Method for writing to a MRAM device configured for self-referenced read operation with improved reproducibly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9875781-B2
Application number	US-201515116959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Jan 23, 2018
Grant date	Jan 23, 2018

Abstract

A method for writing a MRAM device, including magnetic tunnel junction with a storage layer, a sense layer, and a spacer layer between the storage and sense layers. At least one of the storage and sense layers has a magnetic anisotropy axis. The method includes an initialization step including: applying an initial heating current pulse for heating the magnetic tunnel junction to a temperature above a threshold temperature at which a storage magnetization is freely orientable, providing an initial resultant magnetic field for adjusting the storage magnetization in an initial direction oriented along the magnetic anisotropy axis. The method allows performing the writing step with improved reproducibly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for writing a memory device, comprising:
providing a magnetic random access memory, hereinafter termed MRAM, cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction with a storage layer having storage magnetization that is pinned below a threshold temperature and freely orientable at a temperature above the threshold temperature; a sense layer having a sense magnetization that is freely orientable; and a spacer layer between the sense layer and the storage layer; at least one of the storage layer and the sense layer having a magnetic anisotropy axis wherein the magnetic anisotropy axis is an intrinsic anisotropy;
during a writing step to one of m logic states, wherein the storage layer is switchable between m different directions corresponding to said m logic states, with m being greater than 2:
applying a heating current pulse adapted for heating the magnetic tunnel junction to a temperature above the threshold temperature; and
inducing a write magnetic field having a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined orientation with respect to the magnetic anisotropy axis for aligning the storage magnetization in a written direction; and

the method further comprises, performing an initialization step in response to a writing command to perform said writing step,
wherein the initialization step comprises:
applying an initial heating current pulse adapted for heating the magnetic tunnel junction to a temperature above the threshold temperature; and
providing an initial resultant magnetic field for adjusting the storage magnetization in an initial direction along the magnetic anisotropy axis;

wherein the initialization step being performed prior to the writing step.

2. Method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of inhibiting the initial resultant write magnetic field such as to relax the storage magnetization direction such that the initial direction is in a direction along the magnetic anisotropy axis.

3. Method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the MRAM cell further comprises a bit line electrically coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction and orthogonal to a field line; and
wherein providing an initial resultant magnetic field comprises inducing a set of write magnetic fields by activating at least one of the field line and the bit line.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the amplitude and orientation of the initial resultant magnetic field is adjusted such that the storage magnetization is switched directly by the initial resultant magnetic field.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the amplitude and orientation of the initial resultant magnetic field is adjusted such as to saturate the sense magnetization in a direction oriented along the magnetic anisotropy axis such as to induces a magnetic stray field adapted for switching the storage magnetization along the magnetic anisotropy axis.

6. A method for writing a memory device, comprising:
providing a magnetic random access memory, hereinafter termed MRAM, cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction with a storage layer having storage magnetization that is pinned below a threshold temperature and freely orientable at a temperature above the threshold temperature; a sense layer having a sense magnetization that is freely orientable; and a spacer layer between the sense layer and the storage layer; at least one of the storage layer and the sense layer having a magnetic anisotropy axis wherein the magnetic anisotropy axis is an intrinsic anisotropy;
during a writing step to one of m logic states, wherein the storage layer is switchable between m different directions corresponding to said m logic states, with m being greater than 2:
applying a first heating current pulse adapted for heating the magnetic tunnel junction to a temperature above the threshold temperature; and
inducing a first write magnetic field having a predetermined amplitude and a predetermined orientation with respect to the magnetic anisotropy axis for aligning the storage magnetization in a written direction; and

the method further comprises, performing an initialization step in response to a writing command to perform said writing step,
wherein the initialization step comprises:
applying a second heating current pulse adapted for heating the magnetic tunnel junction to a temperature above the threshold temperature; and
providing a second magnetic field for adjusting the storage magnetization in an initial direction along the magnetic anisotropy axis;

wherein the initialization step being performed prior to the writing step.

Assignees

• Crocus Technology Sa

Inventors

• Stainer Quentin

Classifications

• G11C15/02

  using magnetic elements · CPC title

• G11C11/1675 Primary

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title

• H01L27/222

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G11C11/5628

  Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits · CPC title

• H01F10/3272

  by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets · CPC title