Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Lei Wan

Jordan Asher Katine

Ricardo Ruiz

Tsai-Wei Wu

Jeffrey Scott Lille

He Gao

Neil Leslie Robertson

Patrick Braganca

Mac D Apodaca

Hsin-Wei Tseng

Julia Cushen

Bruce Alvin Gurney

Kurt A Rubin

Bruce David Terris

Bhagwati Prasad

Paul Franklin Nealey

Alan Kalitsov

Goran Mihajlovic

Derek Stewart

Qing Zhu

John C Read

Gabriel Zeltzer

Chu-Chen Fu

Tiffany Santos

Zhaoqiang Bai

Nicholas R Conley

Yves-Andre Chapuis

Jun Chen

Rajesh Chopdekar

Selector material layers are formed over the first electrically conductive lines, and magnetic tunnel junction material layers are formed over the selector material layers. The magnetic tunnel junction material layers are patterned into a two-dimensional array of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) pillar structures. A dielectric spacer material layer is deposited over the two-dimensional array of MTJ pillar structures. The dielectric spacer material layer and the selector material layers are anisotropically etched. Patterned portions of the selector material layers include a two-dimensional array of selector-containing pillar structures. Second electrically conductive lines are formed over the two-dimensional array of MTJ pillar structures.

Cross-point magnetoresistive memory array including self-aligned dielectric spacers and method of making thereof

A memory device includes a cross-point array of magnetoresistive memory cells. Each magnetoresistive memory cell includes a vertical stack of a selector-containing pillar structure and a magnetic tunnel junction pillar structure. The lateral spacing between neighboring pairs of magnetoresistive memory cells may be smaller along a first horizontal direction than along a second horizontal direction, and a dielectric spacer or a tapered etch process may be used to provide a pattern of an etch mask for patterning first electrically conductive lines underneath the magnetoresistive memory cells. Alternatively, a resist layer may be employed to pattern first electrically conductive lines underneath the cross-point array. Alternatively, a protective dielectric liner may be provided to protect selector-containing pillar structures during formation of the magnetic tunnel junction pillar structures.

Cross-point magnetoresistive random memory array and method of making thereof using self-aligned patterning

A memory device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a magnetic tunnel junction located between the first electrode and the second electrode. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a reference layer, a free layer, a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer located between the reference layer and the free layer, and a platinum-containing layer containing platinum and at least one element selected from iridium, hafnium or ruthenium. The platinum-containing layer contacts the free layer.

Voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) memory devices including platinum containing layer in contact with free layer

A magnetoresistive memory cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode that is spaced from the first electrode, a magnetic tunnel junction layer stack located between the first electrode and the second electrode, the magnetic tunnel junction layer stack containing, from one side to another, a reference layer having a fixed reference magnetization direction, a tunnel barrier layer comprising a dielectric material, and a free layer, and an asymmetric magnetoresistance layer located between the magnetic tunnel junction layer stack and one of the first electrode and the second electrode.

Magnetoresistive memory device including a magnetoresistance amplification layer

A memory array is provided that includes a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of memory cells each including a corresponding magnetic memory element coupled in series with a corresponding selector element. Each memory cell is coupled between one of the word lines and one of the bit lines. Each memory cell has a half-pitch F, and comprises an area between 2Fand 4F.

One selector one resistor MRAM crosspoint memory array fabrication methods

A spin-orbit-torque (SOT) magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) device includes a SOT MRAM cell containing a first two terminal selector element, a nonmagnetic metallic assist plate, and a magnetic tunnel junction located between the first two terminal selector element and the nonmagnetic metallic assist plate, and a circuit selection element selected from a transistor or a second two terminal selector element electrically connected to the nonmagnetic metallic assist plate of the SOT MRAM cell.

Method of making magnetoresistive memory cell over a selector pillar

A memory device includes a cross-point array of spin-torque transfer MRAM cells. First rail structures laterally extend along a first horizontal direction. Each of the first rail structures includes a vertical stack including, from bottom to top, a first electrically conductive line, a reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction, and a tunnel barrier layer. Second rail structures laterally extend along a second horizontal direction. Each of the second rail structures includes a second electrically conductive line that overlies the first rail structures. A two-dimensional array of pillar structures is located between a respective one of the first rail structures and a respective one of the second rail structures. Each of the pillar structures includes a free layer having energetically stable magnetization orientations that are parallel or antiparallel to the fixed magnetization direction.

Cross-point spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive memory array and method of making the same

Spin-orbit-torque magnetoresistive memory cell with integrated selector elements and method of making the same

A memory array is provided that includes a first memory level having a plurality of memory cells each including a corresponding magnetic memory element coupled in series with a corresponding selector element, and a plurality of vias, each of the vias coupled in series with a corresponding one of the memory cells.

A phase change memory cell includes a first electrode, a second electrode located over the first electrode, a vertical pillar structure located between the first and second electrodes, the pillar structure containing a first phase change memory (PCM) material portion, a second PCM material portion and an intermediate electrode located between the first PCM material portion and the second PCM material portion, and a resistive liner containing a first segment electrically connected in parallel to the first PCM material portion between the first electrode and the intermediate electrode, and a second segment electrically connected in parallel to the second PCM material portion between the intermediate electrode and the second electrode. The first PCM material portion has a different electrical resistance than the second PCM material portion, and the first segment of the resistive liner has a different electrical resistance than the second segment of the resistive liner.

Multi-level phase change memory cells and method of making the same

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to data storage and computer memory systems, and more particularly, to a SOT-MRAM chip architecture. The SOT-MRAM chip architecture includes a plurality of leads, a plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of transistors. The leads may be made of a material having large spin-orbit coupling strength and high electrical resistivity. Each lead of the plurality of leads may include a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions distinct from the first portions. The electrical resistivity of the second portions is less than that of the first portions, so the total electrical resistivity of the lead is reduced, leading to improved power efficiency and signal to noise ratio.

Bottom pinned SOT-MRAM bit structure and method of fabrication

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Lei Wan