Patent ID: 7663848

Claim:
A magnetic memory comprising: a plurality of magnetic storage cells, each of the plurality of magnetic storage cells including at least one magnetic element, the at least one magnetic element including a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer, the free layer including a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and an intermediate layer between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, the barrier layer being a crystalline insulator having a first crystalline orientation, the barrier layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the first ferromagnetic layer residing between the barrier layer and the intermediate layer, the first ferromagnetic layer being ferromagnetically coupled with the second ferromagnetic layer, the intermediate layer being configured such that the first ferromagnetic layer has the first crystalline orientation and the second ferromagnetic layer has a second crystalline orientation different from the first ferromagnetic layer, and wherein the free layer has a total magnetostriction of substantially zero; wherein the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched utilizing spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element.