Magnetic device configured to perform an analog adder circuit function and method for operating such magnetic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10157652-B2
Application number	US-201615578841-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2016
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A magnetic device configured to perform an analog adder circuit function and including a plurality of magnetic units. Each magnetic unit includes n magnetic tunnel junctions electrically connected in series via a current line. Each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage magnetic layer having a storage magnetization, a sense magnetic layer having a sense magnetization, and a tunnel barrier layer. Each magnetic unit also includes n input lines, each being configured to generate a magnetic field adapted for varying a direction of the sense magnetization and a resistance of the n magnetic tunnel junctions, based on an input. Each of the n magnetic units is configured to add said n inputs to generate an output signal that varies in response to the n resistances.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic device configured to perform an analog adder circuit function, the magnetic device comprising a plurality of magnetic units, each of the plurality of magnetic units including:
n magnetic tunnel junctions, each magnetic tunnel junction comprising a storage magnetic layer having a storage magnetization, a sense magnetic layer having a sense magnetization that can be varied with respect to the storage magnetization, and a tunnel barrier layer between the first and second layer;
a current line electrically connecting in series said n magnetic tunnel junctions;
n input lines, each input line being configured to generate a magnetic field adapted for varying a direction of the sense magnetization and a junction resistance of a corresponding one of said n magnetic tunnel junctions, based on a corresponding input, wherein the junction resistance of said corresponding one of said n magnetic tunnel junctions varies linearly based on said corresponding input; and
wherein each of the plurality of magnetic units is configured to add said n inputs to generate an output signal that varies in response to the n junction resistances of said n magnetic tunnel junctions, and, characterized in that, each of the n input lines are independent of one another such that the n input lines can conduct n independent input signals so that the output signal can vary as a function of said n independent input signals.

2. The magnetic device according to claim 1 , wherein n=2, such that the magnetic device has two inputs.

3. The magnetic device according to claim 1 , wherein n=4, such that the magnetic device has four inputs.

4. The magnetic device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said plurality of magnetic units comprises N magnetic units electrically connected in series along said n input lines.

5. The magnetic device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said plurality of magnetic units comprises N magnetic units electrically connected in parallel along said n input lines.

6. The magnetic device according to claim 1 ,
wherein said plurality of magnetic units comprises N magnetic units electrically connected in a series and/or parallel arrangement along said n input lines.

7. The magnetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the current line is a serpentine.

8. The magnetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage magnetization is pinned in a direction being substantially perpendicular to the direction of the input lines.

9. The magnetic device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic tunnel junction comprises an anisotropy with an easy axis aligned substantially along a direction of the input lines.

10. A method for operating a magnetic device comprising a plurality of magnetic units, each of the plurality of magnetic units including: n magnetic tunnel junctions, each magnetic tunnel junction comprising a storage magnetic layer having a storage magnetization, a sense magnetic layer having a sense magnetization that can be varied with respect to the storage magnetization, and a tunnel barrier layer between the first and second layer; a current line electrically connecting in series said n magnetic tunnel junctions; n input lines, each input line being configured to generate a magnetic field adapted for varying a direction of the sense magnetization and a junction resistance of a corresponding one of said n magnetic tunnel junctions, based on a corresponding input, wherein the junction resistance of said corresponding one of said n magnetic tunnel junctions varies linearly based on said corresponding input and wherein each of the plurality of magnetic units is configured to add said n inputs to generate an output signal that varies in response to the n junction resistances of said n magnetic tunnel junctions, and, characterized in that, each of the n input lines are independent of one another such that the n input lines can conduct n independent input signals so that the output signal can vary as a function of said n independent input signals;
the method comprising:
providing an input to each of the input lines such as to generate a magnetic field for varying a direction of the sense magnetization and a junction resistance of the corresponding magnetic tunnel junction; and
measuring an output signal of the magnetic device.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the storage magnetization pinned in a direction being substantially perpendicular to the direction of the input lines; and
wherein the direction of the sense magnetization is varied from an initial direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of the storage magnetization to a direction substantially parallel or antiparallel to the direction of the storage magnetization.

Assignees

• Crocus Technology Sa

Inventors

• Stainer Quentin

Classifications

• G11C11/161 Primary

  details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell · CPC title

• G06G7/14

  for addition or subtraction  (of vector quantities G06G7/22  {; computing the average by addition; differential amplifiers H03F3/45}) · CPC title

• G11C11/1659 Primary

  Cell access · CPC title

• H03F15/00

  Amplifiers using galvano-magnetic effects not involving mechanical movement, e.g. using Hall effect · CPC title

• G11C11/1675

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title