Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for programming a memory cell that includes a transistor and a memory element coupled in series between a first conductive line and a second conductive line. The method includes the steps of applying a voltage across the memory cell with the voltage being sufficiently high to enable switching of the memory element from initial resistance state to target resistance state; determining the initial resistance state of the memory element; comparing the initial resistance state with the target resistance state; and if the initial resistance state and the target resistance state are same, concluding that the memory element is already in the target resistance state and terminating programming process; otherwise, continually monitoring the voltage until a change in the voltage is detected and then concluding that the memory element has switched to the target resistance state and terminating the programming process.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory element including a magnetic free layer structure having a variable magnetization direction perpendicular to a layer plane thereof; a non-magnetic metal layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure; an oxide layer formed adjacent to the non-magnetic metal layer; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure opposite the non-magnetic metal layer; a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer; a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by a perpendicular enhancement layer; an antiferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer; and a magnetic fixed layer structure formed adjacent to the antiferromagnetic coupling layer. The first and second magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic structure including a first seed layer, a second seed layer formed on top of the first seed layer, and a third seed layer made of chromium or iridium formed on top of the second seed layer. One of the first and second seed layers comprises cobalt, iron, and boron. The other one of the first and second seed layers is made of iridium, rhodium, cobalt, platinum, palladium, nickel, ruthenium, or rhenium. The magnetic structure further includes a magnetic fixed layer structure formed on top of the third seed layer and having an invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof. The magnetic fixed layer structure includes layers of a magnetic material interleaved with layers of a transition metal. The transition metal may be nickel, platinum, palladium, or iridium.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for booting a system-on-chip (SoC) including the steps of directly executing a boot software from an on-chip magnetic random access memory (MRAM) residing on a same semiconductor as the SoC; storing an operating system (OS) software and an application software on an external MRAM; directly executing the operating system software from the external MRAM by the SoC without loading the operating system into a volatile memory; directly executing the application software from the external MRAM by the SoC, wherein the external MRAM is coupled to the SoC and is configured for permanently storing the operating system software and the application software.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a memory cell that includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element and a two-terminal selector element coupled in series. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer structure and a magnetic reference layer structure with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The magnetic reference layer structure includes one or more magnetic reference layers having a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The two-terminal selector element includes a first inert electrode and a second inert electrode with a volatile switching layer interposed therebetween; a first active electrode formed adjacent to the first inert electrode; and a second active electrode formed adjacent to the second inert electrode. The volatile switching layer includes a plurality of metal-rich particles or clusters embedded in a matrix or at least one conductor layer interleaved with insulating layers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a memory cell that includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element, which has a low resistance state and a high resistance state, and a two-terminal selector coupled to the MTJ memory element in series. The MTJ memory element includes a magnetic free layer and a magnetic reference layer with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween. The two-terminal selector has an insulative state and a conductive state. The two-terminal selector in the conductive state has substantially lower resistance when switching the MTJ memory element from the low to high resistance state than from the high to low resistance state. The voltages applied to the memory cell to respectively switch the MTJ memory element from the low to high resistance state and from the high to low resistance state may be substantially same.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a memory device including a magnetic memory element; a horizontal conductive line disposed above the magnetic memory element; a bottom electrode formed beneath the magnetic memory element and having a top, first and second sides that are opposite to each other; a first vertical conductive line formed adjacent to the first side of the bottom electrode with a first volatile switching layer and a first electrode layer interposed therebetween; and a second vertical conductive line formed adjacent to the second side of the bottom electrode with a second volatile switching layer and a second electrode layer interposed therebetween. The magnetic memory element is electrically connected to the horizontal conductive line at one end and to the bottom electrode at the other end.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for programming a memory cell that includes a two-terminal selector and a memory element coupled in series between a first conductive line and a second conductive line. The method includes the steps of applying a voltage across the memory cell with the voltage being sufficiently high to enable switching of the memory element from initial resistance state to target resistance state; determining the initial resistance state of the memory element; comparing the initial resistance state with the target resistance state; and if the initial resistance state and the target resistance state are same, concluding that the memory element is already in the target resistance state and terminating programming process; otherwise, continually monitoring the voltage until a change in the voltage is detected and then concluding that the memory element has switched to the target resistance state and terminating the programming process.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory element including a magnetic free layer structure that includes two magnetic free layers separated by a magnesium perpendicular enhancement layer; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure; a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer; a second magnetic reference layer separated from the first magnetic reference layer by a non-magnetic perpendicular enhancement layer; an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer; and a magnetic fixed layer structure formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer. The two magnetic free layers have a same variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof. The first and second magnetic reference layers have a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic structure including a first seed layer, which is made of a first transition metal, formed on top of a second seed layer comprising cobalt, iron, and boron; and a magnetic fixed layer structure formed on top of the first seed layer and having a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof. The magnetic fixed layer structure includes layers of a first magnetic material interleaved with layers of a second transition metal. The first transition metal may be chromium or iridium. The second transition metal may be nickel, platinum, palladium, or iridium. The second seed layer which comprises cobalt, iron, and boron, may have a noncrystalline structure. Moreover, the second seed layer may be non-magnetic or superparamagnetic. The magnetic structure may further includes a third seed layer, which may comprise tantalum, formed adjacent to the second seed layer opposite the first seed layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory device comprising a memory array structure that includes a first memory array comprising a first plurality of memory cells and a second memory array comprising a second plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell of the first and second plurality of magnetic memory cells includes a magnetic memory element and a two-terminal selector coupled in series. The memory array structure further includes a first multiplexer coupled to a third plurality of first conductive lines with each line connected to a respective column of the first plurality of memory cells; a second multiplexer coupled to a fourth plurality of first conductive lines with each line connected to a respective column of the second plurality of memory cells; a sense amplifier, whose input is connected to the output of the first multiplexer and the output of the second multiplexer; and one or more latches coupled to the sense amplifier.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic memory element including a magnetic free layer and a first magnetic reference layer with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween; a second magnetic reference layer made of a material comprising cobalt and formed adjacent to the first magnetic reference layer opposite the insulating tunnel junction layer; an iridium layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer opposite the first magnetic reference layer; and a magnetic fixed layer formed adjacent to the iridium layer. The magnetic free layer has a variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the layer plane thereof. The first and second magnetic reference layers have a first fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to the layer planes thereof.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a magnetic structure, which includes a magnetic fixed layer structure formed on top of a seed layer structure. The seed layer structure includes one or more layers of a first transition metal, which may be platinum, palladium, nickel, or iridium, interleaved with one or more layers of a second transition metal, which may be tantalum, titanium, vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, tungsten, zirconium, hafnium, or niobium. The magnetic fixed layer structure has a first invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane thereof and includes layers of a first magnetic material interleaved with layers of the first transition metal. The first magnetic material may be made of cobalt.

