Amorphous spin diffusion layer for modified double magnetic tunnel junction structure
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDaniel Worledge, Guohan Hu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A modified double magnetic tunnel junction structure is provided which includes an amorphous spin diffusion layer (i.e., an amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer) sandwiched between a magnetic free layer and a first tunnel barrier layer; the first tunnel barrier layer contacts a first magnetic reference layer. A second tunnel barrier layer is located on the magnetic free layer and a second magnetic reference layer is located on the second tunnel barrier layer. Such a modified double magnetic tunnel junction structure exhibits efficient switching (at a low current) and speedy readout (high tunnel magnetoresistance).
Claims24
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;
- an amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the first tunnel barrier layer which is opposite the first surface of the first tunnel barrier layer, wherein the amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of a spin-conserving metallic material including a metal having an atomic number of equal to, or less than, 30;
- a magnetic free layer having a first surface contacting a second surface of the amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer which is opposite the first surface of the amorphous 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.
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, an amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer having a first surface 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 contacting a second surface of the amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer which is opposite the first surface of the amorphous 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 amorphous non-magnetic, spin-conducting metallic layer is composed of a spin-conserving metallic material including a metal having an atomic number of equal to, or less than, 30.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.