IP Library Granted Patent US 10,438,995
Granted Patent B2
US 10,438,995 · App. 15/865,249 · Granted Oct 8, 2019

Devices including magnetic tunnel junctions integrated with selectors

Inventors: Kuk-Hwan Kim (Fremont, CA); Dafna Beery (Fremont, CA); Andy Walker (Fremont, CA); Amity Levi (Fremont, CA)
Assignee: SPIN MEMORY, INC.
H01L27/222G11C11/161H01L43/02H01L43/08H01L43/10H01F10/329H01F10/3272
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,438,995
App. No.
15/865,249
Granted
Oct 8, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device can include an array of cells. The array of cells can include a plurality of source lines disposed in columns, set of selectors coupled to respective source lines, MJT structures coupled to respective selectors and a plurality of bit lines disposed in rows and coupled to respective sets of MTJ structures. The array of cells can also include buffers coupled between respective selectors and respective MTJ structures. In addition, multiple arrays can be stacked on top of each other to implement vertical three-dimensional (3D) MTJ devices.

Claims (54)

1. A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:

a plurality of source lines disposed in columns in corresponding trenches in a dielectric layer;

an array of selectors, wherein sets of selectors are coupled to respective source lines and wherein the array of selectors are disposed on respective source lines in the corresponding trenches in the dielectric layer;

an array of MTJ structures, wherein the MTJ structures are coupled to respective selectors; and

a plurality of bit lines disposed in rows, wherein the bit lines are coupled to respective sets of MTJ structures.

2. The MTJ device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an array of buffers, wherein the buffers are coupled between respective selectors and respective MTJ structures.

3. The MTJ device according to claim 2 , wherein the array of buffers include a Tantalum Nitride (TaN) or Titanium Nitride (TiN) material.

4. The MTJ device according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the plurality of source lines and a surface of the array of selectors are coplanar with a surface the dielectric layer.

5. The MTJ device according to claim 2 , wherein:

the plurality of buffers are disposed on respective selectors in the corresponding trenches in the dielectric layer.

6. The MTJ device according to claim 1 , wherein the MTJ structures comprise:

a first ferromagnetic layer of a Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF);

a first non-magnetic layer of the SAF disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer;

a reference magnetic layer of the MTJ disposed on the first non-magnetic layer;

a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer of the MTJ disposed on the reference magnetic layer;

a free magnetic layer of the MTJ disposed on the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer;

one or more capping layers disposed on the free magnetic layer.

7. The MTJ device according to claim 6 , wherein:

the first ferromagnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Platinum (Pt), and Ruthenium (Ru);

the first non-magnetic layer includes Magnesium Oxide (MgOx);

the reference magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), and Boron (B);

the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer includes Magnesium Oxide (MgOx);

the free magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Boron (B), and Tungsten (W).

8. A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:

a plurality of bit lines disposed in rows;

an array of MTJ structures, wherein sets of MTJ structures are coupled to respective bit lines, and wherein the array of MTJ structures including;

a first ferromagnetic layer of a Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF) includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Platinum (Pt), and Ruthenium (Ru);

a first non-magnetic layer of the SAF disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer, wherein the first non-magnetic layer includes Magnesium Oxide (MgOx);

a reference magnetic layer of s MTJ disposed on the first non-magnetic layer, wherein the reference magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), and Boron (B);

a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer of the MTJ disposed on the reference magnetic layer, wherein the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer includes Magnesium Oxide (MgOx);

a free magnetic layer of the MTJ disposed on the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer, wherein the free magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Boron (B), and Tungsten (W); and

one or more capping layers disposed on the free magnetic layer;

an array of selectors, wherein the selectors are coupled to respective MTJ structures; and

a plurality of source lines disposed in columns, wherein the bit lines are coupled to respective selectors.

9. The MTJ device according to claim 8 , further comprising:

an array of buffers, wherein the buffers are coupled between respective MTJ structures and respective selectors.

10. The MTJ device according to claim 9 , wherein the array of buffers include a Tantalum Nitride (TaN) or Titanium Nitride (TiN) material.

11. The MTJ device according to claim 8 , wherein:

the plurality of bit lines are disposed in corresponding trenches in a dielectric layer; and

a surface of the plurality of bit lines is coplanar with a surface of the dielectric layer.

12. The MTJ device according to claim 8 , wherein the MTJ device comprises a Spin Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (ST-MRAM).

13. A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:

an array of cells, wherein each cell includes a MTJ structure integrated with a selector;

a cross-bar including a plurality of source lines disposed in columns and a plurality of bit lines disposed in rows, wherein a cell of the array is coupled between a respective source line and a respective bit line, wherein the plurality of source lines are disposed in corresponding trenches in a dielectric layer, and wherein the selector layer of the plurality of cells is disposed on the plurality of source lines in the corresponding trenches in the dielectric layer.

14. The MTJ device according to claim 13 , wherein each cell of the array includes a buffer coupled between a respective MTJ structure and a respective selector.

15. The MTJ device according to claim 14 , wherein the buffer of each cell of the array includes a Tantalum Nitride (TaN) or Titanium Nitride (TiN) material.

16. The MTJ device according to claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of the arrays of cells stacked in a vertical three-dimensional (3D) architecture.

17. The MTJ device according to claim 13 , wherein:

each cell further includes a buffer disposed between the MTJ structure and the selector, wherein the buffer layer of the plurality of cells is disposed on the selector layer in the corresponding trenches in the dielectric layer.

18. The MTJ device according to claim 13 , wherein the selector includes a layer of Nickel Oxide (NiOx), Titanium Oxide (TiOx) or Vanadium Oxide (Vox).

19. The MTJ device according to claim 1 , wherein the array of selectors include a Nickel Oxide (NiOx), Titanium Oxide (TiOx), or Vanadium Oxide (VOx) material.

20. The MTJ device according to claim 5 , wherein a surface of the source line layers, a surface of the selectors and a surface of the buffers are coplanar with a surface of the dielectric layer.

21. The MTJ device according to claim 8 , wherein the array of selectors include a Nickel Oxide (NiOx), Titanium Oxide (TiOx), or Vanadium Oxide (VOx) material.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 11, 2021
From: SPIN (ASSIGNMENT FOR BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
To: INTEGRATED SILICON SOLUTION, (CAYMAN) INC.
Reel/Frame 057473/0319 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2021
From: SPIN MEMORY, INC.
To: SPIN (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
Reel/Frame 056927/0038 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 10, 2019
From: SPIN TRANSFER TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SPIN MEMORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 049421/0501 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2018
From: KIM, KUK-HWAN; BEERY, DAFNA; WALKER, ANDY; LEVI, AMITAY
To: SPIN TRANSFER TECHNOLOGIES, INC
Reel/Frame 046165/0436 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190214429A1 · Jul 11, 2019