Magnetic tunnel junction loaded ring oscillators for MRAM characterization

A circuit for characterizing switching characteristics of a magnetic tunnel junction, the circuit, comprising:

• an odd number of inverters connected in series, wherein each inverter forms a stage;
• a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements configured such that a magnetic tunnel junction element is electrically connected between each of the inverter stages, wherein the inverter stages and the plurality of the magnetic tunnel junctions are configured in a ring oscillator (RO);
• a time to amplitude converter electrically connected to the ring oscillator;
• a pulse distribution analyzer electrically connected to the amplitude converter;
• and
• a plurality of PFETs and NFETs configured such that a PFET and NFET are electrically connected to each of the magnetic tunnel junction elements and to a subsequent inverter in the ring oscillator;
• and
• wherein the number of inverters is (2n+1), wherein n is an integer between 1-100 and wherein the number of magnetic tunnel junction elements is n.

A method for characterizing switching characteristics of a magnetic tunnel junction element, the method comprising:

• providing a circuit, the circuit comprising:
• an odd number of inverters connected in series, wherein each inverter forms a stage;
• and
• a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction elements configured such that a magnetic tunnel junction element is electrically connected between each of the inverter stages, wherein the inverters and magnetic tunnel junction elements are configured in a ring oscillator, and
• wherein the number of inverters is (2n+1), wherein n is an integer between 1-100 and wherein the number of magnetic tunnel junction elements is n;
• and
• applying a voltage to the circuit to generate characteristics on the magnetic tunnel junction elements.