Magnetic memory with a magnetic tunnel junction written in a thermally assisted manner, and method for writing the same

Process for writing in a magnetic memory written in a thermally assisted manner and formed by a network of memory points each of which is formed by a magnetic tunnel junction (40, 60), and the cross-section of which parallel to the plane of the layers forming the tunnel junction is circular or substantially circular, said tunnel junction comprising at least:

• a reference magnetic layer (44, 64) termed “trapped layer”, the magnetization of which is in a fixed direction;
• a storage magnetic layer (42, 62), termed a “free layer”, the direction of magnetization of which is variable;
• an insulating layer (43, 63), placed between the free layer (42, 62) and the trapped layer (44, 64),
• and in which the operating temperature of the memory when reading or at rest is selected at below the blocking temperature of the free and trapped layers respectively, consisting:
• first, of sending an electric pulse by means of a conductor (48, 68) into the memory point to be written, the purpose being to induce heating of said memory point until a temperature is reached that is greater than the blocking temperature of the storage layer (42, 62) but lower than the blocking temperature of the reference layer (44, 64);
• then, during the cooling of said memory point that occurs after this heating, of sending an electric pulse by means of the conductor (48, 68) or of an additional conductor (69) which is independent and electrically insulated from the conductor (68), the purpose being to generate a reversal magnetic field capable of modifying the magnetization of the storage layer (42, 62).