Multibit self-reference thermally assisted MRAM
A mechanism is provided for a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM). A storage layer has an anisotropic axis, in which the storage layer is configured to store a state in off axis positions and on axis positions. The off axis positions are not aligned with the anisotropic axis. A tunnel barrier is disposed on top of the storage layer. A ferromagnetic sense layer is disposed on top of the tunnel barrier.
1. A method of forming a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM), the method comprising:
forming a multilayer spacer structure having multiple layers of metals structured to inhibit thermal conductivity and structured to electrically conduct electrical current;
disposing an antiferromagnetic pinning layer on the multilayer spacer structure; and
disposing a magnetic tunnel junction on the antiferromagnetic pinning layer, the magnetic tunnel junction including a storage layer, a non-magnetic tunnel barrier disposed on the storage layer, and a ferromagnetic sense layer disposed on the non-magnetic tunnel barrier, wherein the ferromagnetic sense layer includes multiple layers of materials to inhibit thermal conductivity while electrically conducting the electrical current;
wherein the storage layer is disposed on top of the antiferromagnetic pinning layer;
wherein the antiferromagnetic pinning layer is disposed on top of a seed layer; and
wherein the seed layer is disposed on top of the multilayer spacer structure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of metals include magnetic layers in a stack to form the ferromagnetic sense layer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of metals include alternating layers of magnetic layers and non-magnetic layers in a stack to form the ferromagnetic sense layer.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the multilayer spacer structure having the multiple layers of metals, a thickness of each of the multiple layers of metals ranges from 5 Å to 50 Å.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the multilayer spacer structure having the multiple layers of metals, a thickness of each of the multiple layers of metals is 5 Å.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antiferromagnetic pinning layer comprises magnetic sublattices having a net magnetic moment of zero.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of metals is selected from the group consisting of metals and metal alloys.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of metals include alternating layers metals and metal alloys.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer spacer structure comprises a boundary resistance for heat conduction across interfaces.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnetic tunnel barrier is a semiconductor.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-magnetic tunnel barrier is an insulator.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a contact structure is disposed on the magnetic tunnel junction.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer spacer structure has at least two layers.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple layers of metals include alternating layers of a predefined number of layers.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined number of layers is 2.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined number of layers is 3.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined number of layers is 4.
18. A method of forming a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM), the method comprising:
forming a multilayer spacer structure having multiple layers of metals structured to inhibit thermal conductivity and structured to electrically conduct electrical current;
disposing an antiferromagnetic pinning layer on the multilayer spacer structure; and
disposing a magnetic tunnel junction on the antiferromagnetic pinning layer, the magnetic tunnel junction including a storage layer configured to have a state read to obtain a first resistance value and a second resistance value, a non-magnetic tunnel barrier disposed on the storage layer, and a ferromagnetic sense layer disposed on the non-magnetic tunnel barrier, wherein the ferromagnetic sense layer includes multiple layers of materials to inhibit thermal conductivity while electrically conducting the electrical current;
wherein the storage layer is configured to have the first resistance value and the second resistance value compared to predetermined resistance values, such that in response to the first resistance value and the second resistance value being different from the predetermined resistance values the storage layer is configured to have a magnetic orientation reset to a position for storing the state so that the first resistance value and the second resistance value are within a tolerance of the predetermined resistance values; and
wherein in response to the first resistance value and the second resistance value matching the predetermined resistance values within the tolerance, the storage layer is configured to be verified that the predetermined resistance values have been met by the first resistance value and the second resistance value in order to store the state.