Method and system for providing magnetic tunneling junction elements having improved performance through capping layer induced perpendicular anisotropy and memories using such magnetic elements

A magnetic element for use in a magnetic device including a contact electrically coupled to the magnetic element, the magnetic element comprising:

• a pinned layer;
• a tunneling barrier layer including crystalline MgO;
• a free layer having an in-plane magnetic anisotropy, an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy, the tunneling barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• and
• a perpendicular capping layer adjoining the free layer and the contact, the perpendicular capping layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer substantially without changing the in-plane magnetic anisotropy, the perpendicular capping layer including at least one of crystalline MgO and doped crystalline MgO;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic storage cells, each of the plurality of magnetic storage cells including a plurality of contacts and at least one magnetic element, each of the at least one magnetic element including a pinned layer, a free layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the pinned layer and the free layer, and a perpendicular capping layer, the free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the perpendicular capping layer adjoining the free layer and a contact of the plurality of contacts, the perpendicular capping layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer, the magnetic element being configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element by the contacts;
• a plurality of word lines coupled with the plurality of magnetic storage cells;
• and
• a plurality of bit lines coupled with the plurality of storage cells.

A method for fabricating a magnetic element for use in a magnetic device including a contact electrically coupled to the magnetic element, the method comprising:

• providing a pinned layer;
• providing a nonmagnetic spacer layer;
• providing a free layer having an out-of-plane demagnetization energy and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy corresponding to a perpendicular anisotropy energy, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer;
• and
• providing a perpendicular capping layer adjoining the free layer and the contact, the perpendicular capping layer inducing at least a portion of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the free layer;
• wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.