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US 2013/0293286 A1Published application
Tunable reference circuit
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsXia Li, Jung Pill Kim, Taehyun Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit includes a first reference pair that includes a first path and a second path. The first path includes a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element, and the second path includes a second MTJ element. The circuit further includes a second reference pair that includes a third path and a fourth path. The third path includes a third MTJ element, and the fourth path includes a fourth MTJ element. The first reference pair and the second reference pair are tied together in parallel. A reference resistance of the circuit is based on a resistance of each of the first, second, third, and fourth MTJ elements. The reference resistance of the circuit is adjustable by adjusting a resistance of one of the MTJ elements.
Claims35
A method of tuning a tunable reference circuit, the method comprising:
- selecting a path of a first reference pair of a plurality of reference pairs tied together in parallel, each of the reference pairs including a first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- applying current to the selected path to set an MTJ resistance of an MTJ element in the selected path of the first reference pair, wherein a reference resistance of the tunable reference circuit is based on a resistance of each reference pair of the plurality of reference pairs, wherein the plurality of reference pairs includes a first number of MTJ elements that are in a first state and a second number of MTJ elements that are in a second state, and wherein the first number and the second number are different.
A circuit comprising:
- a first reference pair including a first path and a second path, the first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and the second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- a second reference pair including a third path and a fourth path, the third path including a third MTJ element and the fourth path including a fourth MTJ element,
- wherein the first reference pair and the second reference pair are tied together in parallel, wherein a reference resistance of the circuit is based on a resistance of each of the first, second, third, and fourth MTJ elements, and wherein the reference resistance of the circuit is adjustable by adjusting a resistance of one of the first and second MTJ elements.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- means for selecting a path of a first reference pair of a plurality of reference pairs tied together in parallel, each of the reference pairs including a first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- means for applying current to the selected path to set a resistance of an MTJ element in the selected path of the first reference pair, wherein a reference resistance of the apparatus is based on a resistance of each reference pair of the plurality of reference pairs, wherein the plurality of reference pairs includes a first number of MTJ elements that are in a first state and a second number of MTJ elements that are in a second state, and wherein the first number and the second number are different.
A method comprising:
- a step for selecting a path of a first reference pair of a plurality of reference pairs tied together in parallel, each of the reference pairs including a first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- a step for applying current to the selected path to set a resistance of an MTJ element in the selected path of the first reference pair, wherein a reference resistance of a tunable reference circuit is based on a resistance of each reference pair of the plurality of reference pairs, wherein the plurality of reference pairs includes a first number of MTJ elements that are in a first state and a second number of MTJ elements that are in a second state, and wherein the first number and the second number are different.
A non-transitory computer readable tangible medium storing instructions executable by a computer, the instructions comprising:
- instructions that are executable by the computer to select a path of a first reference pair of a plurality of reference pairs tied together in parallel, each of the reference pairs including a first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and a second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- instructions that are executable by the computer to apply current to the selected path to set a resistance of an MTJ element in the selected path of the first reference pair, wherein a reference resistance of a tunable reference circuit is based on a resistance of each reference pair of the plurality of reference pairs, wherein the plurality of reference pairs includes a first number of MTJ elements that are in a first state and a second number of MTJ elements that are in a second state, and wherein the first number and the second number are different.
A method comprising:
- receiving a data file comprising design information corresponding to a semiconductor device;
- and
- fabricating the semiconductor device according to the design information, wherein the semiconductor device comprises:
- a first reference pair including a first path and a second path, the first path including a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element and the second path including a second MTJ element;
- and
- a second reference pair including a third path and a fourth path, the third path including a third MTJ element and the fourth path including a fourth MTJ element,
- wherein the first reference pair and the second reference pair are tied together in parallel, wherein a reference resistance of the circuit is based on a resistance of each of the first, second, third, and fourth MTJ elements, and wherein the reference resistance of the circuit is adjustable by adjusting a resistance of one of the first and second MTJ elements.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.