Thermally tolerant perpendicular magnetic anisotropy coupled elements for spin-transfer torque switching device
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsWei-Chuan Chen, Kangho Lee, Xiaochun Zhu, Seung H. Kang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) type magnetic random access memory cells are constructed with a composite PMA layer to provide a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with an acceptable thermal barrier, A PMA coupling layer is deposited between a first PMA layer and a second PMA layer to form the composite PMA layer. The composite PMA layer may be incorporated in PMA type MRAM cells or in-plane type MRAM cells.
Claims20
A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) comprising:
- a reference layer;
- a composite perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) layer including a first PMA layer, a second PMA layer, and a PMA coupling layer between the first PMA layer and the second PMA layer;
- and
- a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the composite PMA layer.
A method of constructing a perpendicular MU, comprising:
- depositing a reference layer;
- depositing a composite perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) layer including a first PMA layer, a second PMA layer, and a PMA coupling layer between the first PMA layer and the second PMA layer;
- and
- depositing a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the composite PMA layer.
A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) comprising:
- means for fixing magnetization in a first layer;
- means for providing tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in a second layer;
- and
- means for increasing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in a composite layer, the composite layer including a first means for increasing PMA, a second means for increasing PMA, and a means for coupling the first means for increasing PMA and the second means for increasing PMA.
The MTJ of claim integrated in at least one of a mobile phone, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a computer, a hand-held personal communication systems (PCS) unit, a portable data unit, and a fixed location data unit.
A method of constructing a perpendicular MTJ, comprising steps of:
- depositing a reference layer;
- depositing a composite perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) layer including a first PMA layer, a second PMA layer, and a PMA coupling layer between the first PMA layer and the second PMA layer;
- and
- depositing a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the composite PMA layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.