Patent ID: 8084835

Claim:
A non-volatile magnetic memory element comprising: a fixed layer; a barrier layer formed on top of the fixed layer directly contacting the fixed layer; a first free layer formed on top of the barrier layer directly contacting the barrier layer, wherein the first free layer is made of CoFeBCr, and has a thickness within the range of 1-5 nano meters; a non-uniform switching layer (NSL) formed on top of the first free layer directly contacting the first free layer and made of magnetic and non-magnetic regions, with the non-magnetic regions making up less than fifty percent of the NSL and the non-magnetic regions making up micro-channels dispersed in the magnetic regions, where the magnetic regions of the NSL are made of CoFe and the non-magnetic regions of the NSL are made of TiO 2 ; and a second free layer formed adjacently on top of the NSL directly contacting the NSL, the first free layer, NSL and the second free layer being directly magnetically coupled to each other, the first free layer and the second free layer being made of the same material, wherein when switching current is applied to the non-volatile magnetic memory element, in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the fixed layer, the barrier layer, the first free layer, the NSL, and the second free layer, the states of the first free layer, the second free layer and the NSL switch at substantially the same time.