Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Hsu-Chen Cheng

Yu-Jen Wang

Denny Tang

Wen-Chin Lin

Feng-Jia Shiu

Ya-Chen Kao

Chun-Jung Lin

Yung-Tao Lin

The present disclosure provides a non-volatile memory device. A memory device includes a first magnetic element having a fixed magnetization. The memory device also includes a second magnetic element having a non-fixed magnetization. The memory device further includes a barrier layer between the first and second magnetic elements. A unidirectional current source is electrically coupled to the first and second magnetic elements. The current source is configured to provide a first current to the first and second memory elements. The first current has a first current density and is in a first direction. The current source is also configured to provide a second current to the first and second magnetic elements. The second current has a second current density, different than the first current density, and is in the first direction. The first and second currents cause the non-fixed magnetization of the second magnetic element to toggle between substantially parallel to the fixed magnetization of the first magnetic element and between substantially antiparallel to the fixed magnetization of the first magnetic element.

Device and method of programming a magnetic memory element

The present disclosure provides a magnetic memory element. The memory element includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and an electrode. The electrode includes a pinning layer, a pinned layer, and a non-magnetic conductive layer. In one embodiment, the MTJ element includes a first surface having a first surface area, and the electrode includes a second surface. In the embodiment, the second surface of the electrode is coupled to the first surface of the MTJ element such that an interface area is formed and the interface area is less than the first surface area.

Spin torque transfer MRAM device

A MRAM cell structure includes a bottom electrode; a magnetic tunnel junction unit disposed on the bottom electrode; a top electrode disposed on the magnetic tunnel junction unit; and a blocking layer disposed on the top electrode, wherein the blocking layer is wider than the magnetic tunnel junction unit for preventing against formation of a short circuit between a contact and the magnetic tunnel junction unit.

MRAM cell structure with a blocking layer for avoiding short circuits

Disclosed herein is a technique for created an advanced MRAM array for constructing a memory integrated circuit chip. More specifically, the disclosed principles provide for an integrated circuit memory chip comprised of a combination of at least one of an array of high-speed magnetic memory cells, and at least one of an array of high-density magnetic memory cells. Accordingly, a memory chip constructed as disclosed herein provides the benefit of both high-speed and high-density memory cells on the same memory chip. As a result, applications benefiting from the use of (or perhaps even needing) high-speed memory cells are provided by the memory cells in the high-speed memory cell array.

Advanced MRAM design

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of a 3-parameter switching technique for MRAM memory cells arranged on an MRAM array. The disclosed technique alters the relationship between the disturbance margin and write margin of MRAM arrays to reduce the overall disturbance for the arrays by either enlarging the write margin with respect to the original disturbance margin or enlarging the disturbance margin in view of the original write margin. In either approach, the disclosed 3-parameter switching technique successfully decreases the inadvertent writing of unselected bits.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Hsu-Chen Cheng