High capacity low cost multi-state magnetic memory

1. A multi-state current-switching magnetic memory element configured to store a state by current flowing therethrough to switch the state comprising two or more magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) coupled in parallel between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, each MTJ including:

a free layer with a switchable magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof;

a fixed layer with a fixed magnetic orientation perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; and

a barrier layer interposed between the free layer and the fixed layer.

2. The memory element of claim 1 further comprising a pinning layer formed between the bottom electrode and the fixed layers of the two or more MTJs.

3. The memory element of claim 1 , wherein the fixed layer of each MTJ is formed adjacent to the bottom electrode.

4. The memory element of claim 1 , wherein the two or more MTJs are operable to store more than one bit of information.

5. The memory element of claim 1 , wherein the free layer of each MTJ has a switching current threshold different from free layers of other MTJs.

6. The memory element of claim 1 , wherein the top electrode comprises a tantalum layer and a layer of non-magnetic conductor.

7. The memory element of claim 1 , wherein the two or more MTJs are separated by a dielectric material.

8. The memory element of claim 7 , wherein the dielectric material is silicon nitride.