International Business Machines Corporation

Crocus-technology Sa

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

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

Institut Polytechnique De Grenoble

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Université Grenoble Alpes

Crocus Technology Inc.

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique-cnrs

Lucian Prejbeanu

Daniel Christopher Worledge

Anthony J Annunziata

Philip Louis Trouilloud

Bernard Dieny

Ricardo Sousa

Nicolas Perrissin-Fabert

Neal Berger

Mourad El Baraji

Lucien Lombard

Guillaume Prenat

Clarisse Ducruet

Jyotirmoy Chatterjee

Ricardo Alves Ferreira Costa E Sousa

Paulo Veloso Coelho

Cécile Maunoury

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 mechanism is provided for a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM). A storage layer has an anisotropic axis, in which the storage layer is configured to store a state in off axis positions and on axis positions. The off axis positions are not aligned with the anisotropic axis. A tunnel barrier is disposed on top of the storage layer. A ferromagnetic sense layer is disposed on top of the tunnel barrier.

Multibit self-reference thermally assisted MRAM

A mechanism is provided for fabricating a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device. A bottom thermal barrier is formed on a bottom contact. A magnetic tunnel junction is formed on the bottom thermal barrier. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier. The tunnel barrier is formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer. A top thermal barrier is formed on the top ferromagnetic layer. A top contact is formed on the top thermal barrier. The top contact is reduced to a first diameter. The tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter. The first diameter of the top contact is smaller than the second diameter.

Structure for thermally assisted MRAM

A magnetic random access memory ('MRAM') cell includes: (1) a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization direction and a magnetic anisotropy axis; (2) a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization direction; and (3) a spacer layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The MRAM cell also includes a field line magnetically coupled to the MRAM cell and configured to induce a write magnetic field along a magnetic field axis, and the magnetic anisotropy axis is tilted relative to the magnetic field axis. During a write operation, the first magnetization direction is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m&#x3e;2, at least one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic anisotropy axis, and at least another one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic field axis.

Magnetic random access memory devices including multi-bit cells

A magnetic element with thermally-assisted writing using a field or spin transfer provided, including a magnetic reference layer referred to as the 'trapped layer,' the magnetization of which is in a fixed direction, and a magnetic storage layer called the 'free layer' having a variable magnetization direction and consisting of a layer made of a ferromagnetic material with magnetization in the plane of the layer and magnetically coupled to a magnetization-trapping layer made of an antiferromagnetic material. A semiconductor or an insulating layer with confined-current-paths is sandwiched between the reference layer and the storage layer. At least one bilayer, consisting respectively of an amorphous or quasi-amorphous material and a material having the same structure or the same crystal lattice as the antiferromagnetic layer, is provided in the storage layer between ferromagnetic layer, which is in contact with the semiconductor or insulating layer with confined-current-paths, and antiferromagnetic layer.

Magnetic element with thermally-assisted writing

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Grenoble, France

Lucian Prejbeanu