Low RA narrow base modified double magnetic tunnel junction structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12063868-B2
Application number	US-202117204403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2021
Priority date	Mar 17, 2021
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A modified double magnetic tunnel junction (mDMTJ) structure is provided which includes a narrow base and the use of a spin diffusion layer (i.e., non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer) which gives a low resistance-area product (RA) for the tunnel barrier layer that forms an interface with the spin diffusion layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modified double magnetic tunnel junction (mDMTJ) structure comprising:
a first magnetic reference layer;
a first tunnel barrier layer having a first surface contacting a surface of the first magnetic reference layer;
a non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer having a first surface directly contacting a second surface of the first tunnel barrier layer which is opposite the first surface of the first tunnel barrier layer;
a magnetic free layer having a first surface directly contacting a second surface of the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer which is opposite the first surface of the non- magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer;
a second tunnel barrier layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the magnetic free layer which is opposite the first surface of the magnetic free layer; and
a second magnetic reference layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the second tunnel barrier layer which is opposite the first surface of the second tunnel barrier layer, wherein the first tunnel barrier layer has a first resistance-area product, RA, and the second tunnel barrier layer has a second RA, and wherein the first RA is at least 5 times lower than the second RA.

2. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the first RA is equal to, or less than, 1 Ohm-micron 2 .

3. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer provides a low RA that is less than 1 Ohm-micron 2 to the first tunnel barrier layer, yet still supplies spin torque.

4. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the first tunnel barrier layer is composed of magnesium oxide (MgO), and the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of copper (Cu), or mainly of copper (Cu) with less than 1% other elements.

5. The mDMTJ structure of claim 4 , wherein the copper has an FCC 111 texture.

6. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the first tunnel barrier layer is composed of MgO, and the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of a copper nitride (CuN) alloy having a nitride content of less than 1 atomic percent, or a copper boron (CuB) alloy having a boron content of less than 20 atomic percent.

7. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic reference layer is located at a bottom portion of the mDMTJ structure, and the second magnetic reference layer is located at a top portion of the mDMTJ structure.

8. The mDMTJ structure of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first magnetic reference layer and the second magnetic reference layer comprises a lower magnetic reference layer, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer, and an upper magnetic reference layer.

9. The mDMTJ structure of claim 7 , wherein the first magnetic reference layer, the first tunnel barrier layer, the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer, the magnetic free layer, the second tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic reference layer have a same lateral dimension.

10. The mDMTJ structure of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic reference layer is located at a bottom portion of the mDMTJ structure, and the first magnetic reference layer is located at a top portion of the mDMTJ structure.

11. The mDMTJ structure of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first magnetic reference layer and the second magnetic reference layer comprises a lower magnetic reference layer, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer, and an upper magnetic reference layer.

12. The mDMTJ structure of claim 10 , wherein the first magnetic reference layer, the first tunnel barrier layer, the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer, the magnetic free layer, the second tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic reference layer have a same lateral dimension.

13. A spin-transfer torque (STT) magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element comprising:
a modified double magnetic tunnel junction (mDMTJ) structure sandwiched between a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the mDMTJ structure comprises a first magnetic reference layer, a first tunnel barrier layer having a first surface contacting a surface of the first magnetic reference layer, a non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer having a first surface directly contacting a second surface of the first tunnel barrier layer which is opposite the first surface of the first tunnel barrier layer, a magnetic free layer having a first surface directly contacting a second surface of the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer which is opposite the first surface of the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer, a second tunnel barrier layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the magnetic free layer which is opposite the first surface of the magnetic free layer, and a second magnetic reference layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the second tunnel barrier layer which is opposite the first surface of the second tunnel barrier layer, wherein the first tunnel barrier layer has a first resistance-area product, RA, and the second tunnel barrier layer has a second RA, and wherein the first RA is at least 5 times lower than the second RA.

14. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the first RA is equal to, or less than, 1 Ohm-micron 2 .

15. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer provides a low RA that is less than 1 Ohm-micron 2 to the first tunnel barrier layer, yet still supplies spin torque.

16. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the first tunnel barrier layer is composed of magnesium oxide (MgO), and the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of copper (Cu), or mainly of copper (Cu) with less than 1% other elements.

17. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 16 , wherein the copper has an FCC 111 texture.

18. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the first tunnel barrier layer is composed of MgO, and the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of a copper nitride (CuN) alloy having a nitride content of less than 1 atomic percent, or a copper boron (CuB) alloy having a boron content of less than 20 atomic percent.

19. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the first magnetic reference layer is located at a bottom portion of the mDMTJ structure, and the second magnetic reference layer is located at a top portion of the mDMTJ structure.

20. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the first magnetic reference layer and the second magnetic reference layer comprises a lower magnetic reference layer, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer, and an upper magnetic reference layer.

21. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 19 , wherein the first magnetic reference layer, the first tunnel barrier layer, the non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer, the magnetic free layer, the second tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic reference layer have a same lateral dimension.

22. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 13 , wherein the second magnetic reference layer is located at a bottom portion of the mDMTJ structure, and the first magnetic reference layer is located at a top portion of the mDMTJ structure.

23. The STT MTJ memory element of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first magnetic reference layer and the second magnetic reference layer comprises a lower magnetic reference layer, an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer, and an upper magnetic reference layer.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Worledge Daniel
• Hu Guohan

Classifications

• H10B61/00

  Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices · CPC title

• H10N50/85

  Materials of the active region · CPC title

• H10N50/10

  Magnetoresistive devices · CPC title

• H10N50/80 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• G11C11/161 Primary

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