Non-volatile ferromagnetic memory having sensor circuitry shared with its state change circuitry
AssigneesPageant Technologies, Inc., Estancia Limited
InventorsRichard M. Lienau, James Craig Stephenson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ferromagnetic memory cell is disclosed having a base (21), oriented in a horizontal plane, a bit (19), made of a ferromagnetic material, and a sense/write line (20), positioned proximate the bit (19) sufficient to detect the directed polarity of the bit when a first current is applied thereto, and to direct the polarity of the bit when a second larger current is applied thereto in a given direction. The bit (19) has a height that is oriented perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the base, and a polarity that can be directed along the height.
Claims8
A ferromagnetic memory cell, comprising:
- a) a base (21), oriented in a horizontal plane;
- b) a bit (19), made of a ferromagnetic material, having;
- i) a height that is oriented perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the base, and
- ii) a polarity that can be directed along the height;
- and
- c) a sense/write line (20), positioned proximate the bit (19) sufficient to detect the directed polarity of the bit when a first current is applied thereto, and to direct the polarity of the bit when a second larger current is applied thereto in a given direction.
The method of storing and retrieving binary data, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a memory bit, made of ferromagnetic material, having a polarity capable of being directed;
- b) directing the polarity of the bit by sending a first current along a write line, which is in magnetic communication with the bit, in a certain direction;
- and
- c) detecting the polarity of the bit by sending a second smaller current along the write line, such that information about the detected polarity is transferred through the write line to a detector coupled thereto.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.