Patent ID: 6392923
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A magnetoresistive midpoint generator comprising:an input terminal and an output terminal; a first series circuit including a first magnetoresistive element with a resistance equal to Rmax connected in series with a first magnetoresistive element with a resistance equal to Rmin, the first series circuit connected in series between the input terminal and the output terminal; and a second series circuit includiny a second magnetoresistive element with a resistance equal to Rmax connected in series with a second magnetoresistive element with a resistance equal to Rmin, the second series circuit connected in series between the input terminal and the output terminal and in parallel with the first series circuit; a hard axis line positioned below and perpendicular with a first electrically conductive, non-magnetic layer positioned therebetween the hard axis line and in contact with a lower layer of the first magnetoresistive element having a resistance of Rmax, of the first series circuit and a lower layer of the first magnetoresistive element having a resistance of Rmin, of the first series circuit and a second electrically conductive, non-magnetic layer positioned therebetween the hard axis line and in contact with a lower layer of the second magnetoresistive element having a resistance of Rmax, of the second series circuit and the second magnetoresistive element having a resistance of Rmin of the second series circuit; a first easy axis line positioned in contact with the magnetoresistive elements of the first series circuit and a second easy axis line positioned in contact with the magnetoresistive elements of the second series circuit, the hard axis line and the first and second easy axis line magnetically associated with the first and second series circuits for receiving programming current for programming the first magnetoresistive element with the resistance equal to Rmax, in the first series circuit and the second magnetoresistive element with the resistance equal to Rmax, in the second series circuit, whereby a total resistance between the input terminal and the output terminal is a midpoint between Rmax and Rmin.