Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Headway Technologies, Incorporated

Crocus-technology Sa

Université Grenoble Alpes

Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble

Université Joseph Fourier

Université Paris—sud

Crocus Technology Inc.

Commissariat a L'atomique

Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble

Le Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Altenatives

Allegro Microsystems, LLC

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-cnrs

Bernard Dieny

Ricardo Sousa

Bernard Rodmacq

Olivier Redon

Cheng Tzong Horng

Kochan Ju

Simon H Liao

Min Li

Ioan Lucian Prejbeanu

Lucian Prejbeanu

Ursula Ebels

Philippe Sabon

Claire Baraduc

Jérôme Moritz

Stéphane Auffret

Bertrand Francis Cambou

Mao-Min Chen

Jei-Wei Chang

Jean-Pierre Nozieres

Marie-Claire Cyrille

Kenneth MacKay

Clarisse Ducruet

Nicolas Perrissin-Fabert

Hélène Joisten

Jyotirmoy Chatterjee

Franck Ernult

Jerome Moritz

Anatoly Vedyaev

Stéphane Landis

Christophe Thirion

Dimitri Houssameddine

Bernard Viala

Olivier Joubert

Virgile Javerliac

Maxime Darnon

Gabriele Navarro

Lucien Lombard

Luca Perniola

Jean Mouchot

Yves Samson

Thibaut Devolder

Ioan-Lucian Prejbeanu

Jean-Pierre Nozières

Kévin Garello

Matthieu Jamet

Dominique Lestelle

Patrick Warin

Roberto Calemczuk

Salim Dounia

Sébastien Petit

Franck Berthet

Laurence Giacomoni

Dana Stanescu

Alberto Bollero

Vincent Baltz

Stephane Auffret

Jérôme Faure-Vincent

Christophe Cowache

Nicolas De Mestier Du Bourg

Ioana Firastrau

Paulo Veloso Coelho

Hélène Bea

Sébastien Bandiera

Bertrand Lacoste

Heélène Joisten

Sebastien Bandiera

Liliana Prejbeanu

Lavinia Elena Nistor

Eric Gautier

Cristian Papusoi

Liliana Buda-Prejbeanu

Alina-Maria Deac-Renner

Cécile Maunoury

Stéphne Auffret

Virgile Résidence Perspective Javerliac

Magnetic element including a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization including a stable magnetization vortex configuration having a vortex core. The first ferromagnetic layer includes an indentation configured such that the vortex core nucleates substantially at the indentation. Upon application of an external magnetic field in a first field direction, the vortex core moves along a first path and the first magnetization rotates around the vortex core in a counterclockwise direction. Upon application of the external magnetic field in a second field direction opposed to the first field direction, the vortex core moves along a second path and the first magnetization rotates around the vortex core in a clockwise direction. Both the first and second field path are substantially identical and move the vortex core away from the indentation.

Magnetic element having an improved measurement range

A magnetic stack includes a first element including a ferromagnetic layer; a second element including a metal layer able to confer on the assembly formed by the first and the second elements a magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the plane of the layers. The first element further includes a refractory metal material, the second element being arranged on the first element.

Magnetic stack, multilayer, tunnel junction, memory point and sensor comprising such a stack

A magnetic tunnel junction with out-of-plane magnetisation includes a storage layer; a reference layer; a tunnel barrier layer, the two magnetisation states of the storage layer being separated by an energy barrier, the magnetic tunnel junction having a thermal stability factor dependent on the energy barrier and on the temperature of use of the magnetic tunnel junction. The storage layer has a thickness comprised between 0.5 times and 8 times a characteristic dimension of a planar section of the tunnel junction; the composition and the thickness of the storage layer are chosen such that the absolute value of the derivative of the thermal stability factor compared to a characteristic dimension of a planar section of the tunnel junction is less than 10 nm.

Magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular shape anisotropy and minimised variability, memory point and logic element including the magnetic tunnel junction, method for manufacturing the magnetic tunnel junction

A magnetic tunnel junction with out-of-plane magnetisation includes a storage layer; a reference layer; and a tunnel barrier layer. The two magnetisation states of the storage layer are separated by an energy barrier including a contribution due to the shape anisotropy of the storage layer and a contribution of interfacial origin for each interface of the storage layer. The storage layer has a thickness comprised between 0.8 and 8 times a characteristic dimension of a planar section of the tunnel junction. The contribution to the energy barrier due to the shape anisotropy of the storage layer is at least two times greater and preferably at least 4 times greater than the contributions to the energy barrier of interfacial origin.

Magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular shape anisotropy and minimised variation of temperature memory point and logic element including the magnetic tunnel junction, method of manufacturing the magnetic tunnel junction

A synthetic antiferromagnetic layer includes a first ferromagnetic layer containing an amorphizing element, the first ferromagnetic layer having a first structural symmetry; a second ferromagnetic layer having a second structural symmetry; wherein the first and the second ferromagnetic layers are antiferromagnetically coupled by a trifunctional non-magnetic multi-layered structure, the antiferromagnetic coupling being an Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) coupling, the non-magnetic multi-layered structure including at least two non-magnetic layers, the non-magnetic multilayered structure being at least partially nano-crystalline or amorphous in order to ensure a structural transition between the first ferromagnetic layer having the first structural symmetry and the second ferromagnetic layer having the second structural symmetry, the non-magnetic multilayered structure being adapted to absorb at least part of the amorphizing element out of the first ferromagnetic layer in contact with the non-magnetic multi-layered structure.

Synthetic antiferromagnetic layer, magnetic tunnel junction and spintronic device using said synthetic antiferromagnetic layer

A method for manufacturing a resistive device, includes depositing a first electrically conductive layer on a substrate; forming an etching mask on the first conductive layer; etching the first conductive layer through the mask, such as to obtain a plurality of electrically conductive pillars separated from one another; and forming storage elements with variable electrical resistance at the tops of the electrically conductive pillars, such that each storage element is supported by one of the electrically conductive pillars, the step of forming the storage elements including the following operations depositing a first layer by non-collimated cathode sputtering at normal incidence relative to the substrate; and depositing a second layer on the first layer by cathode sputtering, the second layer including a first chemical species sputtered at an oblique incidence.

Method for manufacturing a resistive device for a memory or logic circuit

A magnetic field sensor includes first and second sensors for detecting first and second magnetic components according to first and second directions. Each sensor includes a flux concentrator including first and second magnetic parts, an air gap between the parts, and a magnetoresistive element in the air gap. Each magnetoresistive element includes a reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction, the fixed magnetization direction of the first and second sensors being substantially identical, and a sensitive layer having a variable magnetization direction, the variable magnetization direction of the first sensor when the first sensor is in a state of rest being substantially identical to the variable magnetization direction of the second sensor when the second sensor is in the state of rest. The air gaps of first and second sensor are oriented parallel to a direction XY which is, at &#xb1;15&#xb0;, the bisector of the first and second directions.

Magnetic field sensor for the detection of at least two magnetic field components including flux concentrators and magnetoresistive elements

A magnetic logic unit (MLU) cell includes a first magnetic tunnel junction and a second magnetic tunnel junction, each magnetic tunnel junction including a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a tunnel barrier layer between the first and second layer. A field line for passing a field current such as to generate an external magnetic field is adapted to switch the first magnetization. The first magnetic layer is arranged such that the magnetic tunnel junction magnetization varies linearly with the generated external magnetic field. An MLU amplifier includes a plurality of the MLU cells. The MLU amplifier has large gains, extended cut off frequencies and improved linearity.

Magnetic logic unit (MLU) cell and amplifier having a linear magnetic signal

A thermally-assisted magnetic writing device includes at least one magnetic element including: a reference layer having a stable vortex magnetization configuration; a device to create a magnetic field to reversibly move the vortex core in the plane of the reference layer; a storage layer having a variable magnetization configuration; a non-magnetic spacer that separates and magnetically decouples the reference layer and the storage layer; an antiferromagnetic pinning layer in contact with the storage layer, the antiferromagnetic layer being capable of pinning the magnetization configuration of the storage layer, the storage layer having at least two storage levels corresponding to two pinned magnetization configurations; a device to heat the antiferromagnetic pinning layer such that when heated, the temperature of the antiferromagnetic pinning layer exceeds its blocking temperature such that the magnetization configuration of the storage layer is no longer pinned when warm.

Thermally-assisted magnetic writing device

A voltage-controlled spintronic device includes a magnetic layer having an effective anisotropy Keff; a non-magnetic insulating layer; a contact layer; the magnetic layer having an anisotropy switching threshold such that application of a polarization voltage Vmax allows switching of the effective anisotropy Kfrom a direction perpendicular to the reference plane to a direction in the reference plane or vice versa, the magnetic layer including a first layer, with thickness t, having a volume anisotropy K; a second layer, with thickness t, having a surface anisotropy Kand a volume anisotropy K; the surface anisotropy Kand the volume anisotropies Kand Krespecting, over a given operating temperature range: Min(K(V=0), K(V=Vmax))&#x3c;&#x2212;{Kt+Kt)&#x3c;Max(K(V=0), K(V=Vmax)). K(V=0) is the surface anisotropy when no polarization voltage is applied. K(V=Vmax) is the surface anisotropy when a polarization voltage Vis applied.

Voltage-controlled magnetic device operating over a wide temperature range

A magnetic device includes a first magnetic layer, known as storage layer, having a uniaxial anisotropy with an easy magnetization axis in the plane of the storage layer and having a magnetization of variable direction having two positions of equilibrium along the easy magnetization axis, a second magnetic layer, known as electron spin polarization layer, having a magnetization perpendicular to that of the storage layer and situated out of plane of the electron spin polarization layer, a device configured to make circulate in the layers, and perpendicularly thereto, a current to switch from one position of equilibrium of the direction of magnetization of the storage layer to the other. The device further includes a device to apply a magnetic field, known as transverse field, the direction of which is substantially parallel to the plane of the storage layer and substantially perpendicular to the easy magnetization axis of the storage layer.

Magnetic device with spin polarisation

A method for manufacturing a hybrid non-volatile memory device includes forming first conductive pads; depositing a first conductive layer on a second area of the substrate; etching the first conductive layer to obtain second conductive pads, the second conductive pads having a section at their base smaller than at their top; protecting the upper face of the second conductive pads; oxidizing the substrate so that an insulating material layer covers the upper face of the first conductive pads and sides of the second conductive pads; depositing an oxide layer at the tops of the first conductive pads, resulting in memory elements of a first type supported by the first conductive pads; and forming memory elements of a second type at the tops of the second conductive pads. Each memory element of the second type is supported by one of the second conductive pads.

Hybrid non-volatile memory device and method for manufacturing such a device

MRAM element having a magnetic tunnel junction including a reference layer, a storage layer, a tunnel barrier layer between the reference and storage layers, and a storage antiferromagnetic layer. The storage antiferromagnetic layer has a first function of exchange-coupling a storage magnetization of the storage layer and a second function of heating the magnetic tunnel junction when a heating current in passed in the magnetic tunnel junction. The MRAM element has better data retention and low writing temperature.

MRAM element with low writing temperature

A thermally assisted switching MRAM element including a magnetic tunnel junction including a reference layer having a reference magnetization; a storage layer having a storage magnetization; a tunnel barrier layer included between the storage layer and the reference layer; and a storage antiferromagnetic layer exchange-coupling the storage layer such as to pin the storage magnetization at a low temperature threshold and to free it at a high temperature threshold. The antiferromagnetic layer includes: at least one first antiferromagnetic layer having a first storage blocking temperature, and at least one second antiferromagnetic layer having a second storage blocking temperature; wherein the first storage blocking temperature is below 200&#xb0; C. and the second storage blocking temperature is above 250&#xb0; C. The MRAM element combines better data retention compared with known MRAM elements with low writing mode operating temperature.

MRAM element having improved data retention and low writing temperature

A magnetic logic unit (MLU) cell includes a first and second magnetic tunnel junction, each including a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a barrier layer; and a field line for passing a field current such as to generate an external magnetic field adapted to adjust the first magnetization. The first and second magnetic layers and the barrier layer are arranged such that the first magnetization is magnetically coupled antiparallel with the second magnetization through the barrier layer. The MLU cell also includes a biasing device arranged for applying a static biasing magnetic field oriented substantially parallel to the external magnetic field such as to orient the first magnetization at about 90&#xb0; relative to the second magnetization, the first and second magnetizations being oriented symmetrically relative to the direction of the external magnetic field.

Growing community of inventors

Lans en Vercors, France

Bernard Dieny