antiferromagnetic layer include PtMn.

26. The magnetic element of claim 13 wherein the free layer is synthetic.

27. The magnetic element of claim 26 wherein the free layer contains boron.

28. The magnetic element of claim 27 wherein the free layer also includes CoFe and/or Co.