The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 24, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 15, 2011
Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pmtj) with in-plane magneto-static switching-enhancing layer
Jing Zhang, Los Altos, CA (US);
Yuchen Zhou, San Jose, CA (US);
Rajiv Yadav Ranjan, San Jose, CA (US);
Yiming Huai, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Jing Zhang, Los Altos, CA (US);
Yuchen Zhou, San Jose, CA (US);
Rajiv Yadav Ranjan, San Jose, CA (US);
Yiming Huai, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Avalanche Technology, Inc., Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
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.