Magnetic memory and magnetic memory recording method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11069389-B2
Application number	US-201816488994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2018
Priority date	Mar 9, 2017
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

To provide a magnetic memory capable of performing stable recording while suppressing occurrence of an inversion error. Provided is a magnetic memory including a spin orbit layer in which a spin-polarized electron is generated by a current, a magnetic memory element having a laminated structure including a magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes according to information to be recorded and an insulating layer, and provided on the spin orbit layer, and a voltage application layer for applying a voltage to the magnetic layer via the insulating layer, in which the voltage application layer applies a voltage to the magnetic layer at a same time as the current flowing in the spin orbit layer to change magnetic anisotropy or a magnetic damping constant of the magnetic layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic memory, comprising:
a spin orbit layer configured to generate a spin-polarized electron by a current;
a magnetic memory element on the spin orbit layer, wherein the magnetic memory element has a laminated structure that includes:
a first magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes based on information to be recorded; and
an insulating layer; and

a voltage application layer configured to:
apply a first voltage to the first magnetic layer via the insulating layer, wherein the first voltage is applied to the first magnetic layer at a same time as the current flows in the spin orbit layer to decrease at least one of magnetic anisotropy of the first magnetic layer or a magnetic damping constant of the first magnetic layer; and
apply a second voltage to the first magnetic layer based on a decrease of the current, wherein the second voltage has a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first voltage.

2. The magnetic memory according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage application layer includes a second magnetic layer different from the first magnetic layer.

3. The magnetic memory according to claim 1 , wherein
the spin orbit layer extends along a first direction, and
the magnetic memory further comprises:
a plurality of magnetic memory elements on the spin orbit layer along the first direction; and
a plurality of voltage application layers configured to apply the first voltage to each of a plurality of magnetic layers of the plurality of magnetic memory elements.

4. A magnetic memory, comprising:
a plurality of magnetic memory elements in a matrix manner, wherein
each magnetic memory element of the plurality of magnetic memory elements has a laminated structure, and
the laminating structure includes:
a magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes based on information to be recorded; and
an insulating layer;

a plurality of spin orbit layers, wherein
each spin orbit layer of the plurality of spin orbit layers is configured to generate a spin-polarized electron by a current, and
each spin orbit layer of the plurality of spin orbit layers corresponds to a respective magnetic memory element column that includes a plurality of first magnetic elements of the plurality of magnetic memory elements along a first direction; and

a plurality of voltage application layers, wherein
each voltage application layer of the plurality of voltage application layers corresponds to a respective magnetic memory element row that includes a plurality of second magnetic elements of the plurality of magnetic memory elements along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and
each voltage application layer of the plurality of voltage application layers is configured to:
apply, via the insulating layer, a first voltage to the magnetic layer of a respective magnetic memory element of the plurality of magnetic memory elements in the respective magnetic memory element row, wherein
the first voltage is applied to the magnetic layer corresponding to the respective magnetic memory element, at a same time as the current flows in a spin orbit layer of the plurality of spin orbit layers, to decrease at least one of magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic layer or a magnetic damping constant of the magnetic layer; and
apply a second voltage to the magnetic layer of the respective magnetic memory element based on a decrease of the current, wherein the second voltage has a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first voltage.

5. A magnetic memory recording method, comprising:
applying, by a voltage application layer of a magnetic memory, a first voltage to a magnetic layer of a magnetic memory element of the magnetic memory to decrease at least one of magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic layer or a magnetic damping constant of the magnetic layer, wherein
the magnetic memory element has a laminated structure that includes:
the magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes based on information to be recorded; and
an insulating layer, wherein the first voltage is applied to the magnetic layer via the insulating layer;

causing a current to flow in a spin orbit layer of the magnetic memory at a same time as the first voltage is applied to the magnetic layer; and
applying, by the voltage application layer, a second voltage to the magnetic layer based on a decrease of the current, wherein the second voltage has a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first voltage.

6. A magnetic memory recording method, comprising:
causing a current to flow in a spin orbit layer of a magnetic memory; and
applying, by a voltage application layer of the magnetic memory, a voltage to a magnetic layer of a magnetic memory element of the magnetic memory to increase at least one of magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic layer or a magnetic damping constant of the magnetic layer based on a decrease of the current, wherein
the magnetic memory element has a laminated structure that includes:
the magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes based on information to be recorded; and
an insulating layer, wherein the voltage is applied via the insulating layer.

7. A magnetic memory recording method, comprising:
controlling, by a first voltage application layer of a plurality of voltage application layers of a first magnetic memory element of a plurality of magnetic memory elements of a magnetic memory, a first voltage to be applied to a magnetic layer of the first magnetic memory element to select the first magnetic memory element to which information is recorded, wherein
the first voltage is applied to the magnetic layer, at a same time as a current flows in a spin orbit layer of a plurality of spin orbit layers, to decrease at least one of magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic layer or a magnetic damping constant of the magnetic layer,
the plurality of magnetic memory elements is in a matrix manner,
each magnetic memory element of the plurality of magnetic memory elements has a laminated structure,
the laminating structure includes:
the magnetic layer in which a magnetization direction changes based on information to be recorded; and
an insulating layer, wherein the first voltage is applied to the magnetic layer via the insulating layer,

each spin orbit layer of the plurality of spin orbit layers generates a spin polarized electron by the current,
each spin orbit layer of the plurality of spin orbit layers corresponds to a respective magnetic memory element column that includes a plurality of first magnetic elements of the plurality of magnetic memory elements along a first direction, and
each voltage application layer of the plurality of voltage application layers corresponds to a respective magnetic memory element row that includes a plurality of second magnetic elements of the plurality of magnetic memory elements along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and

controlling, by the first voltage application layer, a second voltage to be applied to the magnetic layer of the first magnetic memory element based on a decrease of the current, wherein the second voltage has a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first voltage.

8. The magnetic memory recording method according to claim 7 , further comprising
applying, by a second voltage application layer of the plurality of voltage application layers of a second magnetic memory element of the plurality of magnetic memory elements, a second fifth voltage having a polarity opposite to a polarity of the first voltage to the magnetic layer of the second magnetic memory element for the selection of the first magnetic memory element.

Assignees

• Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Ohmori Hiroyuki
• Hosomi Masanori
• Higo Yutaka
• Uchida Hiroyuki
• Hase Naoki
• Sato Yo

Classifications

• G11C11/1693

  Timing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/1675 Primary

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/161 Primary

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

• H10N50/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10D48/40

  Devices controlled by magnetic fields · CPC title