Storage element and memory

• US 9,728,715 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Higo, Yutaka, Ohmori, Hiroyuki, Yamane, Kazutaka, Hosomi, Masanori, Yamamoto, Tetsuya, Oishi, Yuki, Kano, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BERNSTEIN, ALLISON
• Application Number:
  US14/882,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20160035971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• 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 11/161 details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3272 by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/325 applying a noble metal capping on a spin-exchange-coupled multilayer, e.g. spin filter deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/85 Magnetic active materials

Abstract

A storage element includes a storage layer, a fixed magnetization layer, a spin barrier layer, and a spin absorption layer. The storage layer stores information based on a magnetization state of a magnetic material. The fixed magnetization layer is provided for the storage layer through a tunnel insulating layer. The spin barrier layer suppresses diffusion of spin-polarized electrons and is provided on the side of the storage layer opposite the fixed magnetization layer. The spin absorption layer is formed of a nonmagnetic metal layer causing spin pumping and provided on the side of the spin barrier layer opposite the storage layer. A direction of magnetization in the storage layer is changed by passing current in a layering direction to inject spin-polarized electrons so that information is recorded in the storage layer and the spin barrier layer includes at least a material selected from oxides, nitrides, and fluorides.

Claims

1. A storage element comprising:

a storage layer having a first magnetization state of a first magnetic material;

a fixed magnetization layer having a second magnetization state of a second magnetic material;

a spin absorption layer configured to increase spin pumping of the storage layer; and

a spin barrier layer configured to suppress spin pumping of the storage layer,

wherein the spin barrier layer is provided between the spin absorption layer and the storage layer.

2. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic material includes a ferromagnetic material.

3. The storage element according to claim 2, wherein the ferromagnetic material includes Co, Fe, and B.

4. The storage element according to claim 1, further comprising a cap layer, wherein the spin absorption layer is provided between the cap layer and the spin barrier layer.

5. The storage element according to claim 4, wherein the cap layer is provided directly in contact with the spin absorption layer.

6. The storage element according to claim 1, further comprising a tunnel insulating layer provided between the storage layer and the fixed magnetization layer.

7. The storage element according to claim 6, wherein the tunnel insulating layer includes at least one of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, SiO₂, Bi₂O₃, MgF₂, CaF, SrTiO₂, AlLaO₃, and AlNO.

8. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic material includes Co, Fe, and B.

9. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetization state of the first magnetic material is configured to be changed by passing a current through the storage layer.

10. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the spin barrier layer is provided directly adjacent to the spin absorption layer and the storage layer.

11. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein an area of the storage element is less than or equal to 0.04 μ

m².

12. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the fixed magnetization layer includes an exchange-bias layered ferromagnetic structure including two ferromagnetic layers that are antiferromagnetically coupled with a nonmagnetic layer in between and an antiferromagentic layer is positioned adjacent to one of the ferromagnetic layers.

13. The storage element according to claim 1, further comprising an underlayer provided adjacent to the fixed magnetization layer, wherein the underlayer includes Tantalum.

14. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the storage layer is a CoFeB/Ta/CoFeB layered film.

15. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the fixed magnetization layer is a PtMn/CoFe/Ru/CoFeB layered film.

16. The storage element according to claim 1, wherein the spin barrier layer includes at least one of an oxide, a nitride and a fluoride.

17. A memory comprising:

a storage element; and

two lines that intersect with each other,

wherein the storage element includes

a storage layer having a first magnetization state of a first magnetic material;

a fixed magnetization layer having a second magnetization state of a second magnetic material;

a spin absorption layer configured to increase spin pumping of the storage layer; and

a spin barrier layer configured to suppress spin pumping of the storage layer,

wherein the spin barrier layer is provided between the spin absorption layer and the storage layer.

18. The memory according to claim 17, wherein the first magnetic material includes a ferromagnetic material.

19. The memory according to claim 18, wherein the ferromagnetic material includes Co, Fe, and B.

20. The memory according to claim 17, further comprising a cap layer, wherein the spin absorption layer is provided between the cap layer and the spin barrier layer.

21. The memory according to claim 20, wherein the cap layer is provided directly in contact with the spin absorption layer.

22. The memory according to claim 17, further comprising a tunnel insulating layer provided between the storage layer and the fixed magnetization layer.

23. The memory according to claim 22, wherein the tunnel insulating layer includes at least one of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, SiO₂, Bi₂O₃, MgF₂, CaF, SrTiO₂, AlLaO₃, and AlNO.

24. The memory according to claim 17, wherein the second magnetic material includes Co, Fe, and B.

25. The memory according to claim 17, wherein the spin barrier layer includes at least one of an oxide, a nitride and a fluoride.