Magnetoresistive element, magnetic memory cell, and magnetic memory device
AssigneeTDK Corporation
InventorsHitoshi Hatate, Akifumi Kamijima
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a magneto-resistive element capable of stably performing information writing operation by efficiently using a magnetic field generated by current flowing in a conductor and to a magnetic memory device having the same. A magneto-resistive element is constructed so that the area of a cross section orthogonal to the circumferential direction of a pair of magnetic yokes becomes the smallest in connection parts facing stacked bodies. With the configuration, magnetic flux density of return magnetic fields generated by passing write current to write bit lines and write word lines can be made the highest in the connection parts. Thus, information can be written efficiently and stably.
Claims22
A magneto-resistive element comprising:
- a magnetic yoke disposed in a partial region along an extension direction of a conductor and disposed in the circumferential direction so as to surround the conductor;
- and
- a stacked body including a magneto-sensitive layer of which magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field, and magnetically coupled to the magnetic yoke,
- wherein area of a cross section orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the magnetic yoke is the smallest in a part connected to the stacked body.
A magnetic memory cell having a pair of magneto-resistive elements each comprising:
- a magnetic yoke disposed in a partial region along an extension direction of a conductor and disposed in the circumferential direction so as to surround the conductor;
- and
- a stacked body including a magneto-sensitive layer of which magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field, and magnetically coupled to the magnetic yoke,
- wherein the pair of magneto-resistive elements shares a part of the magnetic yoke, and
- area of a cross section orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the magnetic yoke is the smallest in a part connected to the stacked body.
A magnetic memory device comprising:
- a first write line;
- a second write line extending so as to cross the first write line and constructed so as to extend parallel to the first write line in a portion corresponding to an area of intersection with the first write line;
- and
- a magnetic memory cell including a pair of magneto-resistive elements,
- wherein each of the pair of magneto-resistive elements has:
- a magnetic yoke disposed in a partial region along an extension direction of the first and second write lines and disposed in the circumferential direction so as to surround the first and second write lines;
- and a stacked body including a magneto-sensitive layer of which magnetization direction changes according to an external magnetic field, and magnetically coupled to the magnetic yoke, and shares a part of the magnetic yoke, and
- area of a cross section orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the magnetic yoke is the smallest in a part connected to the stacked body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.