Memory having plural magnetic layers and a shielding layer
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsKars-Michiel Hubert Lenssen, Jacobus Josephus Maria Ruigrok
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Abstract
The object of the invention is the shielding of a magnetic memory against high external magnetic fields. The magnetic memory (1) comprises an array of magnetic memory elements (2), each memory element (3) including at least one layer of magnetic material (4). The operation of the magnetic memory elements (3) is based on a magnetoresistance effect. The memory (1) is protected against high external magnetic fields by a shielding layer (14), which has been split into regions (5) covering the memory elements (3). The magnetic memory (1) is not erased by high external magnetic fields because of a strong attenuation of the external magnetic field by the regions (5) of the shielding layer (14).
Claims17
A magnetic memory (1) comprising an array of magnetic memory elements (2), each magnetic memory element (3) including two layers of magnetic material (4) separated by a non-magnetic material (7), said memory being provided with a shielding layer (14) for protecting said memory elements against magnetic fields, and said shielding layer (14) being split into mutual separated regions (5), wherein the thickness of the region (5) exceeds the thickness (11) of the magnetic memory elements by at least a factor of 10.
A magnetic memory (1) comprising an array of magnetic memory elements (2), each magnetic memory element (3) including two layers of magnetic material (4) separated by a non-magnetic material (7), said memory being provided with a shielding layer (14) for protecting said memory elements against magnetic fields, and said shielding layer (14) being split into mutual separated regions (5), each region having a thickness (10) and a length (9), a ratio of said thickness to said length being >0.1.
A magnetic memory (1) comprising an array of magnetic memory elements (2), each magnetic memory element (3) including two layers of magnetic material (4) separated by a non-magnetic material (7), said memory being provided with a shielding layer (14) for protecting said memory elements against magnetic fields, and said shielding layer (14) being split into mutual separated regions (5), and having a word line (18) situated between a region (5) and a memory element (3).
A magnetic memory (1) comprising an array of magnetic memory elements (2), each magnetic memory element (3) including at least a first layer of magnetic material (4), said memory being provided with a shielding layer (14) for protecting said memory elements against magnetic fields, said shielding layer being divided into mutually separated regions (5), characterized in that a ratio between a thickness of each region (5) and a dimension (9) of said each region is >0.1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.