# US 9,520,550 B2 · Electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,550 B2 - Document ID: US9520550B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/852,373 - Filed: 2015-09-11 - Published: 2016-10-20 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-14 - Assignees: SK hynix Inc. - Applicants: SK hynix Inc. - Inventors: Chi-Ho Kim; Sung-Joon Yoon; Guk-Cheon Kim; Seung-Mo Noh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520550B2 ## CPC - H10N 50/80: Constructional details - G11C 11/1659: {Cell access} - G11C 11/1675: {Writing or programming circuits or methods} - H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices - G11C 13/0069: {Writing or programming circuits or methods} - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract An electronic device is provided to include a semiconductor memory including a variable resistance element. The variable resistance element may include a variable resistance pattern including a first electrode layer, a variable resistance layer, and a second electrode layer that are sequentially stacked; and a switching assist structure spaced from a side wall of the variable resistance pattern to surround the variable resistance pattern and including multilayered conductive structures that are vertically spaced from one another. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device including a semiconductor memory which includes a variable resistance element, the variable resistance element comprising: a variable resistance pattern including a first electrode layer, a variable resistance layer and a second electrode layer that are sequentially stacked; and a switching assist structure spaced from a side wall of the variable resistance pattern to surround the variable resistance pattern and including multilayered conductive structures that are vertically spaced from one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein one end of the switching assist structure is electrically coupled to the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the multilayered conductive structures of the switching assist structure each include a single conductive line shape and are coupled in series between a first node of one end of the switching assist and a second node of the other end thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the switching assist structure has a spiral shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the switching assist structure includes: a plurality of ring-type conductive layers, and a plurality of electrically conductive connectors electrically coupled to the plurality of the ring-type conductive layers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of ring-type conductive layers includes a “C” shape of which a side of one end is spaced to face a side of the other end. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive connectors couple the plurality of ring-type conductive layers such that directions of current flowing through the plurality of ring-type conductive layers are the same with one another. ### Claim 8 An electronic device comprising: a variable resistance element including a variable resistance pattern including a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer that are separated from each other to receive a first current to flow through, and a variable resistance layer between the first and second electrode layers to include a storage layer exhibiting a variable magnetization that can be changed by the first current when above a required current value, a reference layer exhibiting a fixed magnetization and spaced from the storage layer, and a tunnel barrier layer between the storage and reference layers, wherein the variable resistance pattern shows different resistance values to the first current based on a direction of the variable magnetization relative to the fixed magnetization; and a switching assist structure, located adjacent to the variable resistance element, structured to receive a second current and to produce a magnetic field at the variable resistance pattern in response to the second current to assist a switching of the variable magnetization of the variable resistance pattern under a switching operation caused by the first current when under the required current value, wherein the switching assist structure is spaced from a side wall of the variable resistance pattern to surround the variable resistance pattern. ### Claim 9 An electronic device comprising: a variable resistance element including a variable resistance pattern including a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer that are separated from each other to receive a first current to flow through, and a variable resistance layer between the first and second electrode layers to include a storage layer exhibiting a variable magnetization that can be changed by the first current when above a required current value, a reference layer exhibiting a fixed magnetization and spaced from the storage layer, and a tunnel barrier layer between the storage and reference layers, wherein the variable resistance pattern shows different resistance values to the first current based on a direction of the variable magnetization relative to the fixed magnetization; and a switching assist structure, located adjacent to the variable resistance element, structured to receive a second current and to produce a magnetic field at the variable resistance pattern in response to the second current to assist a switching of the variable magnetization of the variable resistance pattern under a switching operation caused by the first current when under the required current value, wherein the switching assist structure comprises: a plurality of ring-type conductive layers vertically spaced from one another along a direction from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer of the variable resistance element; and conductive connectors electrically coupling the conductive layers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ring-type conductive layers and the conductive connectors form a spiral shape. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein each of the conductive layers has a discontinuous shape having an opening portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the plurality of ring-type conductive layers and the conductive connectors surround the variable resistance pattern. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have the same inner diameter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have different inner diameters from one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have the same thickness. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have different thicknesses from one another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have the same interval. ### Claim 18 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers have different intervals from one another. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the ring-type conductive layers are formed to have a slope with respect to the direction of the first current passing through the variable resistance pattern. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the slope is in a range of 15° to 75°. ### Claim 21 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the switching assist structure has a shape which surrounds at least the storage layer or at least the reference layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the switching assist structure is spaced from a side wall of the variable resistance pattern to surround the variable resistance pattern.