Patents Assigned to Crocus Technology, Inc.
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Publication number: 20150077097Abstract: An apparatus includes circuits, a field line configured to generate a magnetic field based on an input, a sensing module configured to determine a parameter of each circuit, and a magnetic field direction determination module configured to determine an angular orientation of the apparatus relative to an external magnetic field based on the parameter. Each circuit includes multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. Each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage layer having a storage magnetization direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization direction configured based on the magnetic field. Each magnetic tunnel junction is configured such that the sense magnetization direction and a resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction vary based on the external magnetic field. The parameter varies based on the resistances of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. The magnetic field direction determination module is implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Applicant: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Douglas J. Lee, Ken Mackay, Barry Hoberman
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Publication number: 20150077098Abstract: An apparatus includes circuits, a field line configured to generate a magnetic field based on an input, a sensing module configured to determine a parameter of each circuit, and a magnetic field direction determination module configured to determine an angular orientation of the apparatus relative to an external magnetic field based on the parameter. Each circuit includes multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. Each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage layer having a storage magnetization direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization direction configured based on the magnetic field. Each magnetic tunnel junction is configured such that the sense magnetization direction and a resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction vary based on the external magnetic field. The parameter varies based on the resistances of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. The magnetic field direction determination module is implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Applicant: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Douglas J. Lee, Ken Mackay, Barry Hoberman
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Publication number: 20150077096Abstract: An apparatus includes circuits, a field line configured to generate a magnetic field based on an input, a sensing module configured to determine a parameter of each circuit, and a magnetic field direction determination module configured to determine an angular orientation of the apparatus relative to an external magnetic field based on the parameter. Each circuit includes multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. Each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage layer having a storage magnetization direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization direction configured based on the magnetic field. Each magnetic tunnel junction is configured such that the sense magnetization direction and a resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction vary based on the external magnetic field. The parameter varies based on the resistances of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. The magnetic field direction determination module is implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Applicant: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Douglas J. Lee, Ken Mackay, Barry Hoberman
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Patent number: 8962493Abstract: A manufacturing method to form a memory device includes: (1) forming a dielectric layer adjacent to a magnetic stack; (2) forming an opening in the dielectric layer; (3) applying a hard mask material adjacent to the dielectric layer to form a pillar disposed in the opening of the dielectric layer; and (4) using the pillar as a hard mask, patterning the magnetic stack to form a MRAM cell.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2010Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Amitay Levi, Dafna Beery
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Patent number: 8933750Abstract: An apparatus includes a circuit and a field line. The circuit includes a magnetic tunnel junction including a storage layer and a sense layer. The field line is configured to generate a magnetic field based on an input signal, where the magnetic tunnel junction is configured such that a magnetization direction of the sense layer and a resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction vary based on the magnetic field. The circuit is configured to amplify the input signal to generate an output signal that varies in response to the resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2013Date of Patent: January 13, 2015Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Douglas J. Lee, Ken Mackay
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Patent number: 8907390Abstract: Disclosed herein is a thermally-assisted magnetic tunnel junction structure including a thermal barrier. The thermal barrier is composed of a cermet material in a disordered form such that the thermal barrier has a low thermal conductivity and a high electric conductivity. Compared to conventional magnetic tunnel junction structures, the disclosed structure can be switched faster and has improved compatibility with standard semiconductor fabrication processes.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2010Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventor: Jason Reid
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Patent number: 8902643Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells, a field line, and a field line controller configured to generate a write sequence that traverses the field line. The write sequence is for writing a multi-bit word to the plurality of MRAM cells. The multi-bit word includes a first subset of bits having a first polarity and a second subset of bits having a second polarity. The write sequence writes concurrently to at least a subset of the plurality of MRAM cells corresponding to the first subset of bits having the first polarity, then subsequently writes concurrently to a remaining subset of the plurality of MRAM cells corresponding to the second subset of bits having the second polarity.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2012Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Neal Berger, Jean-Pierre Nozieres, Virgile Javerliac
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Patent number: 8816455Abstract: A memory device includes a magnetic layer including a plurality of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells, a first conductive layer, a layer including a strap connecting MRAM cells included in the plurality of MRAM cells, and a second conductive layer. The first conductive layer includes a conductive portion electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of MRAM cells, and a field line configured to write data to the at least one of the plurality of MRAM cells. The second conductive layer includes a conductive interconnect electrically connected to the at least one of the plurality of MRAM cells, where the magnetic layer is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. At least one of the plurality of MRAM cells is directly attached to the second conductive layer and the strap.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2012Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Neal Berger, Mourad El Baraji, Amitay Levi
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Patent number: 8717794Abstract: A check engine includes a plurality of comparators each including a first directional characteristic aligned to store at least one reference bit included in a set of reference bits, and a second directional characteristic aligned to present at least one target bit included in a set of target bits. Each of the plurality of comparators is configured to produce an output representing a level of matching between the at least one target bit and the at least one reference bit, based on a relative alignment between the first directional characteristic and the second directional characteristic. The check engine is configured such that the outputs of the plurality of comparators are combined to produce a combined output. The check engine is configured to determine that the set of target bits matches the set of reference bits based on the combined output of the plurality of comparators.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Neal Berger, Mourad El Baraji
