Seagate Technology Incorporated

Nve Corporation

Dexin Wang

Dimitar Velikov Dimitrov

Haiwen Xi

Yuankai Zheng

Xiaobin Wang

Wei Tian

Song Sheng Xue

James M Daughton

Olle Gunnar Heinonen

Ming Sun

Xiaohua Lou

Zheng Gao

Kaizhong Gao

Yong Lu

Wenzhong Zhu

Yiran Chen

Hai Li

Hongyue Liu

Michael Xuefei Tang

Paul E Anderson

Venugopalan Vaithyanathan

Shuiyuan Huang

Ivan Petrov Ivanov

Muralikrishnan Balakrishnan

Yang Dong

Insik Jin

Mark Christopher Tondra

Zhenghong Qian

Arthur V Pohm

Robert T Fayfield

Xilin Peng

Tian Wei

Magnetic spin-torque memory cells, often referred to as magnetic tunnel junction cells, which have magnetic anisotropies (i.e., magnetization orientation at zero field and zero current) of the associated ferromagnetic layers aligned perpendicular to the wafer plane, or 'out-of-plane'. A memory cell may have a ferromagnetic free layer, a first pinned reference layer and a second pinned reference layer, each having a magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the substrate. The free layer has a magnetization orientation perpendicular to the substrate that is switchable by spin torque from a first orientation to an opposite second orientation.

ST-RAM cells with perpendicular anisotropy

Magnetic tunnel junctions having a specular insulative spacer are disclosed. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a free magnetic layer, a reference magnetic layer, an electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separating the free magnetic layer from the reference magnetic layer, and an electrically insulating and electronically reflective layer positioned to reflect at least a portion of electrons back into the free magnetic layer.

Magnetic tunnel junction with electronically reflective insulative spacer

A method and apparatus for stray magnetic field compensation in a non-volatile memory cell, such as a spin-torque transfer random access memory (STRAM). In some embodiments, a first tunneling barrier is coupled to a reference structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a first magnetization direction. A recording structure that has a perpendicular anisotropy is coupled to the first tunneling barrier and a nonmagnetic spacer layer. A compensation layer that has a perpendicular anisotropy and a second magnetization direction in substantial opposition to the first magnetization direction is coupled to the nonmagnetic spacer layer. Further, the memory cell is programmable to a selected resistance state with application of a current to the recording structure.

Non-volatile memory with stray magnetic field compensation

A magnetic memory unit includes a tunneling barrier separating a free magnetic element and a reference magnetic element. A first phonon glass electron crystal layer is disposed on a side opposing the tunneling barrier of either the free magnetic element or the reference magnetic element. A second phonon glass electron crystal layer also be disposed on a side opposing the tunneling barrier of either the free magnetic element or the reference magnetic element to provide a Peltier effect on the free magnetic element and the reference magnetic element.

Magnetic memory with phonon glass electron crystal material

Spin-transfer torque memory includes a composite free magnetic element, a reference magnetic element having a magnetization orientation that is pinned in a reference direction, and an electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separating the composite free magnetic element from the magnetic reference element. The free magnetic element includes a hard magnetic layer exchanged coupled to a soft magnetic layer. The composite free magnetic element has a magnetization orientation that can change direction due to spin-torque transfer when a write current passes through the spin-transfer torque memory unit.

STRAM with composite free magnetic element

Spin torque magnetic memory elements that have a pinned layer, two free layers, and a current-blocking insulating layer proximate to at least one of the free layers. The resistive state (e.g., low resistance or high resistance) of the memory elements is altered by passing electric current through the element in one direction. In other words, to change from a low resistance to a high resistance, the direction of electric current is the same as to change from a high resistance to a low resistance. The elements have a unidirectional write scheme.

Spin-torque memory with unidirectional write scheme

A magnetic tunnel junction having a compsensation element is disclosed. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a reference element, and a compensation element having an opposite magnetization moment to a magnetization moment of the reference element. A free magnetic layer is between the reference element and the compensation element, and an electrically insulating and non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer separates the free magnetic layer from the reference element. The free magnetic layer includes CoFeBwherein X is a value being greater than 30 and Y is a value being greater than 15.

Magnetic tunnel junction with compensation element

Methods for making a programmable metallization memory cell are disclosed.

Programmable metallization memory cells via selective channel forming

Programmable metallization memory cells having a planarized silver electrode and methods of forming the same are disclosed. The programmable metallization memory cells include a first metal contact and a second metal contact, an ion conductor solid electrolyte material is between the first metal contact and the second metal contact, and either a silver alloy doping electrode separates the ion conductor solid electrolyte material from the first metal contact or the second metal contact, or a silver doping electrode separates the ion conductor solid electrolyte material from the first metal contact. The silver electrode includes a silver layer and a metal seed layer separating the silver layer from the first metal contact.

Programmable metallization memory cell with planarized silver electrode

An apparatus that includes a magnetic structure including a reference layer; and a free layer; an exchange coupling spacer layer; and a stabilizing layer, wherein the exchange coupling spacer layer is between the magnetic structure and the stabilizing layer and exchange couples the free layer of the magnetic structure to the stabilizing layer.

Non volatile memory including stabilizing structures

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Dexin Wang