III Holdings 1, LLC

Yasuchi Ogimoto

Michiya Yamada

The invention provides a magnetoresistance element with a configuration such that a stable switching action is possible with a current flowing in response to the application of a unipolar electrical pulse, and a non-volatile semiconductor storage device using the magnetoresistance element. A magnetoresistance element-includes a magnetic tunnel junction portionconfigured by sequentially stacking a perpendicularly magnetized first magnetic body, an insulation layer, and a perpendicularly magnetized second magnetic body. The second magnetic bodyhas a configuration wherein a ferromagnetic layer and a rare earth-transition metal alloy layer are stacked sequentially from the insulation layerside interface. A heat assist layer-that heats the second magnetic bodywith a heat generated based on a current flowing through the magnetic tunnel junction portionis further provided, and the magnetization direction of the second magnetic bodyis reversed by the heating of the second magnetic body. A non-volatile semiconductor storage device-includes the magnetoresistance element-, a switching element connected in series to the magnetoresistance element-, information rewriting means that carries out a write and erase by causing a write current to flow through the magnetoresistance element-, and reading means that reads information stored from the amount of current flowing through the magnetoresistance element-

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Tokyo, Japan

Yasuchi Ogimoto