54 results about "Magnetic ram" patented technology

A data storage device that includes an array of resistive memory cells. The resistive memory cells may include a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a thin-film diode. The device may include a circuit that is electrically connected to the array and that is also capable of monitoring a signal current flowing through a selected memory cell. Once the signal current has been monitored, the circuit is capable of comparing the signal current to an average reference current in order to determine which of a first resistance state and a second resistance state the selected memory cell is in. Also, a method for operating the data storage device.

The invention discloses a magnetic random access memory with a vertical structure transistor, which has faster access time than SRAM, high density similar to DRAM and non-volatile characteristics similar to flash memory. The magnetic random access memory comprises a vertical structure transistor, a first word line including the transistor, a contact line connected to the transistor, a magnetic tunnel junction unit deposited on the contact line, and a magnetic tunnel junction unit formed on the magnetic tunnel junction unit bit line, and a second word line formed on the bit line at the position of the magnetic tunnel junction cell. Through the disclosed structure, while using a simplified manufacturing process, the integration density of semiconductor devices can be increased, the short channel effect can be improved, and the control rate of resistance can be improved.

A spin Hall effect magnetoresistive memory comprises apparatus of a three terminal magnetoresistive memory cell having an MTJ stack, a functional magnetic layer having a magnetization anti-parallel or parallel coupled with a recording layer magnetization in the MTJ stack, and a SHE-metal base layer. The control circuitry coupled through the bit line and the two select transistors to selected ones of the plurality of magnetoresistive memory elements to supply a reading current across the magnetoresistive element stack and two bottom electrodes and to supply a bi-directional spin Hall effect recording current, and accordingly to directly switch the magnetization of the functional magnetic coupling layer and indirectly switching the magnetization of the recording layer through the coupling between the functional magnetic coupling layer and the recording layer.

Provided are magnetic tunnel junction structures having bended tips at both ends thereof, magnetic RAM cells employing the same and photo masks used in formation thereof. The magnetic tunnel junction structures have a pinned layer pattern, a tunneling insulation layer pattern and a free layer pattern, which are stacked on an integrated circuit substrate. At least the free layer pattern has a main body as well as first and second bended tips each protruded from both ends of the main body when viewed from a plan view.

A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) array including: a plurality of MRAM cells arranged in an array configuration, each comprising a first type nTron and a magnetic memory element; a wordline select circuit comprising of a second type nTron to drive a plurality of parallel wordlines; and a plurality of bitline select circuits, each comprising of said second type nTron for writing to and reading from a column of memory cells in the array and each capable of selecting a single MRAM cell for a memory read or write operation, wherein the second nTron has a higher current drive than the first nTron.

A method of forming a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) layer for an MRAM includes sequentially forming a lower material layer, an insulation layer, and an upper material layer on a substrate, forming a mask pattern on a predetermined region of the upper material layer, sequentially removing the upper material layer, the insulation layer, and the lower material layer from around the mask pattern using plasma generated from an etching gas, wherein the etching gas is a mixture of a main gas and an additive gas having a predetermined mixture ratio and including no chlorine (Cl2) gas, and removing the mask pattern. Accordingly, an MTJ layer formed by the method may incur no thermal damage due to high temperature etching, no material deposits due to by-products of etching, and no step difference or corrosion due to chlorine gas, and may have an excellent profile.

Magnetic RAM cells have split sub-digit lines surrounded by cladding layers and methods of fabricating the same are provided. The magnetic RAM cells include first and second sub-digit lines formed over a semiconductor substrate. Only a bottom surface and an outer sidewall of the first sub-digit line are covered with a first cladding layer pattern. In addition, only a bottom surface and an outer sidewall of the second sub-digit line are covered with a second cladding layer pattern. The outer sidewall of the first sub-digit line is located distal from the second sub-digit line and the outer sidewall of the second sub-digit line is located distal the first sub-digit line. Methods of fabricating the magnetic RAM cells are also provided.

A low-power magnetic random access memory (MRAM) with high write selectivity is provided. Write word lines and pillar write word lines covered with a magnetic material are disposed in an zigzag relation, solving the magnetic interference problem generated by cells adjacent to the pillar write word line in the magnetic RAM with the pillar write word line form. According to the disclosed structure, each of the cells has a smaller bit size and a lower write current. This effectively reduces the power consumption of the MRAM.

A spin torque magnetic RAM according to the present invention includes at least one row selection line positioned on a silicon substrate to induce a spin orbit interaction therein; at least one first magnetic pattern positioned on the row selection line; a second magnetic pattern positioned on the first magnetic pattern; a tunnel barrier positioned on the second magnetic pattern; and a third magnetic pattern positioned on the tunnel barrier, wherein the first magnetic pattern is made of a cobalt film, the first magnetic pattern and the second magnetic pattern have a total thickness of 5 nm to form a free layer, and the third magnetic pattern is formed with a pinned layer in which a magnetization direction is fixed.

