Patent ID: 7239541

Claim:
A spin-injection magnetic random access memory comprising: a magnetoresistive element having a magnetic fixed layer whose magnetization direction is fixed, a magnetic recording layer whose magnetization direction can be changed by injecting spin-polarized electrons, and a tunnel barrier layer which is provided between the magnetic fixed layer and the magnetic recording layer; a bit line which passes a spin-injection current through the magnetoresistive element, the spin-injection current being used for a generation of the spin-polarized electrons; a writing word line through which an assist current is passed, the assist current being used for the generation of an assist magnetic field in a magnetization easy-axis direction of the magnetoresistive element; a first driver/sinker which is connected to the bit line; a second driver/sinker which is connected to the writing word line; a first decoder which controls the first driver/sinker to determine a direction of the spin-injection current according to a value of writing data in writing data in the magnetoresistive element, and determines a timing of cutoff of the spin-injection current; and a second decoder which controls the second driver/sinker to determine the direction of the assist current according to the value of the writing data during the data writing, and makes the timing of the cutoff of the assist current later than the timing of the cutoff of the spin-injection current.