US 5,126,971 A · Thin film magnetic core memory and method of making same

Abstract

A thin film magnetic core array has a large number of individual thin film core memory elements arranged on a substrate with X, Y, Z and SENSE conductor leads reeving through the core elements between contact pads arranged about the periphery of the array. Each thin film magnetic memory element includes a bottom pole, a top pole forming a closed magnetic path with the top pole, the structure surrounding the leads passing through the core, and insulation material for electrically insulating the leads from each other and from the pole pieces. The SENSE lead from the array is coupled to a miniature thin film transformer which amplifies the signals read from the individual core elements. The transformer has a bottom pole, a top pole forming a closed magnetic path with the bottom pole, including a central leg extending between the top and bottom poles, and a pair of electrically conductive coils mutually spaced in the region between the top and bottom poles.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A thin film magnetic memory element comprising;

a substrate;
a base pole member supported by said substrate;
a top pole member forming a closed magnetic path with said base pole member, said base and top pole members fabricated of a magnetically permeable material;
a plurality of electrically conductive leads passing through the interior of said magnetic path said plurality comprising a first pair of substantially mutually parallel leads and a second pair of substantially mutually parallel leads;
and
means for electrically insulating said leads from each other and from said base and top pole members, one of said first pair of substantially mutually parallel leads serving as a SENSE lead for the memory element, one of said second pair of substantially mutually parallel leads serving as a common current lead for the memory element, and other ones of said plurality of electrically conductive leads serving to enable addressing of the memory element.

3 more elements

A magnetic memory array comprising:

a substrate;
a plurality of thin film magnetic memory cores arranged in an array over said substrate, each said thin film magnetic memory core comprising a bottom pole member supported by said substrate and a top pole member forming a closed magnetic path with said bottom pole member, said bottom and top pole members fabricated of a magnetically permeable material;
a first electrically conductive lead reeving through each of said magnetic memory cores and serving as a SENSE lead for the array;
a second electrically conductive lead reeving through each of said magnetic memory cores and serving as a common current lead for the array;
a first plurality of electrically conductive leads, each lead of said first plurality reeving through a plurality of cores associated with that lead to define a row array of cores, said first plurality of leads and the associated cores collectively defining a corresponding plurality of row core arrays;
a second plurality of electric ally conductive leads, each lead of said second plurality reeving through a plurality of cores associated with that lead to define a column array of cores, said second plurality of leads and the associated cores collectively defining a corresponding plurality of column core arrays;
and
said first and second plurality of electrically conductive leads serving to enable individual addressing of said cores;
and
means for insulating said leads from each other and from said cores.

7 more elements

In combination:

a magnetic memory array comprising:
a substrate;
a plurality of thin film magnetic memory cores arranged in an array over said substrate, each said thin film magnetic memory core comprising a bottom pole member supported by said substrate and a top pole member forming a closed magnetic path with said bottom pole member, said bottom and top pole members fabricated of a magnetically permeable material;
a first electrically conductive lead reeving through each of said magnetic memory cores and serving as a SENSE lead for the array;
a second electrically conductive lead reeving through each of said magnetic memory cores and serving as a common current lead for the array;
a first plurality of electrically conductive leads, each lead of said first plurality reeving through a plurality of cores associated with that lead to define a row array of cores, said first plurality of leads and the associated cores collectively defining a corresponding plurality of row core arrays;
a second plurality of electrically conductive leads, each lead of said second plurality reeving through a plurality of cores associated with that lead to define a column array of cores, said second plurality of leads and the associated cores collectively defining a corresponding plurality of column core arrays;
said first and second plurality of electrically conductive leads serving to enable individual addressing of said cores;
and
means for insulating said leads from each other and from said cores;
and
a miniature thin film transformer comprising:
a bottom pole member;
a top pole member forming a closed magnetic path with said bottom pole member, said top and bottom pole members fabricated of a magnetically permeable material;
and
first and second mutually spaced electrically conductive coils positioned between said top and bottom pole members, each of said coils having an externally accessible end, one of said coils being electrically coupled to said first electrically conductive lead.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thin film magnetic core memory and method of making same

Life of this patent

Thin film magnetic core memory and method of making same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39