Magnetic tunnel junction ternary content addressable memory

A Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) device, comprising a plurality of TCAM cell, wherein each of the plurality of TCAM cells comprises:

• a first Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device having a first node coupled to a search line;
• a second MTJ device having a first node coupled between to complement search line;
• a first matchline discharge transistor having a gate coupled to a second node of the first MTJ device;
• a second matchline discharge transistor having a gate coupled to a second node of the second MTJ device;
• a first wordline selection transistor having a drain coupled to the gate of the first matchline discharge transistor and the second node of the first MTJ device;
• a second wordline selection transistor having a drain coupled to the gate of the second matchline discharge transistor and to the second node of the second MTJ device;
• a write access transistor having a drain coupled to a source of the first wordline selection transistor and to the source of the second wordline selection transistor;
• and
• a search enable transistor having a drain coupled to a source of the first wordline selection transistor and to the source of the second wordline selection transistor.

A method for operating a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MJT) Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) cell, the method comprising:

• precharging a match line of the TCAM cell to positive voltage supply level, wherein the match line is coupled to a drain of a first match line discharge transistor and to a drain of a second match line transistor, and wherein a gate of the first match line discharge transistor is coupled to a second node of a first MJT device and a gate of the second match line discharge transistor is coupled to a second node of a second MJT device;
• providing a ground voltage supply level to a gate of a write access transistor and to a source line coupled to a source of the write access transistor;
• providing a positive voltage supply level to a gate of search enable transistor and to a gate of a first word line selection transistor and a gate of a second word line selection transistor, wherein a source of the search enable transistor is coupled to the source line and a drain of the search enable transistor is coupled to a source of the first match line discharge transistor and to a source of the second match line discharge transistor;
• providing search data on a search line and on a complement search line to be compared against data stored in the first MJT device and in the second MJT device, where a first node of the first MJT device is coupled to the search line and a first node of the second MJT device is coupled to the complement search line;
• and
• turning the first match line discharge transistor and the second match line discharge transistor OFF to maintain a charge on the precharged match line if the search data matches the data stored in the first MJT device and in the second MJT device, or turning the first match line discharge transistor and the second match line discharge transistor ON to discharge the precharged match line.