# US 2019/0244651 A1 · Spin current magnetoresistance effect element and magnetic memory > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0244651 A1 - Document ID: US20190244651A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/333,176 - Filed: 2018-07-24 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-08-07 - Assignees: TDK Corporation - Applicants: TDK Corporation - Inventors: Yohei SHIOKAWA; Tomoyuki SASAKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190244651A1 ## CPC - G11C 11/1673: {Reading or sensing circuits or methods} - G11C 11/16: using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect - G11C 11/161: {details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell} - G11C 11/18: using Hall-effect devices - H01F 10/3254: {the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]} - H01F 10/329: {Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetisation of the free layer is switched by a spin-polarised current, e.g. spin torque effect} - H10B 61/22: {of the field-effect transistor [FET] type} - H10D 48/40: Devices controlled by magnetic fields - H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices - H10N 50/80: Constructional details - H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region - G11C 11/1675: {Writing or programming circuits or methods} - H01F 10/325: {the spacer being noble metal} - H01F 10/3286: {Spin-exchange coupled multilayers having at least one layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy} - H10N 52/00: Hall-effect devices (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N59/00) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A spin current magnetoresistance effect element includes a magnetoresistance effect element, a spin-orbit torque wiring that extends in a first direction intersecting a lamination direction of the magnetoresistance effect element and is positioned on a side of the magnetoresistance effect element with the second ferromagnetic metal layer, and a control unit configured to control a direction of a current during reading. The control unit is connected to at least one of a first and second point, which are positions with the magnetoresistance effect element interposed therebetween in the first direction in the spin-orbit torque wiring, and a third point on a side of the magnetoresistance effect element with the first ferromagnetic layer. The control unit shunts a read current during reading from the third point toward the first point and the second point or merges the read current toward the third point from the first point and the second point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A spin current magnetoresistance effect element comprising: a magnetoresistance effect element including a first ferromagnetic metal layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer, and a nonmagnetic layer interposed between the first ferromagnetic metal layer and the second ferromagnetic metal layer; a spin-orbit torque wiring that extends in a first direction intersecting a lamination direction of the magnetoresistance effect element and is positioned on a side of the magnetoresistance effect element with the second ferromagnetic metal layer; and a control unit configured to control a direction of a current that flows through the magnetoresistance effect element and the spin-orbit torque wiring during reading, wherein the control unit is connected to at least one of a first point and a second point, which are positions with the magnetoresistance effect element interposed therebetween in the first direction in the spin-orbit torque wiring, and a third point on a side of the magnetoresistance effect element with the first ferromagnetic layer, and wherein the control unit is configured to shunt a read current during reading from the third point toward the first point and the second point or to merge the read current toward the third point from the first point and the second point. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set potentials of the first point and the second point during reading to be higher or lower than a potential of the third point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, further comprising: a second transistor that is electrically connected to the first point; and a third transistor that is electrically connected to the second point. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, wherein, in the spin-orbit torque wiring, a resistance value between the magnetoresistance effect element and the first point equals to a resistance value between the magnetoresistance effect element and the second point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, wherein the first point and the second point are provided at positions symmetrical with respect to the magnetoresistance effect element in a plan view. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of the spin-orbit torque wiring cut in a plane orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the magnetoresistance effect element cut in a plane orthogonal to the lamination direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 1, further comprising a rectifier that is electrically connected to the first ferromagnetic metal layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A magnetic memory comprising a plurality of spin current magnetoresistance effect elements according to claim 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2, further comprising: a second transistor that is electrically connected to the first point; and a third transistor that is electrically connected to the second point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2, wherein a cross-sectional area of the spin-orbit torque wiring cut in a plane orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the magnetoresistance effect element cut in a plane orthogonal to the lamination direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3, wherein a cross-sectional area of the spin-orbit torque wiring cut in a plane orthogonal to the first direction is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the magnetoresistance effect element cut in a plane orthogonal to the lamination direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 2, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 3, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 4, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 5, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 6, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 10, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 11, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The spin current magnetoresistance effect element according to claim 12, wherein an area of a first surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side with the spin-orbit torque wiring is larger than an area of a second surface of the second ferromagnetic metal layer on the side of the nonmagnetic layer.