Magnetic tunnel junction and magnetic memory device with amorphous metal boride and diffusion barrier
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsJunho Jeong, Joonmyoung Lee, Whankyun Kim, Eunsun Noh, Jeongheon Park, Wanjin Chung
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Abstract
Provided is a magnetic memory device. The magnetic memory device may include a magnetic tunnel junction. The magnetic tunnel junction may include a fixed layer, a tunnel barrier layer on the fixed layer, a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer, a protection layer above the free layer, the protection layer comprising an amorphous metal boride, and a capping layer on the protection layer, the capping layer comprising a metal or a metal nitride.
Claims19
A magnetic memory device comprising a magnetic tunnel junction, wherein the magnetic tunnel junction comprises:
- a fixed layer;
- a tunnel barrier layer on the fixed layer;
- a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;
- a diffusion barrier layer on the free layer, the diffusion barrier layer formed of a metal or metal nitride;
- a protection layer above the diffusion barrier layer, the protection layer comprising an amorphous metal boride, the protection layer being non-magnetic;
- and
- a capping layer on the protection layer, the capping layer comprising a metal or a metal nitride,
- wherein the free layer has a first crystal structure, and wherein the capping layer has a second crystal structure that is different from the first crystal structure.
A magnetic memory device comprising a magnetic tunnel junction, wherein the magnetic tunnel junction comprises:
- a fixed layer;
- a tunnel barrier layer on the fixed layer;
- a free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;
- a metal oxide layer on the free layer, the metal oxide layer comprising first metal atoms;
- a diffusion barrier layer consisting essentially of a metal or metal nitride on the metal oxide layer and physically contacting the metal oxide layer;
- an amorphous metal boride layer on the diffusion barrier layer, the amorphous metal boride layer being non-magnetic and comprising second metal atoms;
- and
- a capping layer on the amorphous metal boride layer, the capping layer comprising third metal atoms,
- wherein the free layer has a first crystal structure, and wherein the capping layer has a second crystal structure that is different from the first crystal structure.
A magnetic memory device comprising a magnetic tunnel junction, comprising:
- a fixed layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a free layer, a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy reinforcement layer, a diffusion barrier layer, a protection layer, and a capping layer that are stacked in that order in a vertical direction,
- wherein the free layer has a first crystal structure and the capping layer has a second crystal structure that is different from the first crystal structure,
- wherein the protection layer is configured to inhibit diffusion of atoms from the capping layer to the free layer when a temperature of the magnetic tunnel junction increases and inhibit a change in crystallinity of the free layer from the first crystal structure caused due to the capping layer when the temperature of the magnetic tunnel junction increases,
- wherein the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy reinforcement layer is formed of a metal oxide,
- wherein the diffusion barrier layer is formed of a metal or metal nitride, and
- wherein the protection layer comprises amorphous metal boride and is non-magnetic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.