Storage element and memory

A memory comprising:

• storage elements, each having a storage layer for holding information by use of a magnetization state of a magnetic material;
• and
• two kinds of wirings intersecting each other,
• wherein
• each of said storage elements has a configuration in which (1) a pinned magnetization layer is provided on one side of said storage layer, (2) a tunnel insulation layer is between the storage layer and the pinned magnetization layer, the direction of magnetization of said storage layer being changeable by means of injection of spin polarized electrons by passing a current in a lamination direction perpendicular to one side of said storage layer, so as to record information in said storage layer, said tunnel insulation layer comprising magnesium oxide that is crystallized, and (3) a spin barrier layer is effective to restrain a diffusion of said spin polarized electrons and is in contact with a side of said storage layer facing away from said pinned magnetization layer;
• said storage elements are disposed near respective intersections of said two kinds of wirings and disposed between said two kinds of wirings, and said current in said lamination direction flows in said storage element by way of said two kinds of wirings, whereby said spin polarized electrons are injected,
• said spin barrier layer comprises magnesium oxide and a non-magnetic metallic element diffused in the magnesium oxide, the non-magnetic metallic element being at least one selected from the group consisting of Ti, Ta, Zr, Hf, Nb, Cr, Mo, W, and V, and
• said spin barrier layer of each storage element has a sufficiently low resistance as compared with the respective tunnel insulation layer to enable detection of a variation in a resistance of the storage element by the magnoresistance effect.