# US 10,121,961 B2 · Magnetic devices including magnetic junctions having tilted easy axes and enhanced damping programmable using spin orbit torque > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,121,961 B2 - Document ID: US10121961B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/479,653 - Filed: 2017-04-05 - Published: 2018-08-02 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-01 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD. - Inventors: Dmytro Apalkov; Xueti Tang; Hong-Sik Jung; Roman Chepulskyy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10121961B2 ## CPC - H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices - G11C 11/161: {details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell} - G11C 11/18: using Hall-effect devices - H01F 10/123: {having a L10 crystallographic structure, e.g. [Co,Fe][Pt,Pd] thin films} - H01F 10/324: {Exchange coupling of magnetic film pairs via a very thin non-magnetic spacer, e.g. by exchange with conduction electrons of the spacer} - H01F 10/3286: {Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy} - H01F 10/329: {Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetisation of the free layer is switched by a spin-polarised current, e.g. spin torque effect} - H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region - G11C 11/1675: {Writing or programming circuits or methods} - H01F 10/126: {containing rare earth metals (H01F10/133 takes precedence)} - H01F 41/303: {with exchange coupling adjustment of magnetic film pairs, e.g. interface modifications by reduction, oxidation} - H10B 61/00: Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES ## Abstract A magnetic memory including a plurality of magnetic junctions and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer is described. Each of the magnetic junctions includes a pinned layer, a free layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The free layer has at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant. The tilted easy axis is at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane. The high damping constant is at least 0.02. The at least one SO active layer is adjacent to the free layer and carries a current in-plane. The at least one SO active layer exerts a SO torque on the free layer due to the current. The free layer is switchable using the SO torque. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A magnetic device comprising: a plurality of magnetic junctions, each of the plurality of magnetic junctions including a free layer, a pinned layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer having at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant, the tilted easy axis being at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane, the high damping constant being at least 0.02, the free layer having the tilted easy axis, the free layer including a multilayer having a selection layer, a coupling layer and a perpendicular layer, the perpendicular layer having a high perpendicular anisotropy energy greater than an out-of-plane demagnetization energy, the coupling layer being amorphous and between the selection layer and the perpendicular layer, the selection layer being selected from a tilted layer and an in-plane anisotropic layer, the tilted layer having an easy axis at an additional nonzero acute angle from the direction perpendicular-to-plane, the in-plane anisotropic layer having a preferred axis in-plane; and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer adjacent to the free layer of the each of the plurality of magnetic junctions, the at least one SO active layer carrying a current in-plane, the at least one SO active layer exerting a SO torque on the free layer due to the current passing through the at least one SO active layer, the free layer being switchable using the SO torque. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The magnetic device of claim 1 wherein the nonzero acute angle is at least five degrees and not more than twenty degrees. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The magnetic device of claim 2 wherein the nonzero acute angle is not more than ten degrees. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The magnetic device of claim 2 wherein the free layer includes at least one of an L10 CoPt (111) layer on an MgO/Pt (111) underlayer, a Tbx(Fe50Co50)1-x layer where x is greater than zero and less than one and a Fe3Pt/[FePt/MgO]2 bilayer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The magnetic device of claim 4 wherein the free layer also has the high damping constant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The magnetic device of claim 1 wherein the free layer includes at least one dopant, the at least one dopant providing the high damping constant of at least 0.2. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The magnetic device of claim 6 wherein the high damping constant is at least 0.5. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The magnetic device of claim 6 wherein the free layer includes at least five atomic percent and not more than twenty atomic percent of the at least one dopant. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The magnetic device of claim 5 wherein the at least one dopant includes at least one of Pt, Ir, Os, Re, W, Bi, Sm, Ho, Dy, Er. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The magnetic device of claim 9 wherein the at least one dopant is selected from Dy, W and Bi. ### Claim 11 A magnetic device comprising: a plurality of magnetic junctions, each of the plurality of magnetic junctions including a free layer, a pinned layer and a nonmagnetic spacer layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer having at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant, the tilted easy axis being at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane, the nonzero acute angle being at least five degrees and not more than ten degrees, the high damping constant being at least 0.02 and not more than 0.8, the free layer having the tilted easy axis; and at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer adjacent to the free layer of the each of the plurality of magnetic junctions, the at least one SO active layer carrying a current in-plane, the at least one SO active layer exerting a SO torque on the free layer due to the current passing through the at least one SO active layer, the free layer being switchable using the SO torque; wherein if the free layer has the tilted easy axis then the free layer includes at least one of an L10 CoPt (111) layer on an MgO/Pt (111) underlayer, a Tbx(Fe50Co50)1-xlayer where x is greater than zero and less than one, a Fe3Pt/[FePt/MgO]2 bilayer, and a multilayer, the multilayer including a selection layer, a coupling layer and a perpendicular layer, the perpendicular layer having a high perpendicular anisotropy energy greater than an out-of-plane demagnetization energy, the coupling layer being amorphous and between the selection layer and the perpendicular layer, the selection layer being selected from a tilted layer and an in-plane anisotropic layer, the tilted layer having an easy axis at an additional nonzero acute angle from the direction perpendicular-to-plane, the in-plane anisotropic layer having a preferred axis in-plane; and wherein if the free layer includes the high damping constant then the free layer includes at least five atomic percent and not more than twenty atomic percent of at least one dopant, the at least one dopant including at least one of Pt, Ir, Os, Re, W, Bi, Sm, Ho, Dy, Er. ### Claim 12 A method for providing a magnetic device comprising: providing a plurality of magnetic junctions, each of the plurality of magnetic junctions including a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer having at least one of a tilted easy axis and a high damping constant, the tilted easy axis being at a nonzero acute angle from a direction perpendicular-to-plane, the high damping constant being at least 0.02, the free layer having the tilted easy axis, the free layer including a multilayer having a selection layer, a coupling layer and a perpendicular layer, the perpendicular layer having a high perpendicular anisotropy energy greater than an out-of-plane demagnetization energy, the coupling layer being amorphous and between the selection layer and the perpendicular layer, the selection layer being selected from a tilted layer and an in-plane anisotropic layer, the tilted layer having an easy axis at an additional nonzero acute angle from the direction perpendicular-to-plane, the in-plane anisotropic layer having a preferred axis in-plane; and providing at least one spin-orbit interaction (SO) active layer adjacent to the free layer of the each of the plurality of magnetic junctions, the at least one SO active layer carrying a current in-plane, the at least one SO active layer exerting a SO torque on the free layer due to the current passing through the at least one SO active layer, the free layer being switchable using the SO torque. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the nonzero acute angle is at least five degrees and not more than twenty degrees. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing the free layer further includes: providing at least one of providing an L10 CoPt (111) layer on an MgO/Pt (111) underlayer, depositing a Tbx(Fe50Co50)1-x layer in a magnetic field at an additional nonzero angle from the direction perpendicular-to-plane where x is greater than zero and less than one, depositing the Tbx(Fe50Co50)1-x layer and annealing the Tbx(Fe50Co50)1-x layer in the magnetic field at the additional nonzero angle from the direction perpendicular-to-plane and providing a Fe3Pt/[FePt/MgO]2 bilayer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the free layer also has the high damping constant. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the step of providing the free layer includes providing at least one dopant in at least one magnetic layer of the free layer, the at least one dopant providing the high damping constant of at least 0.2. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one magnetic layer of the free layer includes at least five atomic percent and not more than twenty atomic percent of the at least one dopant. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one dopant includes at least one of Pt, Ir, Os, Re, W, Bi, Sm, Ho, Dy, Er.