Magnetic tunnel junction device and operating method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12108683-B2
Application number	US-202117796102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2021
Priority date	Jan 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A magnetic tunnel junction device and an operating method thereof are disclosed. The magnetization switching of a free layer may be induced through spin orbit torque or spin transfer torque, and a magnetization direction of a pinned layer may be easily set according to the intention of a designer through ferromagnetic coupling and antiferromagnetic coupling.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A magnetic tunnel junction device comprising:
a magnetic tunnel junction unit forming a magnetic tunnel junction of a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a pinned layer formed on a lower electrode;
a magnetization induction unit formed on the magnetic tunnel junction unit, having ferromagnetic coupling and antiferromagnetic coupling, and configured to determine a pinned magnetization of the magnetic tunnel junction unit; and
an upper electrode formed on the magnetization induction unit.

2. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetization induction unit includes:
a ferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the pinned layer;
a middle ferromagnetic layer formed on the ferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming ferromagnetic coupling together with the pinned layer;
an antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the middle ferromagnetic layer; and
an upper ferromagnetic layer formed on the antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming antiferromagnetic coupling with the middle ferromagnetic layer.

3. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 2 , wherein a magnetization intensity of the upper ferromagnetic layer is stronger than a magnetization intensity of the middle ferromagnetic layer,
a magnetization direction of the upper ferromagnetic layer is not changed by removal of an external magnetic field, and
a magnetization direction of the middle ferromagnetic layer is opposite the magnetization direction of the upper ferromagnetic layer.

4. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the upper ferromagnetic layer is larger than a thickness of the middle ferromagnetic layer.

5. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 2 , wherein a magnetization intensity of the upper ferromagnetic layer is weaker than a magnetization intensity of the middle ferromagnetic layer,
a magnetization direction of the middle ferromagnetic layer is not changed by removal of an external magnetic field, and
a magnetization direction of the upper ferromagnetic layer is opposite the magnetization direction of the middle ferromagnetic layer.

6. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 5 , wherein a thickness of the upper ferromagnetic layer is smaller than a thickness of the middle ferromagnetic layer.

7. A magnetic tunnel junction device comprising:
a free layer formed on a lower electrode;
a tunnel barrier layer formed on the free layer;
a first pinned layer formed at one side of the tunnel barrier layer;
a first magnetization induction unit formed on the first pinned layer;
a first upper electrode formed on the first magnetization induction unit;
a second pinned layer formed on the tunnel barrier layer, and facing the first pinned layer;
a second magnetization induction unit formed on the second pinned layer, and facing the first magnetization induction unit; and
a second upper electrode formed on the second magnetization induction unit.

8. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 7 , wherein the first magnetization induction unit includes:
a first ferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the first pinned layer;
a first middle ferromagnetic layer formed on the first ferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming ferromagnetic coupling together with the first pinned layer;
a first antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the first middle ferromagnetic layer; and
a first upper ferromagnetic layer formed on the first antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming antiferromagnetic coupling together with the first middle ferromagnetic layer,
wherein the first upper ferromagnetic layer has a stronger magnetization intensity than the first middle ferromagnetic layer.

9. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 8 , wherein the first upper ferromagnetic layer has a larger thickness than the first middle ferromagnetic layer,
a magnetization direction of the first upper ferromagnetic layer is not changed when an external magnetic field is removed, and
a magnetization direction of the first middle ferromagnetic layer is opposite the magnetization direction of the first upper ferromagnetic layer due to the antiferromagnetic coupling.

10. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 7 , wherein the second magnetization induction unit includes:
a second ferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the second pinned layer;
a second middle ferromagnetic layer formed on the second ferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming ferromagnetic coupling together with the second pinned layer;
a second antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the second middle ferromagnetic layer; and
a second upper ferromagnetic layer formed on the second antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming antiferromagnetic coupling together with the second middle ferromagnetic layer,
wherein the second middle ferromagnetic layer has a stronger magnetization intensity than the second upper ferromagnetic layer.

11. The magnetic tunnel junction device of claim 10 , wherein the second middle ferromagnetic layer has a larger thickness than the second upper ferromagnetic layer,
a magnetization direction of the second middle ferromagnetic layer is not changed when an external magnetic field removed, and
a magnetization direction of the second upper ferromagnetic layer is opposite the magnetization direction of the second middle ferromagnetic layer due to the antiferromagnetic coupling.

12. An operating method of a magnetic tunnel junction device including a magnetic tunnel junction unit forming a magnetic tunnel junction of a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a pinned layer formed on a lower electrode, a magnetization induction unit formed on the magnetic tunnel junction unit, having ferromagnetic coupling and antiferromagnetic coupling, and configured to determine a pinned magnetization of the magnetic tunnel junction unit, and an upper electrode formed on the magnetization induction unit, the operating method comprising:
applying an external magnetic field to align magnetization of all ferromagnetic layers of the magnetic tunnel junction unit and the magnetization induction unit in a direction of the external magnetic field; and
removing the external magnetic field, and aligning magnetization of the pinned layer due to ferromagnetic coupling and antiferromagnetic coupling.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the magnetization induction unit includes:
a ferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the pinned layer;
a middle ferromagnetic layer formed on the ferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming ferromagnetic coupling together with the pinned layer;
an antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer formed on the middle ferromagnetic layer; and
an upper ferromagnetic layer formed on the antiferromagnetic coupling induction layer, and forming antiferromagnetic coupling together with the middle ferromagnetic layer, and
wherein the upper ferromagnetic layer and the middle ferromagnetic layer have magnetization states in directions opposite to each other due to the antiferromagnetic coupling, and the middle ferromagnetic layer and the pinned layer have magnetization states in the same direction when the external magnetic field is removed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a magnetization direction of the upper ferromagnetic layer is not changed by removal of the external magnetic field,
a magnetization direction of the middle ferromagnetic layer is switched by the antiferromagnetic coupling, and
a magnetization direction of the pinned laye

Assignees

• Iucf Hyu

Inventors

• Hong Jin Pyo
• Shin Jeong Hun
• Choi Yoon Seong

Classifications

• G11C11/1675

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/161

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

• H10N50/01

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title

• H10N50/80

  Constructional details · CPC title

• H10B61/00

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