Magnetoresistive element and magnetic memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10340442-B2
Application number	US-201715445608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a first magnetic layer; a second magnetic layer; and a first nonmagnetic layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein the second magnetic layer includes a magnetic material containing at least one element selected from a first group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni; at least one element selected from a second group consisting of Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, and Au; and at least one element selected from a third group consisting of Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetoresistive element, comprising:
a first magnetic layer;
a second magnetic layer comprising a first magnetization direction;
a first nonmagnetic layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer;
a third magnetic layer disposed between the first nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the third magnetic layer comprising a second magnetization direction, the first magnetization direction being different from the second magnetization direction; and
a metal layer disposed between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer,
wherein:
the metal layer is in direct contact with the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer;
the second magnetic layer includes a magnetic material including at least one element selected from a first group consisting of Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni, at least one element selected from a second group consisting of Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, and at least one element selected from a third group consisting of B, C, Mg, Al, Sc, Ti, Cu, and Zn; and
the metal layer includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Sc, Co, and Zn.

2. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1 , wherein the metal layer is a layer including the at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Sc, Co, and Zn.

3. A magnetic memory, comprising:
the magnetoresistive element of claim 1 ;
a transistor including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, the first terminal being electrically connected to one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer of the magnetoresistive element;
a first wiring electrically connected to the other of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer of the magnetoresistive element;
a second wiring electrically connected to the second terminal; and
a third wiring electrically connected to the control terminal.

4. The memory according to claim 3 , further comprising: a first circuit configured to apply an voltage to the control terminal, and flow a write current between the second terminal and the other of the first and second magnetic layers, and a second circuit configured to flow a read current between the second terminal and the other of the first and second magnetic layers.

5. The memory according to claim 3 , wherein the metal layer is a layer including the at least one element of selected from the group consisting Mg, Sc, Co, and Zn.

6. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer includes Sm.

7. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer includes Sm, Co, and Cu.

8. The magnetoresistive element according to claim 7 , wherein the second magnetic layer further includes at least one element selected from a group consisting of Gd, Tb, and Dy.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Hase Naoki
• Ochiai Takao
• Daibou Tadaomi
• Kato Yushi
• OMINE Shumpei
• Ito Junichi

Classifications

• H01L27/228

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G11C11/161 Primary

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

• H01L43/08

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic