IP Library Granted Patent US 12701717
Granted Patent B2
US 12701717 · App. 17/934,317 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Semiconductor memory device

Inventors: Yongjae Lee (Seongnam-si, KR); Kyungsoo Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Jinyoung Park (Suwon-si, KR); Kyen-Hee Lee (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10B61/22H10N52/00H10N52/80
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701717
App. No.
17/934,317
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The semiconductor memory device may include a magnetic tunnel junction pattern, a spin-orbit torque (SOT) pattern in contact with a first portion of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern, a first transistor electrically connected to a second portion of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern and configured to be controlled by a first word line, and a second transistor electrically connected to a first end of the spin-orbit torque pattern and configured to be controlled by a second word line. An effective channel width of the first transistor may be different from an effective channel width of the second transistor.

Claims (79)

1 . A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate including an active region defined by a device isolation pattern;

a magnetic tunnel junction pattern;

a spin-orbit torque (SOT) pattern in contact with a first portion of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern;

a first transistor on the active region of the semiconductor substrate, the first transistor electrically connected to a second portion of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern and configured to be controlled by a first word line; and

a second transistor on the active region of the semiconductor substrate, the second transistor contacts a first end of the spin-orbit torque pattern and configured to be controlled by a second word line,

wherein an effective channel width of the first transistor is different from an effective channel width of the second transistor,

wherein the active region comprises a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width larger than the first width,

wherein the first word line crosses the first portion of the active region, and

wherein the second word line crosses the second portion of the active region.

2 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a semiconductor substrate comprising a first active pattern with a first length and a second active pattern with a second length that is less than the first length,

wherein the first word line crosses the first active pattern, and

wherein the second word line crosses the first and second active patterns.

3 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a bit line that crosses the first and second word lines and is electrically connected to first source/drain terminals of the first and second transistors; and

a source line that crosses the first and second word lines and contacts a second end of the spin-orbit torque pattern.

4 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is physically connected to the second portion of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern.

5 . A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a bit line and a source line that both extend in a second direction that is perpendicular to a first direction; and

a plurality of memory cells on the semiconductor substrate,

wherein each of the plurality of memory cells comprises:

a first word line and a second word line that both extend in the first direction;

an active region defined by a device isolation pattern in the semiconductor substrate;

a spin-orbit torque (SOT) pattern having a first end electrically connected to the source line, and having a second end that is opposite to the first end;

a magnetic tunnel junction pattern on the SOT pattern;

a first transistor electrically connected to a first end of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern, wherein the first transistor is between the first end of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern and the bit line and configured to be controlled by the first word line; and

a second transistor that contacts the second end of the SOT pattern, wherein the second transistor is between the second end of the SOT pattern and the bit line and is configured to be controlled by the second word line,

wherein the first word line and the second word line cross the active region of a semiconductor substrate, and

wherein an overlapping area between the first word line and the active region is smaller than an overlapping area between the second word line and the active region.

6 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 ,

wherein the active region comprises a first active pattern, which has a first length, and a second active pattern, which has a second length that is less than the first length,

wherein the first word line crosses the first active pattern, and

wherein the second word line crosses the first and second active patterns.

7 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 6 ,

wherein the memory cells comprise a first memory cell and a second memory cell, which are adjacent to each other in the second direction, and

wherein at least a portion of the first memory cell and at least a portion of the second memory cell have point symmetry when viewed in a plan view.

8 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 7 , wherein the first and second active patterns of the second memory cell and the first and second active patterns of the first memory cell have point symmetry.

9 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 7 ,

wherein the plurality of memory cells further comprises third and fourth memory cells, which are sequentially arranged in the second direction, and

wherein the third and fourth memory cells and the first and second memory cells have a plane symmetry about an imaginary line parallel to the first direction, when viewed in a plan view.

10 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 7 , wherein portions of the first active patterns of the first and second memory cells are between the first word lines of the first and second memory cells.

11 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 7 ,

wherein the bit line overlaps the second active patterns of the first and second memory cells and extends in the second direction, and

wherein the source line overlaps the first active patterns of the first and second memory cells and extends in the second direction.

12 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 ,

wherein the memory cells comprise a first memory cell and a second memory cell, which are adjacent to each other in the second direction, and

wherein the first word lines of the first and second memory cells are between the respective second word lines of the first and second memory cells.

13 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 ,

wherein the magnetic tunnel junction pattern comprises a pinned magnetic pattern, a free magnetic pattern, and a tunnel barrier pattern therebetween, and

wherein the free magnetic pattern is in contact with the SOT pattern.

14 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 ,

wherein the magnetic tunnel junction pattern has a top surface and a bottom surface which is opposite to the top surface, wherein the bottom surface of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern is closer to the semiconductor substrate than the top surface, and

wherein the SOT pattern is in contact with the top surface of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern.

15 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 ,

wherein the memory cells comprise first, second, third, and fourth memory cells, which are sequentially arranged in the second direction,

wherein the active region comprises a first active pattern, which has a first length, and a second active pattern, which has a second length that is less than the first length,

wherein the first and second active patterns of the second memory cell and the first and second active patterns of the first memory cell have point symmetry, and

wherein the first and second active patterns of the third and fourth memory cells and the first and second active patterns of the first and second memory cells have a plane symmetry about an imaginary line parallel to the first direction.

16 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 5 , wherein the first transistor is physically connected to the first end of the magnetic tunnel junction pattern.

17 . A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate comprising a first cell region and a second cell region, each of the first and second cell regions comprising first and second active patterns which protrude from the semiconductor substrate;

a first writing word line on the first cell region, wherein the first writing word line crosses the first and second active patterns;

a second writing word line on the second cell region, wherein the second writing word line crosses the first and second active patterns;

a first reading word line on the first cell region, wherein the first reading word line is spaced apart from the first active pattern, crosses the second active pattern, and is between the first and second writing word lines;

a second reading word line on the second cell region, wherein the second reading word line is spaced apart from the first active pattern, crosses the second active pattern, and is between the first reading word line and the second writing word line;

first source/drain patterns at a side of the first writing word line and at a side of the second writing word line, respectively;

second source/drain patterns between the first reading and writing word lines and between the second reading and writing word lines;

a third source/drain pattern between the first and second reading word lines;

first and second magnetic tunnel junction patterns electrically connected to the second source/drain patterns, respectively;

first and second spin-orbit torque (SOT) patterns on the first and second magnetic tunnel junction patterns, respectively;

a source line that crosses the first and second writing word lines and the first and second reading word lines and is electrically connected to the first and second SOT patterns; and

a bit line that crosses the first and second writing word lines and the first and second reading word lines and is electrically connected to the second source/drain patterns,

wherein, when measured from the semiconductor substrate, the bit line is at a first height, the source line is at a second height, and the first and second SOT patterns are at a third height, and

wherein the third height is less than the first height and the second height.

18 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 17 , wherein a first length of the first active pattern is less than a second length of the second active pattern, when measured in a first direction.

19 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 18 , wherein the first and second active patterns of the first cell region and the first and second active patterns of the second cell region have point symmetry.

20 . The semiconductor memory device of claim 17 , wherein the first and second SOT pattern-patterns are in contact with top surfaces of the first and second magnetic tunnel junction patterns, respectively.