Heat assisted perpendicular spin transfer torque MRAM memory cell
A magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) memory cell comprises a pinned layer having fixed direction of magnetization that is perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer, a first free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched and is perpendicular to a plane of the first free layer, a tunnel barrier positioned between the pinned layer and the first free layer, a second free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched, and a spacer layer positioned between the first free layer and the second free layer. Temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer is greater than temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer.
1. A non-volatile memory apparatus, comprising:
a pinned layer having a fixed direction of magnetization that is perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer;
a first free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched and is perpendicular to a plane of the first free layer;
a tunnel barrier positioned between the pinned layer and the first free layer, the tunnel barrier is configured to generate heat in response to a current through the tunnel barrier;
a second free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched, temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer is larger than temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer, temperature of the second free layer increases in response to the heat, the second free layer is configured to become unmagnetized in response to temperature of the second free layer exceeding a threshold temperature; and
a spacer layer positioned between the first free layer and the second free layer.
2. A non-volatile memory apparatus, comprising:
a pinned layer having a fixed direction of magnetization that is perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer;
a first free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched and is perpendicular to a plane of the first free layer;
a tunnel barrier positioned between the pinned layer and the first free layer, the tunnel barrier is configured to generate heat in response to a current through the tunnel barrier;
a second free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched, temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer is larger than temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer; and
a spacer layer positioned between the first free layer and the second free layer, the second free layer is configured such that preferred (easy) axis of magnetization of the second free layer is changed from perpendicular to a plane of the second free layer to in-plane in response to the heat while the preferred (easy) axis of magnetization of the first free layer remains perpendicular to the plane of the first free layer.
3. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a cap layer adjacent the second free layer, the cap layer and the tunnel barrier are configured to generate the heat in response to a current through the cap layer and the tunnel barrier.
4. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the first free layer is configured to switch direction of magnetization between parallel and anti-parallel to the direction of magnetization of the pinned layer in response to a dipolar stray magnetic field from the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization.
5. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a cap layer adjacent the second free layer, the cap layer and the tunnel barrier are configured to generate the heat in response to a current through the cap layer and the tunnel barrier; and
the first free layer is configured to switch direction of magnetization between parallel and anti-parallel to the direction of magnetization of the pinned layer in response to spin transfer torque, self-induced heating and dipolar stray magnetic field from the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization and/or exchange coupling between the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization and the first free layer.
6. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the first free layer comprises a first set of sub-layers and a first set of spacers between the first set of sub-layers; and
the second free layer comprises a second set of sub-layers and a second set of spacers between the second set of sub-layers; and
the first set of spacers is different than the second set of spacers, which causes the temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer to be greater than the temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer.
7. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first thermal barrier and a second thermal barrier;
wherein the first free layer, the second free layer, the tunnel barrier and the spacer layer form a stack; and
wherein the first thermal barrier is at a first end of the stack and the second thermal barrier is at a second end of the stack.
8. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a thermal barrier and a heat sink layer;
wherein the first free layer, the second free layer, the tunnel barrier and the spacer layer form a stack;
wherein the thermal barrier is at a first end of the stack that is closer to the second free layer than to the first free layer; and
wherein the heat sink layer is at a second end of the stack that is closer to the first free layer than to the second free layer.
9. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
a thermal barrier liner on a side of the stack, between the first end and the second end.
10. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a thermal barrier liner;
wherein the first free layer, the second free layer, the tunnel barrier and the spacer layer form a stack; and
wherein the thermal barrier liner is positioned on a side of the stack and is adjacent the second free layer without being adjacent the first free layer.
11. A method of operating non-volatile memory apparatus, comprising:
generating heat in a MRAM memory cell in response to a current through the MRAM memory cell, the MRAM memory cell including a pinned layer having fixed direction of magnetization that is perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer, the MRAM memory cell including a first free layer and a second free layer, the first free layer has a direction of magnetization that can be switched and is perpendicular to a plane of the first free layer, the second free layer has a direction of magnetization that can be switched;
in response to the heat, switching the preferred (easy) axis of magnetization of the second free layer from perpendicular to a plane of the second free layer to in-plane while the preferred (easy)axis of magnetization of the first free layer remains perpendicular to the plane of the first free layer; and
switching the direction of magnetization of the first free layer between parallel and anti-parallel to the direction of magnetization of the pinned layer in response to a dipolar stray magnetic field from the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization or exchange coupling between the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization and the first free layer.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
maintaining the heat using a thermal barrier on a first end of the MRAM memory cell and a thermal liner surrounding the second free layer, the thermal liner is not surrounding the first free layer.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer is greater than temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the first free layer comprises a first set of sub-layers and a first set of spacers between the first set of sub-layers; and
the second free layer comprises a second set of sub-layers and a second set of spacers between the second set of sub-layers; and
the first set of spacers is different than the second set of spacers, which causes the temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer to be greater than the temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer.
15. A non-volatile memory apparatus, comprising:
a pinned layer having fixed direction of magnetization that is perpendicular to a plane of the pinned layer;
a first free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched and is perpendicular to a plane of the first free layer;
a tunnel barrier positioned between the pinned layer and the first free layer;
a second free layer having a direction of magnetization that can be switched;
a spacer layer positioned between the first free layer and the second free layer; and
a cap layer adjacent the second free layer;
direction of magnetization of the second free layer is perpendicular to a plane of the second free layer if no current bias is applied across the non-volatile memory apparatus;
the second free layer is configured such that a preferred (easy) axis of magnetization of the second free layer is changed from perpendicular to a plane of the second free layer if a current is applied though the tunnel barrier and the cap layer;
the first free layer is configured such that switching of the direction of magnetization of the first free layer occurs in response to spin transfer torque, self-induced heating and dipolar stray magnetic field from the second free layer having in-plane direction of magnetization.
16. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the second free layer is configured such that preferred (easy) axis of magnetization of the second free layer is changed from perpendicular to the plane of the second free layer to in-plane if a current is applied though the tunnel barrier and the cap layer.
17. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
The temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer is larger than temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer;
the first free layer comprises a first set of sub-layers and a first set of spacers between the first set of sub-layers; and
the second free layer comprises a second set of sub-layers and a second set of spacers between the second set of sub-layers; and
the first set of spacers is different than the second set of spacers, which causes the temperature dependence of coercivity of the second free layer to be greater than the temperature dependence of coercivity of the first free layer.
18. The non-volatile memory apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising:
a thermal barrier liner;
wherein the first free layer, the second free layer, the tunnel barrier, the spacer layer and the cap layer form a stack;
wherein the thermal barrier liner a portion of the stack adjacent to the second free layer without being adjacent the first free layer.