Stress assisted current driven switching for magnetic memory applications

A magnetic memory comprising:

• plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein the at least one stress induces at least one anisotropy on the at least one magnetic element during writing, the at least one anisotropy reducing a total anisotropy energy perpendicular to a stable state of the at least one magnetic element.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein the stress assist layer further includes bilayer of at least one of IrO2/PZT, MnO/PZT, TiOy/PZT, Al2O3/PZT, Al2O3/PMN, Al2O3/SrBaTiO3, SiO2/PZT or SiO2/SrBaTiO3, where PZT is PbZr1-xTixO3, wherein PMN is PbMn1-xNbXO3 with PbTiO3 and wherein x is a fraction less than 1.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements includes a free layer having a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a separation layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the seperation layer configured to align the first magnetization and the second magnetization antiparallel.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing, the stress-assist layer including at least one of a piezoelectric and an electrostrictive material;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements further includes a first lead and a second lead for driving current through the magnetic element in a perpendicular-to-a plane direction to allow the magnetic element to be written using spin transfer.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing, the stress-assist layer including at least one of a piezoelectric and an electrostrictive material;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements includes a free layer having a first ferromagnetic layer having a first magnetization, a second ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetization, and a separation layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the separation layer configured to align the first magnetization and the second magnetization antiparallel.

The magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements has at least one layer and being configured to be written using spin transferof charge carriers polarized by at least one layer having an in-plane magnetization.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements further includes a ferromagnetic free layer and a non magnetic capping layer on the ferromagnetic free layer, the nonmagnetic capping layer reducing the perpendicular anisotropy of the ferromagnetic free layer.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein the at least one stress-assist layer being adjacent to a portion of each of the plurality of magnetic elements without residing above or below any of the plurality of magnetic elements.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least one stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing;
• wherein the plurality of magnetic elements includes at least one ferromagnetic layer, each of the at least one ferromagnetic layer having an in-plane magnetization.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer;
• at least one stress-assist layer configured to exert at least on stress on at least one magnetic element of the plurality of magnetic elements during writing, the stress-assist layer including at least one of a piezoelectric and an electrostrictive material;
• wherein each of the plurality of magnetic elements further includes a ferromagnetic free layer and a nonmagnetic capping layer on the ferromagnetic free layer, the nonmagnetic capping layer reducing the perpendicular anisotropy of the ferromagnetic free layer.

A magnetic memory comprising:

• a plurality of magnetic elements, each of the plurality of magnetic elements being configured to be written using spin transfer, each of the plurality of magnetic elements including a ferromagnetic free layer having an perpendicular anisotropy and a nonmagnetic capping layer on the ferromagnetic free layer, the nonmagnetic capping layer reducing the perpendicular anisotropy of the ferromagnetic free layer.