Data register and access method thereof
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsToshio Sunaga, Hisatada Miyatake, Koji Kitamura, Hideo Asano, Kohki Noda, Hiroshi Umezaki
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Abstract
The register disclosed herein includes a register block and a data writing block having non-volatile storage elements which store data output therefrom. The disclosed register further includes a data restoring block for reading data from the non-volatile storage elements. In a disclosed embodiment, the non-volatile storage elements are magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) elements.
Claims15
A register, comprising:
- a register block for storing data;
- a data writing block provided with a non-volatile storage element for storing data output from said register block;
- and
- a data restoring block for reading data from said data writing block;
- wherein said storage element includes a pinned layer formed with a ferromagnetic material in which the magnetizing direction is fixed and a free layer formed with a ferromagnetic material in which the magnetizing direction can be changed.
A method for storing data in a register having a register block for storing data, a data writing block provided with first and second non-volatile storage elements for storing data output from said register block, and a data restoring block for reading data from said data writing block, said data writing block including first and second logic circuits which receive data output from said register block and which output complementary high level and low level signals, respectively, said data writing block further including first and second pairs of switches responsive to output of said first and said second logic circuits, respectively, said method comprising:
- outputting a high level signal from one of said first and said second logic circuits according to data output from said register block, said high level signal turning on one of said first and said second pairs of switches, and
- writing data into said first and said second non-volatile storage elements with polarity according to which of said first and said second pairs of switches is turned on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.