Magnetic memory

1. A magnetic memory comprising:

a magnetoresistive effect element including a first magnetic layer invariable in magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer variable in magnetization direction, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer;

an error detecting and correcting circuit which detects whether first data written in the magnetoresistive effect element includes any error and which outputs error-corrected second data when the first data includes an error;

a writing circuit which generates one of a first write current and a second write current and which passes the current through the magnetoresistive effect element, the first write current including a first pulse width, the second write current including a second pulse width greater than the first pulse width; and

a control circuit which controls the writing circuit to pass the second write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the error-corrected second data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element.

2. The memory according to claim 1 , wherein

when the first data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the first write current through the magnetoresistive effect element.

3. The memory according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pulse width is equal to or more than the sum of a period extending to the start of a coherent precession movement of a magnetization of the second magnetic layer and a period in which the coherent precession movement is amplified.

4. The memory according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a buffer memory which temporarily stores third data corresponding to the first data.

5. The memory according to claim 4 , wherein

the third data is read from the buffer memory when reading of the first data is requested while the error-corrected second data is being written into the magnetoresistive effect element.

6. The memory according to claim 2 , wherein

the error detecting and correcting circuit outputs a first control signal to the control circuit when the first data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the error detecting and correcting circuit outputs a second control signal to the control circuit when the error-corrected second data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the first write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the first control signal is input, and

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the second write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the second control signal is input.

7. The memory according to claim 2 , wherein

the first data includes a first judgment signal indicating that the first write current is used to write the first data,

the error-corrected second data includes a second judgment signal indicating that the second write current is used to write the error-corrected second data,

the control circuit controls the writing circuit in accordance with the first judgment signal to pass the first write current through the magnetoresistive effect element, and

the control circuit controls the writing circuit in accordance with the second judgment signal to pass the second write current through the magnetoresistive effect element.

8. The memory according to claim 1 , wherein

the first data includes an error checking and correcting code, and

the error detecting and correcting circuit uses the error checking and correcting code to detect and correct an error included in the first data.

9. The memory according to claim 1 , wherein

the control circuit includes a counter which counts the number of data readings from the magnetoresistive effect element, and

the control circuit uses the second write current to rewrite, into the magnetoresistive effect element, the data read from the magnetoresistive effect element when the number counted by the counter is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

10. A magnetic memory comprising:

a magnetoresistive effect element including a first magnetic layer invariable in magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer variable in magnetization direction, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer;

a failure detecting circuit which detects whether first data written in the magnetoresistive effect element includes any failure and which outputs a second data having no failure when the first data includes a failure;

a writing circuit which generates one of a first write current and a second write current and passes the generated current through the magnetoresistive effect element, the first write current including a first pulse width, the second write current including a second pulse width greater than the first pulse width; and

a control circuit which controls the writing circuit to puss the second write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the second data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element.

11. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

when the first data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the first write current through the magnetoresistive effect element.

12. The memory according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a buffer memory which temporarily stores external data corresponding to the first data,

wherein the failure detecting circuit compares the first data with the data stored in the buffer memory to detect the failure included in the first data.

13. The memory according to claim 12 , wherein

the data stored in the buffer memory is written into the magnetoresistive effect element as the second data when the first data includes a failure.

14. The memory according to claim 12 , wherein

the data stored in the buffer memory is read from the buffer memory when reading of the first data is requested while the second data is being written into the magnetoresistive effect element.

15. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

the probability that the first data includes a failure is 0.02 or less.

16. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

The second pulse width is 1.07 to 5 times the first pulse width.

17. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

the second pulse width is 3 times the first pulse width.

18. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

the first pulse width is equal to or more than the sum of a period extending to the start of a coherent precession movement of a magnetization of the second magnetic layer and a period in which the coherent precession movement is amplified.

19. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

the failure detecting circuit outputs a first control signal to the control circuit when the first data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the failure detecting circuit outputs a second control signal to the control circuit when the second data is written into the magnetoresistive effect element,

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the first write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the first control signal is input, and

the control circuit controls the writing circuit to pass the second write current through the magnetoresistive effect element when the second control signal is input.

20. The memory according to claim 10 , wherein

the control circuit includes a counter which counts the number of data readings from the magnetoresistive effect element, and

the control circuit uses the second write current to rewrite, into the magnetoresistive effect element, the data read from the magnetoresistive effect element when the number counted by the counter is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.