The invention discloses a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) and a writing method, a reading method and a preparation method thereof. The magnetic RAM includes a substrate layer, a ferroelectric layer, a composite anti-ferromagnetic structure, a first isolation layer and a first ferromagnetic layer that are successively stacked. The composite anti-ferromagnetic structure is the free layer of theMRAM. The first ferromagnetic layer is the fixed layer of the MRAM. The ferroelectric layer is subjected to polarization or lattice distortion under the effect of applied voltage in order to change the coupling state of the composite anti-ferromagnetic structure. The first ferromagnetic layer has a constant first magnetic moment direction. The first isolation layer is configured to control the first magnetic moment direction not to be affected by the coupling state of the composite anti-ferromagnetic structure. The MRAM achieves writing by using the transformation of ferromagnetic coupling and anti-ferromagnetic coupling of the composite anti-ferromagnetic structure under the effect of an electric field, and solves a problem that the MRAM has a large size and a low storage density becauseof a large line width during the writing achieved by the induction magnetic field or polarization current of a wire.

A memory element for a magnetic RAM, contained in a recess of an insulating layer, the recess including a portion with slanted sides extending down to the bottom of the recess, the memory element including a first magnetic layer portion substantially conformally covering the bottom of the recess and the recess portion with slanted sides and in contact, at the level of the bottom of the recess, with a conductive portion, a non-magnetic layer portion substantially conformally covering the first magnetic layer portion and a second magnetic layer portion covering the non-magnetic layer portion.

Provided are an MRAM and methods for manufacturing and driving the same. The MRAM includes a bit line coupled to an emitter of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) layer coupled to the BJT, a word line coupled to the MTJ layer, a plate line coupled to the BJT so as to be spaced apart from the MTJ layer, and an interlayer dielectric formed between the components. The MTJ layer is coupled to a base and a collector of the BJT, the plate line is coupled to the collector, and an amplifying unit for amplifying a data signal during a read operation of data stored in the MTJ layer is coupled to the bit line. Because the bit line is formed of a metal and the BJT is used, a series resistance effect caused by the resistance of a MOS transistor and the parasitic resistances of other elements can be minimized, thus allowing data to be precisely read out from the MTJ layer. Also, compared to an MRAM with a MOS transistor, the MRAM with the BJT leads to improved integration density and can use an MTJ layer having a low MR ratio.

A memory element for a magnetic RAM, contained in a recess of an insulating layer, the recess including a portion with slanted sides extending down to the bottom of the recess, the memory element including a first magnetic layer portion substantially conformally covering the bottom of the recess and the recess portion with slanted sides and in contact, at the level of the bottom of the recess, with a conductive portion, a non-magnetic layer portion substantially conformally covering the first magnetic layer portion and a second magnetic layer portion covering the non-magnetic layer portion.

A fast and low-power sense amplifier and writing circuit for high-speed Magnetic RAM (MRAM) which provides the long retention times and endurance of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cells, while providing faster access speeds, verified writes, and an increased sensing margin. A high-speed and low-power pre-read and write sense amplifier (PWSA) provide VCMA effect precessional switching of MTJ cells which include pre-read and comparison steps which reduce power consumption. An embodiment of the PWSA circuit is described with write and pre-charge circuit, S and D latches, comparison circuit, and a differential amplifier and control circuit.

A magnetic RAM (MRAM) using a thermo-magnetic spontaneous Hall effect includes a MOS transistor formed on a substrate; a heating means formed above the MOS transistor and connected to a source region of the MOS transistor; a memory layer having a data write area to which data is written, the data write area being formed on the heating means; a bit line formed on the data write area; an upper insulating film formed on the bit line and the memory layer; and a write line formed on the upper insulating film so that a magnetic field necessary for writing data is generated in at least the data write area of the memory layer. The MRAM writes or reads data using the fact that a spontaneous Hall voltage greatly differs according to the magnetization state of a memory layer, thereby providing the device a high data sensing margin.

A memory cell comprises a magneto-resistive element of which electrical resistance value varies with magnetism. A sub-bit line is connected to one end of the memory cell. A main-bit line is connected to the sub-bit line via a first selection circuit. A sense-amplifier is connected to the main-bit line via a second selection circuit. A wiring line is connected to the other end of the memory cell and arranged in a first direction. A first operation circuit is connected to one end of the wiring line via a third selection circuit. A second operation circuit is connected to the other end of the wiring line. A word line passes over an intersection between the memory cell and the wiring line and is arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Provided are magnetic tunnel junction structures having bended tips at both ends thereof, magnetic RAM cells employing the same and photo masks used in formation thereof. The magnetic tunnel junction structures have a pinned layer pattern, a tunneling insulation layer pattern and a free layer pattern, which are stacked on an integrated circuit substrate. At least the free layer pattern has a main body as well as first and second bended tips each protruded from both ends of the main body when viewed from a plan view.

A magnetic random access memory having a memory cell array in which one block is formed from a plurality of magnetoresistive elements using a magnetoresistive effect, and a plurality of blocks are arranged in row and column directions, includes a plurality of first magnetoresistive elements arranged in a first block, a plurality of first word lines each of which is independently connected to one terminal of a corresponding one of the first magnetoresistive elements and runs in the row direction, a first read sub bit line commonly connected to the other terminal of each of the first magnetoresistive elements, a first block select switch whose first current path has one end connected to one end of the first read sub bit line, and a first read main bit line which is connected to the other end of the first current path and runs in the column direction.