Abstract: A spin-torque transfer magnetic random access memory (STTMRAM) element employed to store a state based on the magnetic orientation of a free layer, the STTMRAM element is made of a first perpendicular free layer (PFL) including a first perpendicular enhancement layer (PEL). The first PFL is formed on top of a seed layer. The STTMRAM element further includes a barrier layer formed on top of the first PFL and a second perpendicular reference layer (PRL) that has a second PEL, the second PRL is formed on top of the barrier layer. The STTMRAM element further includes a capping layer that is formed on top of the second PRL.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory device configured to emulate DRAM interface comprising a memory array that includes a plurality of magnetic memory cells organized into rows and columns with at least one row of the magnetic memory cells comprising one or more pages that store data during a burst write operation; a control circuit; an encoder operable to encode the data to be written to the memory array; and a decoder coupled to the memory array and operable to check and correct the data previously encoded by the encoder and saved in the memory array. The control circuit is operable to initiate the burst write operation that writes the data to the memory array while spanning multiple clock cycles; and after receiving one or more data units of the data by the memory array, allow a subsequent burst write or read command to begin before completion of the burst write operation in progress.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a memory device that includes an array of memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a memory element connected to a two-terminal selector element. The two-terminal selector element includes a first electrode and a second electrode with a switching layer interposed therebetween. The switching layer includes a plurality of metal-rich clusters embedded in a nominally insulating matrix. One or more conductive paths are formed in the switching layer when an applied voltage to the memory cell exceeds a threshold level. Each of the memory cells may further include an intermediate electrode interposed between the memory element and the two-terminal selector element. The two-terminal selector element may further include a third electrode formed between the first electrode and the switching layer, and a fourth electrode formed between the second electrode and the switching layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a memory cell that includes a magnetic memory element electrically connected to a two-terminal selector.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing a memory cell that includes a magnetic memory element electrically connected to a two-terminal selector. The method includes the steps of depositing a magnetic memory element film stack on a substrate; depositing a selector film stack on top of the magnetic memory element film stack; etching the selector film stack with an etch mask formed thereon to remove at least a switching layer in the selector film stack not covered by the etch mask, thereby forming a selector pillar; depositing a first conforming dielectric layer over the selector pillar and surrounding surface; etching a portion of the first conforming dielectric layer covering the surrounding surface to form a first protective sleeve around at least the switching layer of the selector pillar; and etching the magnetic memory element film stack using the etch mask and the first protective sleeve as a composite mask to form a memory cell pillar.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for sensing the resistance state of a memory cell that includes an MTJ memory element coupled to a two-terminal selector element in series. The method includes the steps of raising a cell voltage across the memory cell above a threshold voltage for the selector element to become conductive; decreasing the cell voltage to a first sensing voltage and measuring a first sensing current passing through the memory cell, the selector element being nominally conductive irrespective of the resistance state of the MTJ memory element at the first sensing voltage; and further decreasing the cell voltage to a second sensing voltage and measuring a second sensing current, the selector element being nominally conductive if the MTJ memory element is in the low resistance state or nominally insulative if the MTJ memory element is in the high resistance state at the second sensing voltage.

Abstract: An STTMRAM element includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) having a perpendicular magnetic orientation. The MTJ includes a barrier layer, a free layer formed on top of the barrier layer and having a magnetic orientation that is perpendicular and switchable relative to the magnetic orientation of the fixed layer. The magnetic orientation of the free layer switches when electrical current flows through the STTMRAM element. A switching-enhancing layer (SEL), separated from the free layer by a spacer layer, is formed on top of the free layer and has an in-plane magnetic orientation and generates magneto-static fields onto the free layer, causing the magnetic moments of the outer edges of the free layer to tilt with an in-plane component while minimally disturbing the magnetic moment at the center of the free layer to ease the switching of the free layer and to reduce the threshold voltage/current.