Magnetic floating gate memory
View Patent ↗An apparatus includes at least one memory device including a floating gate element and a magnetic field generator that operably applies a magnetic field to the memory device. The magnetic field directs electrons in the memory device into the floating gate element.
1. A memory device comprising:
a substrate having a source region, a drain region and a channel region, the channel region separates the source region and the drain region, electrons flow through the channel region between the source region and the drain region in a horizontal direction;
an electrically insulating layer adjacent to the source region, drain region and channel region;
a floating gate element adjacent to the electrically insulating layer, the electrically insulating layer separates the floating gate element from the channel region, the floating gate element is magnetic and comprises a ferromagnetic pinned layer and an anti-ferromagnetic pinning layer, the floating gate element generates the magnetic field and the control gate electrode is non-magnetic;
a control gate electrode adjacent to the floating gate element, the floating gate element separates the control gate electrode from the electrically insulating layer, the channel region, electrically insulating layer, floating gate element and control gate electrode being stacked in a vertical direction, the vertical direction being perpendicular to the horizontal direction; and
a magnetic field directed through the channel region and perpendicular to the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
2. A memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field alters an electron trajectory toward the floating gate element.
3. A memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating gate element comprises a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic element.
4. A memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating gate element is less than 100 Angstroms from the channel region.
5. A memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is formed by a magnetic element, the magnetic element is adjacent to the memory device.
6. A memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field is formed by an electrically conductive coil, the electrically conductive coil is adjacent to the memory device.
7. A memory device according to claim 5 , wherein the magnetic element is adjacent to, but separated from the control gate electrode.
8. A method of writing to floating gate memory device, comprising:
applying a magnetic field through a floating gate memory device to direct electrons in the device into a floating gate element of the floating gate memory device;
wherein the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic floating gate element comprising a ferromagnetic pinned layer and an anti-ferromagnetic pinning layer and the control gate electrode is non-magnetic.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic floating gate element comprising a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic element.
10. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic floating gate element is less than 100 Angstroms from a channel region in the floating gate memory device.
11. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic field is generated by a magnetic element, the magnetic element is adjacent to the memory device.
12. A method according to claim 8 , wherein the magnetic field is generated by an electrically conductive coil, the electrically conductive coil is adjacent to the memory device.
13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic element is adjacent to, but separated from a control gate electrode of the floating gate memory device.