High capacity low cost multi-state magnetic memory

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element configured to store a state by current flowing therethrough to switch the state. The magnetic memory element includes a stack of two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) with each MTJ including a free layer with a switchable magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof, a barrier layer, and a fixed layer with a fixed magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof. Each MTJ is separated from other MTJs in the stack by at least an isolation layer. The stack of MTJs may store more than one bit of information. The free layer of each MTJ has a switching current threshold different from free layers of other MTJs in the stack.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.