High Capacity Low Cost Multi-Stacked Cross-Line Magnetic Memory
One embodiment of the present invention includes a diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ.
1 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ); and
a thin-film diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ.
2 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , including a conductive seeding silicon layer that separates the MTJ from the diode.
3 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the MTJ includes a pinning layer on top of which is formed a fixed layer on top of which is formed a tunnel layer on top of which is formed a free layer.
4 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a magnetic diode.
5 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a non-magnetic diode.
6 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a Schottky diode.
7 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , wherein the diode is operative to address the memory element.
8 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
a thin-film diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ; and
a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) formed on top of the diode.
9 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 8 , including a conductive seeding silicon layer that separates the MTJ from the diode.
10 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, as recited in claim 8 , wherein the MTJ includes a pinning layer on top of which is formed a fixed layer on top of which is formed a tunnel layer on top of which is formed a free layer.
11 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 8 , wherein the thin-film diode is a magnetic diode.
12 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a non-magnetic diode.
13 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 8 , wherein the thin-film diode is a Schottky diode.
14 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in claim 8 , wherein the diode is operative to address the memory element.
15 . A method of manufacturing A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
Forming a pinning layer;
forming a fixed layer on top of the pinning layer;
forming a tunnel layer on top of the pinning layer;
forming a free layer on top of the tunnel layer to form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ);
forming a conductive seeding silicon layer on top of the free layer; and
forming a thin-film diode on top of the MTJ.