US 2013/0075846 A1Published application

Magnetic memory

AssigneeRenesas Electronics Corporation

InventorsKatsumi SUEMITSU, Eiji Kariyada

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Abstract

A memory includes an underlying layer of a ferromagnetic body, a first nonmagnetic layer on the underlying layer, a data memorizing layer laid on the first nonmagnetic layer and made of a ferromagnetic body having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, a reference layer coupled through a second nonmagnetic layer with the data memorizing layer, and first and second magnetization fixed layers laid underneath the underlying layer to come into contact with the underlying layer. The data memorizing layer includes a magnetization liberalized region having reversible magnetization, and overlapping with the reference layer, a first magnetization fixed region coupled with an end of the magnetization liberalized region, and having a magnetization direction fixed to +z direction by the first magnetization fixed layer, and a second magnetization fixed region coupled with a different end of the magnetization liberalized region, and having a magnetization direction fixed to −z direction by the second magnetization fixed layer.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A magnetic memory, comprising:

an underlying layer of a ferromagnetic body;
a first nonmagnetic layer laid over the underlying layer;
a data memorizing layer of a ferromagnetic body that is laid over the first nonmagnetic layer and has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy;
a reference layer coupled through a second nonmagnetic layer with the data memorizing layer;
and
a first magnetization fixed layer and a second magnetization fixed layer that are laid underneath the underlying layer to come into contact with the underlying layer,
wherein the data memorizing layer comprises:
a magnetization liberalized region that has reversible magnetization, and overlaps with the reference layer;
a first magnetization fixed region that is coupled with a first boundary of the magnetization liberalized region, and has a magnetization direction fixed to a first direction by effect of the first magnetization fixed layer;
and
a second magnetization fixed region that is coupled with a second boundary of the magnetization liberalized region, and has a magnetization direction fixed to a second direction reverse to the first direction by effect of the second magnetization fixed layer, and
wherein a portion of the first nonmagnetic layer that is a portion underneath the magnetization liberalized region is thicker than a portion of the first nonmagnetic layer that is a portion underneath each of the first and second magnetization fixed regions.

9 more elements

A method for manufacturing a magnetic memory, comprising the steps of:

stacking, over first and second magnetization fixed layers laid apart from each other, an underlying ferromagnetic film for an underlying layer, and a first nonmagnetic film for a first nonmagnetic layer in this order;
not only making at least one portion of the first nonmagnetic layer that is a portion over the first magnetization fixed layer thinner than the other portion of the nonmagnetic layer, but also making at least one portion of the first nonmagnetic layer that is a portion over the second magnetization fixed layer thinner than the other portion of the nonmagnetic layer;
stacking, over the first nonmagnetic film, a first ferromagnetic body film for a data memorizing layer that has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, a second nonmagnetic film for a second nonmagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic body film for a reference layer in this order;
working each of the second ferromagnetic body film, the second nonmagnetic film, the first ferromagnetic body film, the first nonmagnetic film, and the underlying ferromagnetic film into an element shape, thereby forming the underlying layer, the first nonmagnetic layer, and the data memorizing layer;
and
working each of the second ferromagnetic body film, and the second nonmagnetic film to be made consistent with the reference layer in shape, thereby forming the second nonmagnetic layer and the reference layer.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.