Spin transfer torque structure for MRAM devices having a spin current injection capping layer
First Claim
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1. A magnetic device, comprising:
- a magnetic tunnel junction having a magnetic reference layer and a magnetic free layer, the magnetic reference layer and the magnetic free layer separated by a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer, the magnetic reference layer having a magnetic vector having a fixed magnetic direction, the magnetic free layer having a magnetic vector with a variable magnetic direction;
a magnetic polarizer layer having magnetic vector with a direction that is perpendicular to the magnetic direction of the magnetic reference layer and the magnetic free layer, wherein the magnetic polarizer aligns polarity of electrons of electric current passing therethrough in the magnetic direction of the magnetic polarizer, thereby creating a spin current; and
a spin current injection capping layer disposed between the magnetic tunnel junction and the magnetic polarizer, the spin current injection capping layer comprising a non-magnetic insulator on the magnetic free layer and a magnetic conductor on the non-magnetic insulator, the spin current injection capping layer injecting spin polarized current into the magnetic tunnel junction through tunneling.
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Abstract
A magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) device is disclosed. The device described herein has a spin current injection capping layer between the free layer of a magnetic tunnel junction and the orthogonal polarizer layer. The spin current injection capping layer maximizes the spin torque through very efficient spin current injection from the polarizer. The spin current injection capping layer can be comprised of a layer of MgO and a layer of a ferromagnetic material.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A magnetic device, comprising:
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a magnetic tunnel junction having a magnetic reference layer and a magnetic free layer, the magnetic reference layer and the magnetic free layer separated by a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer, the magnetic reference layer having a magnetic vector having a fixed magnetic direction, the magnetic free layer having a magnetic vector with a variable magnetic direction; a magnetic polarizer layer having magnetic vector with a direction that is perpendicular to the magnetic direction of the magnetic reference layer and the magnetic free layer, wherein the magnetic polarizer aligns polarity of electrons of electric current passing therethrough in the magnetic direction of the magnetic polarizer, thereby creating a spin current; and a spin current injection capping layer disposed between the magnetic tunnel junction and the magnetic polarizer, the spin current injection capping layer comprising a non-magnetic insulator on the magnetic free layer and a magnetic conductor on the non-magnetic insulator, the spin current injection capping layer injecting spin polarized current into the magnetic tunnel junction through tunneling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A magnetic device, comprising
a synthetic antiferromagnetic structure in a first plane, the synthetic antiferromagnetic structure including a magnetic reference layer, the magnetic reference layer having a magnetization vector that is parallel to the first plane, a non-magnetic tunnel barrier layer in a second plane and disposed over the magnetic reference layer; -
a free magnetic layer in a third plane disposed over the non-magnetic tunnel barrier layer, the free magnetic layer having a magnetization vector that is parallel to the third plane and having a magnetization direction that can precess from a first magnetization direction to a second magnetization direction, the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunnel barrier layer and the magnetic reference layer forming a magnetic tunnel junction; a spin current injection capping layer in a fourth plane, the spin current injection capping layer disposed over the free magnetic layer, the spin current injection capping layer comprising a non-magnetic insulator layer over the free magnetic layer and a magnetic conductor layer over the non-magnetic insulator layer; and a magnetic polarizer layer that polarizes electrons passing therethrough to create spin polarized current, the magnetic polarizer layer having at least one magnetic vector, the at least one magnetic vector being orthogonal to the magnetization vector of the magnetic reference layer and the magnetization vector of the free magnetic layer; wherein the spin current injection capping layer is between the magnetic polarizer layer and the free magnetic layer and wherein the spin current injection capping layer injects the spin polarized current into the magnetic tunnel junction through tunneling. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification