Intel Corporation

Roksana Golizadeh Mojarad

Brian S Doyle

Kaan Oguz

Charles C Kuo

Robert S Chau

David L Kencke

Mark L Doczy

Uday Shah

Elijah V Karpov

Satyarth Suri

Arijit Raychowdhury

James W Tschanz

Yih Wang

Selvakumar Panneer

Fatih Hamzaoglu

Rahuldeva Ghosh

Amin Heydarpour

Embodiments described herein provide an apparatus comprising a processor to receive, from a gaming/anti-cheating server, a message comprising a first pixel data set comprising first pixel data for one or more pixels of a watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, store the first pixel data set in the machine-readable memory, receive, from a gaming system, a frame buffer rendered by the gaming system and comprising the watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, isolate, from the frame buffer, a second pixel data set comprising second pixel data for one or more pixels corresponding to the first pixel set, and forward an alert to the gaming/anti-cheating server when the second pixel data differs from the first pixel data by an amount that exceeds a threshold. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Anti-cheating solution to detect graphics driver tampering for online gaming

Techniques are disclosed for forming integrated circuit structures including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), such as spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) devices, having magnetic contacts. The techniques include incorporating an additional magnetic layer (e.g., a layer that is similar or identical to that of the magnetic contact layer) such that the additional magnetic layer is coupled antiferromagnetically (or in a substantially antiparallel manner). The additional magnetic layer can help balance the magnetic field of the magnetic contact layer to limit parasitic fringing fields that would otherwise be caused by the magnetic contact layer. The additional magnetic layer may be antiferromagnetically coupled to the magnetic contact layer by, for example, including a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the two magnetic layers, thereby creating a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF). The techniques can benefit, for example, magnetic contacts having magnetic directions that are substantially in-line or substantially in-plane with the layers of the MTJ stack.

Spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) devices having magnetic contacts

Perpendicular spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices with enhanced stability and methods of fabricating perpendicular STTM devices with enhanced stability are described. For example, a material layer stack for a magnetic tunneling junction includes a fixed magnetic layer. A dielectric layer is disposed above the fixed magnetic layer. A free magnetic layer is disposed above the dielectric layer. A conductive oxide material layer is disposed on the free magnetic layer.

Perpendicular spin transfer torque memory (STTM) device with enhanced stability and method to form same

Techniques are disclosed for forming a spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) element having an annular contact to reduce critical current requirements. The techniques reduce critical current requirements for a given magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), because the annular contact reduces contact size and increases local current density, thereby reducing the current needed to switch the direction of the free magnetic layer of the MTJ. In some cases, the annular contact surrounds at least a portion of an insulator layer that prevents the passage of current. In such cases, current flows through the annular contact and around the insulator layer to increase the local current density before flowing through the free magnetic layer. The insulator layer may comprise a dielectric material, and in some cases, is a tunnel material, such as magnesium oxide (MgO). In some cases, a critical current reduction of at least 10% is achieved for a given MTJ.

Techniques for forming spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) elements having annular contacts

An embodiment includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier between the free and fixed layers; the tunnel barrier directly contacting a first side of the free layer; and an oxide layer directly contacting a second side of the free layer; wherein the tunnel barrier includes an oxide and has a first resistance-area (RA) product and the oxide layer has a second RA product that is lower than the first RA product. The MTJ may be included in a perpendicular spin torque transfer memory. The tunnel barrier and oxide layer form a memory having high stability with an RA product not substantively higher than a less table memory having a MTJ with only a single oxide layer. Other embodiments are described herein.

High stability spintronic memory

Spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices with half-metals and methods to write and read the devices are described. For example, a magnetic tunneling junction includes a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer. One or both of the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer includes a half-metal material at an interface with the dielectric layer.

Spin transfer torque memory (STTM) device with half-metal and method to write and read the device

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) suitable for spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices, include perpendicular magnetic layers and one or more anisotropy enhancing layer(s) separated from a free magnetic layer by a crystallization barrier layer. In embodiments, an anisotropy enhancing layer improves perpendicular orientation of the free magnetic layer while the crystallization barrier improves tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio with better alignment of crystalline texture of the free magnetic layer with that of a tunneling layer.

Perpendicular MTJ stacks with magnetic anisotrophy enhancing layer and crystallization barrier layer

Techniques are disclosed for enhancing performance of a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) by implementing an additional ferromagnetic layer therein. The additional ferromagnetic layer can be implemented, for example, in or otherwise proximate either the fixed ferromagnetic layer or the free ferromagnetic layer of the perpendicular MTJ. In some embodiments, the additional ferromagnetic layer is implemented with a non-magnetic spacer, wherein the thickness of the additional ferromagnetic layer and/or spacer can be adjusted to sufficiently balance the energy barrier between parallel and anti-parallel states of the perpendicular MTJ. In some embodiments, the additional ferromagnetic layer is configured such that its magnetization is opposite that of the fixed ferromagnetic layer.

Balancing energy barrier between states in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

Methods and systems to read a logic value stored in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)-based memory cell based on a pulsed read current, with time between pulses to permit the MTJ to relax towards the magnetization orientation between the pulses, which may reduce build-up of momentum within the MTJ, and which may reduce and/or eliminate inadvertent re-alignment of a magnetization orientation. A sequence of symmetric and/or non-symmetric pulses may be applied to a wordline (WL) to cause a pre-charged bit line (BL) capacitance to discharge a pulsed read current through the MTJ, resulting in a corresponding sequence of voltage changes on the BL. The BL voltage changes may be integrated over the sequence of read current pulses, and a stored logic value may be determined based on the integrated voltage changes. The pre-charged BL capacitance may also serve as the voltage integrator.

Methods and systems to read a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based memory cell based on a pulsed read current

Spin transfer torque memory (STTM) devices incorporating a field plate for application of an electric field to reduce a critical current required for transfer torque induced magnetization switching. Embodiments utilize not only current-induced magnetic filed or spin transfer torque, but also electric field induced manipulation of magnetic dipole orientation to set states in a magnetic device element (e.g., to write to a memory element). An electric field generated by a voltage differential between an MTJ electrode and the field plate applies an electric field to a free magnetic layer of a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) to modulate one or more magnetic properties over at least a portion of the free magnetic layer.

Electric field enhanced spin transfer torque memory (STTM) device

An embodiment includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier between the free and fixed layers; the tunnel barrier directly contacting a first side of the free layer; and an oxide layer directly contacting a second side of the free layer; wherein the tunnel barrier includes an oxide and has a first resistance-area (RA) product and the oxide layer has a second RA product that is lower than the first RA product. The MTJ may be included in a perpendicular spin torque transfer memory. The tunnel barrier and oxide layer form a memory having high stability with an RA product not substantively higher than a less stable memory having a MTJ with only a single oxide layer. Other embodiments are described herein.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Roksana Golizadeh Mojarad