Patent ID: 6275411
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: B82Y,G11B,G11C,H01F,H01L

Abstract:
A ferromagnetic thin-film based digital memory, said memory comprising:a plurality of bit structures electrically interconnected with information retrieval circuitry, said bit structures comprising:an electrically insulative intermediate layer of a selected thickness, said intermediate layer having two major surfaces on opposite sides thereof; anda memory film of an anisotropic ferromagnetic material on each of said intermediate layer major surfaces of thicknesses differing from one another outwardly from those surfaces by at least 5% to thereby primarily provide switching thresholds for magnetizations of said film adjacent each of said intermediate layer major surfaces that differ in value for a switching of these magnetizations from both being directed initially at least in part in substantially a common direction to being directed at least in part in substantially opposite directions versus a switching from being directed initially at least in part in substantially opposite directions to both being directed at least in part in substantially a common direction, said intermediate layer major surfaces adjacent said memory film having a surface area which with said intermediate layer thickness, together provide a time constant for electrical energizations of said bit structures that is less than 35 .mu.s: anda plurality of word line structures each having a pair of word line end terminal regions adapted to conduct electrical current in at least one direction therethrough, each of said pairs of word line end terminal regions having an electrical conductor electrically connected therebetween which is located across an electrical insulating layer from said memory film on one of said major surfaces of said intermediate layer of a corresponding one of said bit structures.