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Patent number: 8652856Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming electronic device having thin-film components by using trenches. One or more of thin-film components is formed by depositing a thin-film in the trench followed by processing the deposited thin-film to have the desired thickness.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2013Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Jean Pierre Nozieres, Jason Reid
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Patent number: 8625336Abstract: A memory device includes magnetic random access memory (“MRAM”) cells that are electrically connected in series, each one of the MRAM cells having a storage magnetization direction and a sense magnetization direction. During a write operation, multiple ones of the MRAM cells are written in parallel by switching the storage magnetization directions of the MRAM cells. During a read operation, a particular one of the MRAM cells is read by varying the sense magnetization direction of the particular one of the MRAM cells, relative to the storage magnetization direction of the particular one of the MRAM cells.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2011Date of Patent: January 7, 2014Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Neal Berger, Mourad El Baraji
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Patent number: 8611140Abstract: A memory device includes: (1) multiple magnetic random access memory (“MRAM”) cells each including a first end and a second end; (2) a bit line electrically coupled to the first end of at least one of the MRAM cells; and (3) a strap electrically coupled to the second end of each one of the MRAM cells. During a write operation, the bit line is configured to apply a first heating current, and the strap is configured to apply a second heating current, such that at least one of the MRAM cells is heated to at least a threshold temperature according to the first heating current and the second heating current.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Mourad El Baraji, Neal Berger
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Patent number: 8611141Abstract: A memory device includes at least one magnetic random access memory cell, which includes: (1) a magnetic tunnel junction having a first end and a second end; and (2) a strap electrically coupled to the second end of the magnetic tunnel junction. The memory device also includes a bit line electrically coupled to the first end of the magnetic tunnel junction. During a write operation, the bit line is configured to apply a first heating current through the magnetic tunnel junction, and the strap is configured to apply a second heating current through the strap, such that the magnetic tunnel junction is heated to at least a threshold temperature according to the first heating current and the second heating current.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2011Date of Patent: December 17, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Mourad El Baraji, Neal Berger
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Patent number: 8587079Abstract: A memory device includes a first plurality of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells positioned along a first direction, and a first bit line electrically connected to the first plurality of MRAM cells, the bit line oriented in the first direction. The device includes a first plurality of field lines oriented in a second direction different from the first direction, the first plurality of field lines being spaced such that only a corresponding first one of the first plurality of MRAM cells is configurable by each of the first plurality of field lines. The device includes a second plurality of field lines oriented in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction, the second plurality of field lines being spaced such that only a corresponding second one of the first plurality of MRAM cells is configurable by each of the second plurality of field lines.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Bertrand F. Cambou, Douglas J. Lee, Anthony J. Tether, Barry Hoberman
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Patent number: 8576615Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (“MRAM”) cell includes: (1) a first magnetic layer having a first magnetization direction and a magnetic anisotropy axis; (2) a second magnetic layer having a second magnetization direction; and (3) a spacer layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The MRAM cell also includes a field line magnetically coupled to the MRAM cell and configured to induce a write magnetic field along a magnetic field axis, and the magnetic anisotropy axis is tilted relative to the magnetic field axis. During a write operation, the first magnetization direction is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m>2, at least one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic anisotropy axis, and at least another one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic field axis.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2011Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Mourad El Baraji, Neal Berger, Lucien Lombard, Lucian Prejbeanu, Ricardo Alves Ferreira Costa E Sousa, Guillaume Prenat
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Patent number: 8488372Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell includes a storage layer, a sense layer, and a spacer layer between the storage layer and the sense layer. A field line is magnetically coupled to the MRAM cell to induce a magnetic field along a magnetic field axis, and at least one of the storage layer and the sense layer has a magnetic anisotropy axis that is tilted relative to the magnetic field axis. During a write operation, a storage magnetization direction is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m>2, where at least one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic anisotropy axis, and at least another one of the m directions is aligned relative to the magnetic field axis. During a read operation, a sense magnetization direction is varied, relative to the storage magnetization direction, to determine the data stored by the storage layer.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2011Date of Patent: July 16, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Mourad El Baraji, Neal Berger
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Patent number: 8467234Abstract: A magnetic random access memory cell includes a sense layer, a storage layer, and a spacer layer disposed between the sense layer and the storage layer. During a write operation, the storage layer has a magnetization direction that is switchable between m directions to store data corresponding to one of m logic states, with m>2. During a read operation, the sense layer has a magnetization direction that is varied, relative to the magnetization direction of the storage layer, to determine the data stored by the storage layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2011Date of Patent: June 18, 2013Assignee: Crocus Technology Inc.Inventors: Neal Berger, Mourad El Baraji
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Patent number: 8261367Abstract: Data, stored in MRAM-cells should be protected against misuse or read-out by unauthorized persons. The present invention provides an array of MRAM-cells provided with a security device for destroying data stored in the MRAM-cells when they are tampered with. This is achieved by placing a permanent magnet adjacent the MRAM-array in combination with a soft-magnetic flux-closing layer. As long as the soft-magnetic layer is present, the magnetic field lines from the permanent magnet are deviated and flow through this soft-magnetic layer. When somebody is tampering with the MRAM-array, e.g. by means of reverse engineering, and the flux-closing layer is removed, the flux is no longer deviated and affects the nearby MRAM-array, thus destroying the data stored in the MRAM-cells.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2010Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Crocus Technology, Inc.Inventors: Kars-Michiel Hubert Lenssen, Robert Jochemsen