Perpendicular magnetic memory with filament conduction path

An apparatus comprising:

• first and second electrodes on a substrate;
• a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), between the first and second electrodes, comprising a dielectric layer between a fixed layer and a free layer;
• and
• an additional dielectric layer directly contacting first and second metal layers;
• wherein (a) the first metal layer includes an active metal and the second metal includes an inert metal, and (b) the second metal layer directly contacts the free layer.

An apparatus comprising:

• first and second electrodes on a substrate;
• a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), between the first and second electrodes, comprising a dielectric layer between a fixed layer and a free layer;
• and
• an additional dielectric layer directly contacting first and second metal layers;
• wherein (a) the first metal layer includes an active metal and the second metal includes an inert metal, (b) the second metal layer directly contacts the free layer, and (c) the second metal has an atomic mass greater than 100 AMU.