Spin-torque MRAM: spin-RAM, array

• US 7,852,662 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: MagiQ Technologies, Incorporated
• Inventors: Yang, Hsu Kai, Wang, Po-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Hoai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, ANTHAN
• Application Number:
  US11/789,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 365/158, 365/243.5
• US Class Current: 365/158
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect

Abstract

A spin-torque MRAM array has MRAM cells arranged in rows and columns. Bit lines are connected to each of the MRAM cells on each column. Source select lines are connected to each MRAM cell of a pair of rows and are oriented orthogonally to the bit lines. Write lines are connected to the gate of the gating MOS transistor of each MRAM cell of the rows. The MRAM cells are written in a two step process with selected MRAM cells written to a first logic level (0) in a first step and selected MRAM cells written to a second logic level (1) in a second step. A second embodiment of the spin-torque MRAM array has the bit lines commonly connected together to receive the data and the source select lines commonly connected together to receive an inverse of the data for writing.

Claims

1. A spin-torque MRAM cell array comprising:

a plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells arranged in rows and columns, each spin-torque MRAM cell comprising;

a magnetic tunnel junction element, and

a select switching device having a drain terminal connected to a first terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element;

a plurality of bit lines, each bit line associated with one column of the columns of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a second terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element;

a plurality of word lines, each word line associated with one row of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a gate terminal of said select switching device of each spin-torque MRAM cell on each row to control activation and deactivation of said select switching device;

a plurality of source select lines, each source select line placed orthogonally to said plurality of bit lines and associated with one pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a source terminal of said select switching device of each of said spin-torque MRAM cells on the associated pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells wherein each source select line transmits a source line input signal applied to the source of the select switching device of at least one of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells on a selected word line and is set at a first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line and subsequently toggled to a second logic level during a second writing step, wherein the first logic level is different from the second logic level; and

a plurality of column write select devices, each column write select device associated with one column of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and having a source terminal connected to the associated bit line of said plurality of bit lines, a drain terminal connected to receive a data input signal and a gate terminal connected to receive one of a plurality of column write select signals.

2. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 wherein said data input signal comprises separate bits to be transferred individually to each of said drains of said plurality of column write select devices.

3. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 wherein said data input signal is a single bit and all the drain terminals of said plurality of column write select devices are commonly connected.

4. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 3 wherein all of said plurality of source select lines are commonly connected and the source line input signal is an inverse data input signal.

5. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 further comprising an apparatus for writing a selected spin-torque MRAM cell comprising:

means for activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for applying data input signal to the drain of said column write select device connected to the one column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

means for applying the source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell and sets the source line input signal to the first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line and toggles to the second logic level during a second writing step.

6. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 5 wherein when the input data signal is equal to said first logic level during said first writing step a program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change and when the input data signal is the first logic level during said first writing step, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes.

7. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 6 wherein when the input data signal is equal to said second logic level during said second writing step the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change and when the input data signal is the inverse of the first logic level during said second writing step, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes.

8. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 further comprising an apparatus for writing a selected spin-torque MRAM cell comprising:

means for activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for applying the data input signal to the drain of said column write select device connected to the one column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

means for applying an inverse data signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write the input data signal to selected spin-torque MRAM cell.

9. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 further comprising an apparatus for writing the input data signal to a plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells comprising:

means for activating the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for activating the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for applying data input signals representative of input data to be written said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

means for applying a source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cells and sets the source line input signal to the first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line to write said second logic level to those selected spin-torque MRAM cell that are to have the second logic level written to them and to leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said second logic level written to them.

10. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 9 wherein said means for applying the source line input signal to said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells toggles to the second logic level during a second writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line for applying said second logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells such that said first logic level is written to those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them and leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the second logic level written to them.

11. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 1 wherein an apparatus for writing input data to a plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells have comprising:

means for performing a first writing step, comprising;

means for activating the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

means for activating the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

means for applying said input data signals to be written said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells, and

means for applying the source line select signal as the first logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said second logic level to all selected spin-torque MRAM cells having the second logic level to be written to the those of the selected spin-torque MRAM cells and leaving unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the first logic level written to them; and

means for performing a second writing step comprising;

means for toggling said select line input signal to the second logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells such that said first logic level is written to those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them and leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have the second logic level written to them.

12. The spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 4 wherein an apparatus for writing input data to a selected spin-torque MRAM cell comprising:

means for activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

means for applying data input signals representative of input data to be written said selected spin-torque MRAM cell to the drain of said column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

means for applying said inverse data input signals to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said input data to said selected spin-torque MRAM cell.

