Magnetic memory cells with high write current and read stability
View Patent ↗Memory cells and methods of forming thereof are disclosed. The memory cell includes a substrate and first and second select transistors. The first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector. The gate of first select transistor is coupled to a write wordline (WL_w) and the gate of the second select transistor is coupled to a read/write wordline (WL_r/w). The source regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a source line (SL). A body well is disposed in the substrate. The body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors. A back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors. A storage element which includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element is coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors.
1. A memory cell comprising:
a substrate defined with a memory cell region;
a cell selector unit disposed on the substrate, wherein the cell selector unit comprises
a first select transistor having a first gate coupled to a first word line (WL) and first and second source/drain (S/D) regions, and
a second select transistor having a second gate coupled to a second WL and first and second S/D regions, wherein
the first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector,
the first select transistor is configured as a low threshold voltage (LVT) transistor and the second select transistor is configured as a high threshold voltage (HVT) or regular threshold voltage (RVT) transistor,
the first WL is a write wordline (WL_w) and the second WL is a read/write wordline (WL_r/w), and
the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a common source line (SL);
a body well disposed in the substrate, wherein the body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors, wherein a back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors; and
a storage element which comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors.
2. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the S/D regions comprise first polarity type dopants and the body well comprises second polarity type dopants, wherein the second polarity type is opposite to the first polarity type.
3. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are a common drain region.
4. The memory cell of claim 3 wherein the common drain region of the first and second select transistors are coupled to the MTJ element.
5. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the first and second select transistors comprise halo regions disposed adjacent to first and second sides of the first and second gates of the select transistors, the halo regions adjacent to the second gate of the second select transistor comprise a higher dopant concentration relative to the halo regions adjacent to the first gate of the first select transistor.
6. The memory cell of claim 1 wherein the halo regions adjacent to the first and second gates of the first and second select transistors are tuned to include different dopant concentrations to produce the HVT or RVT and the LVT transistors.
7. A memory cell comprising:
a substrate defined with a memory cell region;
a cell selector unit disposed on the substrate, wherein the cell selector unit comprises
a first select transistor having a first gate coupled to a first word line (WL) and first and second source/drain (S/D) regions, and
a second select transistor having a second gate coupled to a second WL and first and second S/D regions, wherein
the first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector,
the first WL is a write wordline (WL 13 w) and the second WL is a read/write wordline (WL_r/w), and
the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a source line (SL);
a body well disposed in the substrate, wherein the body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors, wherein a back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors;
a storage element which comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors; and
wherein a forward back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to increase a write current to write the MTJ element and a reverse back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to reduce a read current to read the MTJ element.
8. The memory cell of claim 7 wherein the forward back bias comprises a positive voltage greater than 0 to 0.6V.
9. The memory cell of claim 7 wherein the reverse back bias comprises a negative voltage less than 0 to −2V.
10. A memory cell comprising:
a substrate defined with a memory cell region;
a cell selector unit disposed on the substrate, wherein the cell selector unit comprises
a first select transistor having a first gate coupled to a first word line (WL) and first and second source/drain (S/D) regions, and
a second select transistor having a second gate coupled to a second WL and first and second S/D regions, wherein
the first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector,
the first select transistor is a low threshold voltage (LVT) transistor and the second select transistor is a high threshold voltage (HVT) or regular threshold voltage (RVT) transistor, wherein the first and second select transistors comprise halo regions disposed adjacent to first and second sides of the first and second gates of the select transistors, the S/D regions comprise first polarity type dopants and the halo regions comprise second polarity type dopants, wherein the second polarity type is opposite to the first polarity type, the halo regions adjacent to the second gate of the second select transistor comprise a higher second polarity type dopant concentration relative to the halo regions adjacent to the first gate of the first select transistor,
the first WL is a write wordline (WL_w) and the second WL is a read/write wordline (WL_r/w), and
the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a common source line (SL);
a storage element which comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors; and
wherein the HVT or RVT transistor decreases a read current during a read operation to improve stability.
11. The memory cell of claim 10 wherein the halo regions adjacent to the first and second gates of the first and second select transistors are tuned to include different dopant concentrations to produce the HVT or RVT and the LVT transistors.
12. The memory cell of claim 10 wherein different surface threshold voltage Vt implant in the substrate are tuned to form the HVT or RVT and LVT transistors.
13. The memory cell of claim 10 comprising a body well disposed in the substrate, wherein the body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors, wherein a back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors.
14. The memory cell of claim 10 wherein a forward back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to increase a write current to write the MTJ element and a reverse back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to reduce a read current to read the MTJ element.
15. A method of operating a memory cell comprising:
providing a memory cell comprising
a substrate defined with a memory cell region,
a cell selector unit disposed on the substrate, wherein the cell selector unit comprises
a first select transistor having a first gate coupled to a first word line (WL) and first and second source/drain (S/D) regions, and
a second select transistor having a second gate coupled to a second WL and first and second S/D regions, wherein
the first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector,
the first select transistor is configured as a low threshold voltage (LVT) transistor and the second select transistor is configured as a high threshold voltage (HVT) or regular threshold voltage (RVT) transistor,
the first WL is a write wordline (WL_w) and the second WL is a read/write wordline (W_r/w), and
the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a common source line (SL),
a body well disposed in the substrate, wherein the body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors, wherein a back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors, and
a storage element which comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors; and performing a read operation or write operation with the memory cell, wherein
when a write operation is performed, the WL_w and the WL_r/w are activated such that a write path is formed through both the first and second select transistors, and
when a read operation is performed, the WL_w is inactive and the WL_r/w is activated such that a read path is formed through the second select transistor.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein a forward back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to increase a write current to write the MTJ element and a reverse back bias is applied to the body of the select transistors to reduce a read current to read the MTJ element.
17. A method of forming a memory cell comprising:
providing a substrate defined with a memory cell region;
forming a cell selector unit on the substrate, wherein forming the cell selector unit comprises
forming a first select transistor having a first gate coupled to a first word line (WL) and first and second source/drain (S/D) regions, and
forming a second select transistor having a second gate coupled to a second WL and first and second S/D regions, wherein
the first select transistor serves as a write selector and the second select transistor serves as a read selector,
the first WL is a write wordline (WL_w) and the second WL is a read/write wordline (WL_r/w), and
the second S/D regions of the first and second select transistors are coupled to a source line (SL);
forming a body well in the substrate, wherein the body well serves as a body of the first and second select transistors, and applying a back bias to the body of the select transistors, wherein applying the back bias comprises
applying a forward back bias to the body of the select transistors to increase a write current to write the MTJ element, and
applying a reverse back bias to the body of the select transistors to reduce a read current to read the MTJ element; and
forming a storage element which comprises a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element coupled with a bitline (BL) and the first and the second select transistors.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the forward back bias comprises a positive voltage greater than 0 to 0.6V and the reverse back bias comprises a negative voltage less than 0 to −2V.
19. The method of claim 17 wherein the first select transistor is configured as a low threshold voltage (LVT) transistor and the second select transistor is configured as a high threshold voltage (HVT) or regular threshold voltage (RVT) transistor.
20. The method of claim 17 wherein the first and second select transistors comprise halo regions disposed adjacent to first and second sides of the first and second gates of the select transistors, the halo regions adjacent to the second gate of the second select transistor comprise a higher dopant concentration relative to the halo regions adjacent to the first gate of the first select transistor.