Patent ID: 9461243
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: G11C,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive memory comprising at least one memory cell comprising a magnetoresistive element as a memory element, and an upper and a bottom electrodes that sandwich the magnetoresistive element, a bit line coupled to the plurality of magnetoresistive memory element through the upper electrode, a CMOS transistor coupled the plurality of magnetoresistive memory element through the bottom electrode, a first circuitry coupled to the bit line and configured to apply a spin transfer current through the bit line to selected ones of the plurality of magnetoresistive memory elements, a second circuitry configured to apply a set/reset current pulse to generate a set/reset magnetic field pulse acting on the selected ones of the plurality of magnetoresistive memory elements, a magnetoresistive memory element comprising: a recording layer having magnetic anisotropy along a first easy axis in a film plane and having a variable magnetization direction; a reference layer having an invariable magnetization in a first direction in a film plane; a tunnel barrier layer provided between the recording layer and the reference layer; an intermediate layer provided on a surface of the recording layer, which is opposite to a surface of the recording layer where the tunnel barrier layer is provided; a spin-valve layer provided on a surface of the intermediate layer having a magnetic anisotropy along a second easy axis in a film plane having a smaller magnitude than that of the recording layer, having a larger in-plane dimension than that of the recording layer and having a variable magnetization direction, having a first known magnetic stable state having a magnetization anti-parallel to or having an angle between 160 degrees and 200 degrees away from the invariable magnetization direction of the reference layer, having a second known magnetic stable state having a magnetization parallel to or having an angle between −20 degrees and +20 degrees away from the invariable magnetization direction of the reference layer.