Oscillating-field assisted spin torque switching of a magnetic tunnel junction memory element

• US 7,224,601 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Semiconductor Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Grandis, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Panchula, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, TRONG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/271,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 365/158, 365/171, 365/173
• US Class Current: 365/158
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1675 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/329 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetisation of the free layer is switched by a spin-polarised current, e.g. spin torque effect

Abstract

Devices and techniques for applying a resonant action by an applied oscillating magnetic field to a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and an action of an applied DC current across the MTJ to effectuate a switching of the MTJ when writing data to the MTJ.

Claims

1. A magnetic memory device, comprising:

a memory cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction which comprises a free magnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer and a spacer layer which is nonmagnetic and located between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer;

a first mechanism to apply an AC current to produce an oscillating magnetic field at an oscillating frequency in resonance with a magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer and to magnetically couple the oscillating magnetic field to the free magnetic layer; and

a second mechanism to apply a DC current across the magnetic tunnel junction of the memory cell to cause a spin transfer torque in the free magnetic layer,

wherein a magnitude of each of the oscillating magnetic field by the AC current and the spin transfer torque by the DC current alone and without the other is less than a threshold for changing a magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the oscillating magnetic field by the AC current and the spin transfer torque by the DC current in combination exceed the threshold and thus change the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer when the AC current and the DC current are applied to the memory cell at the same time.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first mechanism to apply the AC current comprises an AC signal source electrically coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction of the memory cell and the second mechanism to apply the DC current comprises a DC signal source electrically coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction of the memory cell, and wherein the AC signal source is electrically biased relative to the DC signal source to substantially eliminate a DC contribution from the AC signal source to a total DC current flowing across the magnetic tunnel junction of the memory cell.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the second mechanism to apply the DC current comprises a transistor electrically coupled to the memory cell to control the DC current flowing across the magnetic tunnel junction of the memory cell.

5. The device as in claim 4, further comprising at least a second memory cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction which comprises a free magnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer and a spacer layer which is nonmagnetic and located between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer,

wherein the memory cell and the second memory cell are electrically connected in series and are connected to the transistor which controls the DC current through both the memory cell and the second memory cell.

6. The device as in claim 4, further comprising at least a second memory cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction which comprises a free magnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer and a spacer layer which is nonmagnetic and located between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer,

wherein the memory cell and the second memory cell are electrically connected in parallel and are connected to the transistor which controls the DC current through both the memory cell and the second memory cell.

7. The device as in claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate having a location on which the memory cell is formed; and

at least a second memory cell formed at the location and stacked over the memory cell,

wherein the first mechanism is configured to apply the AC current to select one of the memory cell and the second memory cell at the location.

8. The device as in claim 7, wherein the second mechanism comprises a transistor connected to supply the DC current to both the memory cell and the second memory cell.

9. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first mechanism comprises a tuning mechanism to tune the oscillating frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to maintain the resonance of the oscillating magnetic field with the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer.

10. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first mechanism is configured to make a linewidth of the oscillating magnetic field cover a frequency range within which the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer varies to maintain the resonance of the oscillating magnetic field with the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer in presence of a variation in the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer.

11. The device as in claim 1, further comprising a magnetic flux cladding device to concentrate the oscillating magnetic field at the free layer of the memory cell.

12. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first mechanism is configured to apply the oscillating magnetic field along a hard axis of the free magnetic layer.

13. The device as in claim 1, wherein the first mechanism comprises an AC source to produce the AC current and a first conductor line to direct the AC current near the memory cell, and wherein the second mechanism comprises a second conductor line to supply the DC current to the memory cell and a transistor connected in the second conductor line to control the DC current.

14. The device as in claim 13, wherein the transistor and the magnetic tunnel junction are inside the memory cell.

15. The device as in claim 13, further comprising at least a second memory cell to share the first conductor line with the memory cell, wherein the second mechanism further comprises a third conductor line to supply a DC current to the second memory cell and a second transistor connected in the third conductor line to control the DC current through the second memory cell.

21. The method as in claim 13, further comprising applying the oscillating magnetic field along a hard axis of the free magnetic layer.

16. A method for operating a memory cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction, comprising:

applying an AC current to produce an oscillating field at an oscillating frequency and in resonance with a magnetic resonance frequency of a free magnetic layer of the magnetic tunnel junction and to magnetically couple the oscillating field to the free magnetic layer;

applying a DC current across the magnetic tunnel junction to cause a spin transfer torque in the free magnetic layer; and

controlling the AC and DC currents to be applied simultaneously to switch a magnetic orientation of the free magnetic layer.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein a magnitude of each of the oscillating magnetic field by the AC current and the spin transfer torque by the DC current alone and without the other is less than a threshold for changing a magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer.

18. The method as in claim 16, further comprising tuning the oscillating frequency of the oscillating magnetic field to maintain the resonance of the oscillating magnetic field with the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer.

19. The method as in claim 16, further comprising making a linewidth of the oscillating magnetic field to cover a frequency range within which the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer varies to maintain the resonance of the oscillating magnetic field with the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer in presence of a variation in the magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer.

20. The method as in claim 16, further comprising spatially confining the oscillating magnetic field to concentrate the oscillating magnetic field at the free layer of the memory cell.

22. A magnetic memory device, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of memory cells at different locations on the substrate and arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction which comprises a free magnetic layer, a pinned magnetic layer and a spacer layer which is nonmagnetic and located between the pinned magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer;

an AC signal source to produce an AC current at an oscillating frequency in resonance with a magnetic resonance frequency of the free magnetic layer;

a plurality of first conductor lines coupled to different rows of memory cells, respectively, each first conductor line electrically coupled to a corresponding row of memory cells and coupled to receive the AC current and to magnetically couple the oscillating magnetic field to the free magnetic layer of each memory cell of the corresponding row;

a plurality of second conductor lines coupled to different columns of memory cells, respectively, each second conductor line electrically coupled to supply a DC current to a corresponding column of memory cells wherein the DC current flows across the magnetic tunnel junction of each memory cell to cause a spin transfer torque in the free magnetic layer,

wherein a magnitude of each of the oscillating magnetic field by the AC current and the spin transfer torque by the DC current alone and without the other is less than a threshold for changing a magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer of each memory cell, and wherein the oscillating magnetic field by the AC current and the spin transfer torque by the DC current in combination exceed the threshold and thus change the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer when the AC current and the DC current are applied to the memory cell at the same time, and

a control mechanism to control application of the AC current and the DC current to select one or more memory cells to switch.

23. The device as in claim 22, further comprising a plurality of column transistors respectively coupled to the second conductor lines, each column transistor coupled to control and supply the DC current to a designated column of memory cells.