Voltage control magnetic random storage unit, memory and logic device composed thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10978121-B2
Application number	US-201616472117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2016
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit, a memory, and a logic device thereof. The memory unit includes: a ferroelectric layer applied with a first positive or negative voltage to control a directional switching of magnetization; a spin-orbit coupling layer located above the ferroelectric layer and applied with a second voltage to produce a spin current in a direction perpendicular to the spin-orbit coupling layer; a first magnetic layer located above the spin-orbit coupling layer, wherein, the spin current induces a random up and down magnetic switching of the first magnetic layer. The spin current may induce a directional switching of the first magnetic layer in conjunction with the first voltage applied to the ferroelectric layer. The invention generates ferroelectric polarization by applying a voltage to both ends of the ferroelectric layer, thereby generating a non-uniform spin-orbit coupling effect, which can modulate the direction in which the current induces the magnetic switching of the magnetic film.

First claim

We claim:

1. A voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit, comprising:
a ferroelectric layer applied with a first positive or negative voltage to control a directional switching of magnetization;
a spin-orbit coupling layer located above the ferroelectric layer and applied with a second voltage to produce a spin current in a direction perpendicular to the spin-orbit coupling layer;
a first magnetic layer located above the spin-orbit coupling layer, wherein the spin current induces a random magnetic switching of the first magnetic layer, and the spin current induces a directional switching of the first magnetic layer in conjunction with the first voltage applied to the ferroelectric layer.

2. The voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first voltage applied to the ferroelectric layer is in a same or opposite direction with the second voltage, or in the same plane with the second voltage, or the electric field induced by the applied first voltage has a component of a horizontal plane.

3. The voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the spin-orbit coupling layer is projected on the ferroelectric layer in a cross shape, and one pair of opposite ends of the cross is applied with a second voltage for current injection.

4. The voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 3 , wherein another pair of opposite ends perpendicular to the one pair in the cross are output, and an anomalous Hall voltage is detected from the output to output signals.

5. The voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a non-magnetic intermediate layer, a second magnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer located above the magnetic layer, wherein the antiferromagnetic layer is connected with the output, and a resistance change, as output information, is detected from the output by means of magnetoresistance effect.

6. A logic device comprising the voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , a switching of a first magnetic moment is detected by controlling a first voltage direction and a second voltage direction to implement an XOR gate logic.

7. A logic device comprising the voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , wherein each voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit comprises an output for detecting a magnetic switching of a first magnetic layer, outputs of two voltage controlled magnetic random memory units are electrically connected, and NOT, AND, NOR and NAND logics are achieved by controlling respective first and second voltage directions in the two voltage controlled magnetic random memory units.

8. A magnetoresistive device applying an epitaxial structure formed by the voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetoresistive device comprises: a magnetic tunnel junction, a giant magnetoresistance device or an anisotropic tunnel magnetoresistive device.

9. A magnetic random memory comprising an array of the voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit according to claim 1 , wherein a first voltage and a second voltage are independently input to each of the voltage controlled magnetic random memory units, and a detected magnetic switching of a first magnetic layer in each of the voltage controlled magnetic random memory units is output independently.

10. A magnetic random memory according to claim 9 , wherein when information is read, a direction of the first voltage of the voltage controlled magnetic random memory unit is also steered.

Assignees

• Inst Semiconductors Cas

Inventors

• Wang Kaiyou
• Yang Meiyin
• Cai Kaiming

Classifications

• H10N50/80

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H10N50/85

  Materials of the active region · CPC title

• G11C11/1697

  Power supply circuits · CPC title

• G11C11/161 Primary

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

• H03K19/18 Primary

  using galvano-magnetic devices, e.g. Hall-effect devices · CPC title