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Magnetic memory including memory cells incorporating data recording layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy film

Inactive Publication Date: 2014-11-27
RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a new type of magnetic memory that uses a layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. This layer has strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and is well coupled to a magnetization fixed layer underneath it. The technical effect of this design is that it allows for faster and more reliable data recording and retrieval in a magnetic memory device.

Problems solved by technology

One important issue of a magnetic memory which uses a data recording layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is to enhance the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the data recording layer.
When a Co / Ni film stack (a stack in which thin Co films and Ni films are alternately laminated) is used as the data recording layer, for example strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be achieved by forming the Co / Ni film stack so as to exhibit high fcc (111) orientation; however, it is not so easy to form a Co / Ni film stack with sufficiently high fcc (111) orientation.
This is unpreferable for normally operating the magnetic memory.

Method used

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  • Magnetic memory including memory cells incorporating data recording layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy film
  • Magnetic memory including memory cells incorporating data recording layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy film
  • Magnetic memory including memory cells incorporating data recording layer with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy film

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0071]FIG. 2 is a section view schematically showing an exemplary configuration of a magnetoresistance element 100 in a first embodiment of the present invention. The magnetoresistance effect element 100 includes a data recording layer 10, a spacer layer 20, a reference layer 30, an underlayer 40 and magnetization fixed layers 50a and 50b.

[0072]The data recording layer 10 is formed of ferromagnetic material with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The data recording layer 10 includes a region in which the magnetization direction is reversible and stores data as the magnetization state thereof. In detail, the data recording layer 10 includes a pair of magnetization fixed regions 11a and 11b and a magnetization free region 13.

[0073]The magnetization fixed regions 11a and 11b are disposed adjacent to the magnetization free region 13. The magnetizations of the magnetization fixed regions 11a and 11b are fixed in opposite directions (or in antiparallel). In the example shown in FIG. 2, t...

second embodiment

[0138]FIG. 12 is a section view showing an exemplary structure of a magnetoresistance effect element 100A of a second embodiment of the present invention. The magnetoresistance effect element 100A of the second embodiment is structured similarly to the magnetoresistance effect element 100 of the first embodiment. The difference exists in the structure of the underlayer. In the first embodiment, as described above, the first magnetic underlayer 41 in the underlayer 40 is formed of material which is intrinsically ferromagnetic with such a thin thickness that the first magnetic underlayer 41 does not exhibit ferromagnetism. In the second embodiment, on the other hand, a first magnetic underlayer 41A in an underlayer 40A is formed of material which intrinsically exhibits in-plane magnetic anisotropy, but with such a thin thickness (specifically, 0.5 to 3 nm) that the first magnetic underlayer 41A exhibits perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The first magnetic underlayer 41A is formed of ...

experiment 1

Dependence of MR ratio of Magnetic Tunnel Junction on Material of Underlayer

[0144]Examined first was the dependence of the MR ratio of the magnetic tunnel junction composed of the data recording layer 10, the spacer layer 20 and the reference layer 30 on the material of the first magnetic underlayer 41 or 41A. For each magnetoresistance effect element, a dielectric film corresponding to the interlayer dielectric 60 was formed on a substrate and the underlayer 40 or 40A, the data recording layer 10, the spacer layer 20, and the reference layer 30 were formed. As the underlayer 40 or 40A, the first magnetic underlayer 41 or 41A, the non-magnetic underlayer 42 and the second magnetic underlayer 43 were serially formed in this order.

[0145]A NiFeZr film, a CoTa film, a CoZr film or a FeZr film having a thickness of 1.5 nm was used as the first magnetic underlayer 41 or 41A. The NiFeW film included 12.5 atomic % tungsten (W) and the remainder was NiFe base metal. The ratio of Ni to Fe in ...

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Abstract

A magnetic memory includes a magnetic memory, including a ferromagnetic underlayer including a magnetic material, a non-magnetic intermediate layer disposed on the underlayer, a ferromagnetic data recording layer formed on the intermediate layer and having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, a reference layer connected to the data recording layer across a non-magnetic layer, and first and second magnetization fixed layers disposed in contact with a bottom face of the underlayer. The data recording layer includes a magnetization free region having a reversible magnetization and opposed to the reference layer, a first magnetization fixed region coupled to a first border of the magnetization free layer and having a magnetization fixed in a first direction, and a second magnetization fixed region coupled to a second border of the magnetization free layer and having a magnetization fixed in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

Description

[0001]The present application is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 304,083, filed on Nov. 23, 2011, which is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-264298 filed on Nov. 26, 2010, Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-017965 filed on Jan. 31, 2011, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-237544 filed on Oct. 28, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]The present invention relates to a magnetic memory, more particularly, to a magnetic memory using a magnetic film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) as a data recording layer in each memory cell.[0003]The magnetic memory or magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is a non-volatile memory which achieves high speed operation and infinite rewriting tolerance. This encourages practical use of MRAMs in specific applications, and promotes development for expanding the versatility of the MRAMs. A magnetic memory uses magnetic fi...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): H01L43/10
CPCH01L43/10G11C11/161Y10T428/1143Y10T428/1114Y10T428/1121H10N50/85G01R33/091G01R33/098G11C11/02G11C11/14G11C11/15
Inventor KARIYADA, EIJISUEMITSU, KATSUMITANIGAWA, HIRONOBUMORI, KAORUSUZUKI, TETSUHIRONAGAHARA, KIYOKAZUOZAKI, YASUAKIOHSHIMA, NORIKAZU
Owner RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORP
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