Avalanche Technology, Inc.

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Komag Corporation

Other

Avalanche Technologies, Inc.

Rajiv Yadav Ranjan

Parviz Keshtbod

Roger Klas Malmhall

Yiming Huai

Yuchen Zhou

Qixu David Chen

Jing Zhang

Charles Chengyea Leu

Zhong Stella Wu

Mahmud M Assar

Tsutomu Tom Yamashita

Samuel Dacke Harkness, Iv

Tu Chen

Chung-hee Chang

Lin Huang

Xing Song

Liji Huang

Kimihiro Satoh

Zhong (Stella) Wu

Miaogen Lu

Qixu (David) Chen

Ebrahim Abedifard

Petro Estakhri

Thomas P Nolan

Zihui Wang

Ting Joseph Yuen

Keith Kadokura

John Ko-Jen Chen

Ioan Tudosa

Li-Lien Lee

Jeffrey Shane Reiter

Samuel Dacke Harkness

Roger Klaus Malmhall

Charles Frederick Brucker

Dong Ha Jung

Xiaojie Hao

Mehdi Asnaashari

Michael Joseph Stirniman

Paul Stephen McLeod

Xiaoding Ma

Uday Chandrasekhar

Ngon Van Le

Chung Yuang Shih

Caroline Anne Ross

Benjamin P Chen

Shanghsien Alex Rou

Kuo-Hsing Hwang

Kueir-Weei Chour

Mark Anthony Shows

Ravishankar Tadepalli

Jie-Ming Yu

Yuri Trachuk

Roger Ristau

Istvan McClain Boszormenyi

Amber Sharma

Kyou H Lee

Fernando Anaya Chavez

Stella Z Wu

Qixu(David) Chen

Bernardo Sardinha

Kuo H Huang

John K-j Chen

John Ko-Chen Chen

A spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element employed to store a state based on the magnetic orientation of a free layer, the STTMRAM element is made of a first perpendicular free layer (PFL) including a first perpendicular enhancement layer (PEL). The first PFL is formed on top of a seed layer. The STTMRAM element further includes a barrier layer formed on top of the first PFL and a second perpendicular reference layer (PRL) that has a second PEL. The second PRL is formed on top of the barrier layer. The STTMRAM element further includes a capping layer that is formed on top of the second PRL.

Memory system having thermally stable perpendicular magneto tunnel junction (MTJ) and a method of manufacturing same

An STTMRAM element includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having a perpendicular magnetic orientation. The MTJ includes a barrier layer, a free layer formed on top of the barrier layer and having a magnetic orientation that is perpendicular and switchable relative to the magnetic orientation of the fixed layer. The magnetic orientation of the free layer switches when electrical current flows through the STTMRAM element. A switching-enhancing layer (SEL), separated from the free layer by a spacer layer, is formed on top of the free layer and has an in-plane magnetic orientation and generates magneto-static fields onto the free layer, causing the magnetic moments of the outer edges of the free layer to tilt with an in-plane component while minimally disturbing the magnetic moment at the center of the free layer to ease the switching of the free layer and to reduce the threshold voltage/current.

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) with in-plane magneto-static switching-enhancing layer

A memory device having features of the present invention comprises a reprogrammable memory portion including therein a first plurality of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) whose resistance is switchable; and a one-time-programmable (OTP) memory portion including therein a second plurality of MTJs whose resistance is switchable and a third plurality of MTJs whose resistance is fixed. Each MTJ of the first, second, and third plurality of MTJs includes a magnetic free layer having a magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof and a magnetic reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof. The second plurality of MTJs represents one of two logical states and the third plurality of MTJs represents the other one of the two logical states.

Programming of non-volatile memory subjected to high temperature exposure

A method of forming a uniform thickness layer of a selected material on a surface of a substrate comprises steps of:

Sublayers for magnetically soft underlayer

The present invention is directed to a multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element configured to store a state by current flowing therethrough to switch the state including two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) coupled in parallel between a top electrode and a bottom electrode. Each MTJ includes a free layer with a switchable magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof, a fixed layer with a fixed magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof, and a barrier layer interposed between the free layer and the fixed layer. The magnetic memory element is operable to store more than one bit of information.

High capacity low cost multi-state magnetic memory

A spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element includes a composite fixed layer formed on top of a substrate and a tunnel layer formed upon the fixed layer and a composite free layer formed upon the tunnel barrier layer. The magnetization direction of each of the composite free layer and fixed layer being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The composite layers are made of multiple repeats of a bilayer unit which consists of a non-magnetic insulating layer and magnetic layer with thicknesses adjusted in a range that makes the magnetization having a preferred direction perpendicular to film plane.

Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy multilayers

The present invention is directed to a spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element comprising a composite free layer including one or more stacks of a bilayer unit that comprises an insulator layer and a magnetic layer with the magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; a magnetic pinned layer having a first fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; a tunnel barrier layer formed between the composite free layer and the magnetic pinned layer; and a magnetic fixed layer coupled to the magnetic pinned layer through an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The magnetic fixed layer has a second fixed magnetization direction that is substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof and is substantially opposite to the first fixed magnetization direction.

The present invention is directed to a multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element configured to store a state by current flowing therethrough to switch the state. The magnetic memory element includes a stack of two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) with each MTJ including a free layer with a switchable magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof, a barrier layer, and a fixed layer with a fixed magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof. Each MTJ is separated from other MTJs in the stack by at least an isolation layer. The stack of MTJs may store more than one bit of information. The free layer of each MTJ has a switching current threshold different from free layers of other MTJs in the stack.

STTMRAM element having multiple perpendicular MTJs coupled in series

One embodiment of the present invention includes a multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element that includes a stack of two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs), each MTJ having a free layer and being separated from other MTJs in the stack by a seeding layer formed upon an isolation layer. The stack is for storing more than one bit of information, wherein different levels of current applied to the memory element cause switching to different states.

High capaciy low cost multi-state magnetic memory

One embodiment of the present invention includes a multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element includes a stack of two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs), each MTJ having a free layer and being separated from other MTJs in the stack by a seeding layer formed upon an isolation layer, the stack for storing more than one bit of information, wherein different levels of current applied to the memory element causes switching to different states.

Fabrication methods using Ion Beam Etching (IBE) for MRAM cell memory elements are described. In embodiments of the invention the top electrode and MTJ main body are etched with one mask using reactive etching such as RIE or magnetized inductively coupled plasma (MICP) for improved selectivity, then the bottom electrode is etched using IBE as specified in various alternative embodiments which include selection of incident angles, wafer rotational rate profiles and optional passivation layer deposited prior to the IBE. The IBE according to the invention etches the bottom electrode without the need for an additional mask by using the layer stack created by the first etching phase as the mask. This makes the bottom electrode self-aligned to MTJ. The IBE also achieves MTJ sidewall cleaning without the need for an additional step.

MTJ stack and bottom electrode patterning process with ion beam etching using a single mask

A hybrid non-volatile memory device includes a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) having an array of magnetic memory elements, the NVRAM being bit-accessible. The hybrid non-volatile device further includes a non-volatile page-mode memory (PMM) made of resistive memory and organized into pages, the non-volatile PMM being page-accessible. Further included in the hybrid non-volatile memory device is a direct memory access (DMA) engine that is coupled to the NVRAM and the non-volatile PMM and transfers data between the NVRAM and the non-volatile PMM during a DMA operation.

Hybrid non-volatile memory device

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Rajiv Yadav Ranjan