13. A spin-torque magnetic random access memory device comprising

a plurality of spin-torque MRAM cell arrays arranged in a plurality of groups, each spin-torque MRAM array comprising:

a plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells arranged in rows and columns, each spin-torque MRAM cell comprising;

a magnetic tunnel junction element, and

a select switching device having a drain terminal connected to a first terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element;

a plurality of bit lines, each bit line associated with one column of the columns of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a second terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element,

a plurality of word lines, each word line associated with one row of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a gate terminal of said select switching device of each spin-torque MRAM cell on each row to control activation and deactivation of said select switching device,

a plurality of source select lines, each source select line placed orthogonally to said plurality of bit lines and associated with one pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connected to a source terminal of said select switching device of each of said spin-torque MRAM cells on the associated pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells wherein each source select line transmits a source line input signal applied to the source of the select switching device of at least one of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells on a selected word line and is set at a first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line and subsequently toggled to a second logic level during a second writing step, wherein the first logic level is different from the second logic level, and

a plurality of column write select devices, each column write select device associated with one column of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and having a source terminal connected to the associated bit line of said plurality of bit lines, a drain terminal connected to receive a data input signal and a gate terminal connected to receive one of a plurality of column write select signals;

a bit line decode circuit to receive an address, input data, and a read/write select signal, decode said address, input data, and read/write select signal, and in communication with said plurality of bit lines, said drain terminals, and gate terminals of each of said plurality of write select devices to select which of said bit lines are activated for reading one of said spin-torque MRAM cells on each selected column and activate those of said column write select devices of a selected column to transfer said input data signal derived from said input data to one selected spin-torque MRAM cell on at least one said selected column;

a word line decode circuit to receive said address and in communication with each of said plurality of word lines, and decoding said address to activate one of said word lines on one row of said array of spin-torque MRAM cells; and

a select line decode circuit to receive said address and said read/write select signal to decode said address and in communication with each of said plurality of source select lines to select one of said source select lines from decoding said address to provide the first logic level and the second logic level for reading and said source line input signal for writing said selected spin-torque MRAM cells.

14. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 further comprising a sense amplifier connected to each of the plurality of bit lines to receive a data read signal from selected spin-torque MRAM cells, amplify and condition said data read signal to generate output data read from said selected spin-torque MRAM cells.

15. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein said data input signal comprises separate bits to be transferred individually to each of said drains of said plurality of column write select devices.

16. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein said data input signal is a single bit and all the drain terminals of said plurality of column write select devices are commonly connected.

17. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 16 wherein all of said plurality of source select lines are commonly connected to receive the source line input signals that is an inverse data input signal.

18. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein a selected spin-torque MRAM cell is written by:

said word line decode circuit activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit applying said data input signal to the drain of said column write select device connected to the one column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

said select line decode circuit applying said source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell that is set the first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line and to toggle to the second logic level during a second writing step.

19. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 18 wherein when the input data signal is equal to said first logic level during said first writing step, a program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change and when the input data signal is the second logic level during said first writing step, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes.

20. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 19 wherein when the input data signal is equal to said second logic level during said second writing step the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change and when the input data signal is the inverse of the first logic level during said second writing step, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes.

21. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein a selected spin-torque MRAM cell is written to by:

said word line decode circuit activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit applying data input signal as said first logic level to the drain of said column write select device connected to the one column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

said select line decode circuit applying an inverse data input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said first logic level to selected spin-torque MRAM cell.

22. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein a plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells have the data input signal written to them by:

said word line decode circuit activating the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit activating the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit applying data input signals representative of input data to be written said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

said select line decode circuit applying a source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cells and sets the first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line to write said second logic level to those selected spin-torque MRAM cell that are to have the second logic level written to them and to leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them.

23. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 22 wherein during said writing said input data to said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells said select line decode circuit toggles to the second logic level during a second writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line for applying said second logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells such that said first logic level is written to those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them and leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the second logic level written to them.

24. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 13 wherein a plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells have data written in two writing steps, wherein:

during a first of the two writing steps;

said word line decode circuit activates the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

said bit line decode circuit activates the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

said bit line decode circuit applies the data input signal to be written said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells, and

said select line decode circuit applying the second logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said first logic level to all selected spin-torque MRAM cells having the first logic level to be written to the those of the selected spin-torque MRAM cells and leaving unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the second logic level written to them; and

during a second of the two writing steps;

said select line decode circuit applies said second logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells such that said first logic level is written to those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them and leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the second logic level written to them.

