Patent ID: 7777261

Claim:
A device, comprising: a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element which comprises: a free ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization direction that is changeable between a first direction and a second substantially opposite direction; a magnetic biasing layer formed to be in contact with and magnetically coupled to the free ferromagnetic layer to increase coercivity of the free ferromagnetic layer and to allow the magnetization direction of the free ferromagnetic layer to be changeable between the first direction and the second substantially opposite direction, wherein the magnetic biasing layer has a layer thickness t, an anisotropy constant K and an interface exchange coupling constant J that satisfy K·t<J; a fixed ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization direction fixed along substantially the first direction; and an insulator barrier layer formed between the free and fixed ferromagnetic layers to effectuate tunneling of electrons between the free and fixed ferromagnetic layers under a bias voltage applied between the free and fixed ferromagnetic layers and across the insulator barrier layer, wherein the free ferromagnetic layer is located between the magnetic biasing layer and the insulator barrier layer; and a circuit coupled to the MTJ to supply an electric current perpendicularly through the MTJ element and operable to switch the magnetization direction of the free ferromagnetic layer based on spin transfer effect caused by the electric current.