25. The spin-torque magnetic random access memory device of claim 17 wherein a selected spin-torque MRAM cell has the input data signal written to it by:

said word line decode circuit activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

said bit line decode circuit applying the data input signal to be written said selected spin-torque MRAM cell to the drain of said column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

said select line decode circuit applying said inverse data input signals to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said input data to said selected spin-torque MRAM cell.

26. A method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells arranged in rows and columns, each spin-torque MRAM cell comprising;

a magnetic tunnel junction element, and

a select switching device having a drain terminal connected to a first terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element;

providing a plurality of bit lines by the step of;

associating each bit line with one column of the columns of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connecting each bit line to a second terminal of said magnetic tunnel junction element;

providing a plurality of word lines by the step of;

associating each word line with one row of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connecting each word line to a gate terminal of said select switching device of each spin-torque MRAM cell on each row to control activation and deactivation of said select switching device;

providing a plurality of source select lines by the step of;

placing each source select line orthogonally to said plurality of bit lines, and

associating each source select line with one pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and connecting each source select line to a source terminal of said select switching device of each of said spin-torque MRAM cells on the associated pair of rows of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells, and

transmitting on each source select line a source line input signal that is applied to the source of the select switching device of at least one of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells on a selected word line,

setting the source line input signal to a first logic level during a first writing step of selected spin-torque MRAM cells on the selected word line,

subsequently toggling the source line input signal to a second logic level during a second writing step, wherein the first logic level is different from the second logic level; and

providing a plurality of column write select devices by the step of;

associating each column write select device associated with one column of said plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells and having a source terminal connected to each of said plurality of bit lines, a drain terminal connected to receive a data input signal and a gate terminal connected to receive one of a plurality column write select signals.

27. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 26 wherein said data input signal comprises separate bits to be transferred individually to each of said drains of said plurality of column write select devices.

28. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 26 wherein said data input signal is a single bit and all the drain terminals of said plurality of column write select devices are commonly connected.

29. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 28 wherein all of said plurality of source select lines are commonly connected to receive an inverse data input signal.

30. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

writing a selected spin-torque MRAM cell by the steps of;

activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

applying said data input signal to the drain of said column write select device connected to the one column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

applying said source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell such that when the input data signal is equal to said second logic level during said first writing step a program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes to the second logic level and when the input data signal is the first logic level during said first writing step, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change.

31. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 30 the step of applying said source line input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell comprises the step of toggling the source line input signal from the first logic level to the second logic level in a second writing step such that when the input data signal is equal to said second logic level during said second writing step the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell does not change and when the input data signal is the first logic level, the program state of said selected spin-torque MRAM cell changes to the first logic level.

32. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

writing data to said selected spin-torque MRAM cell during a first writing step by;

activating the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

activating the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

applying data input signal to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

applying a first logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said second logic level to the selected spin-torque MRAM cell when the input data signal is the second logic level and to leave unchanged selected spin-torque MRAM cell the input data signal is said first logic level.

33. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 32 further comprising the step of:

writing said input data to said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cell, a second writing step is accomplished by;

applying said second logic to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell such that said first logic level is written to the selected spin-torque MRAM cell when the input data signal is said first logic level and leave unchanged the selected spin-torque MRAM cell when the input data signal is the second logic level.

34. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

writing the input data signal to said selected spin-torque MRAM cells of the plurality of spin-torque MRAM cells by the steps of;

performing a first writing step by;

activating the word line associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

activating the column write select signals connected to the column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells,

applying input data signals to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with each of said selected spin-torque MRAM cells, and

applying a first logic level to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cells to write said second logic level to all selected spin-torque MRAM cells for those of the selected spin-torque MRAM cells having the input data signal applied as the second logic level and leaving those selected spin-torque MRAM cells having the input data applied as the first logic level unchanged; and

performing a second writing step is accomplished by;

applying said second logic to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cells such that said first logic level is written to those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that are to have said first logic level written to them and leave unchanged those of the plurality of selected spin-torque MRAM cells that have had the second logic level written to them.

35. The method for programming a spin-torque MRAM cell array of claim 29 further comprising the step of:

writing data to said selected spin-torque MRAM cell by the steps of;

activating the word line associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

activating the column write select signal connected to the column write select device connected to the column associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell;

applying said input data signal to the drains of said column write select devices connected to the columns associated with said selected spin-torque MRAM cell; and

applying said inverse data input signal to the source select line of the pair of rows associated with said plurality selected spin-torque MRAM cell to write said input data signal to said selected spin-torque MRAM cell.