Patent ID: 8885379

Claim:
Self-referenced magnetic random access memory-based ternary content addressable memory (MRAM-based TCAM) cell comprising a first and second magnetic tunnel junction, each magnetic tunnel junction comprising a search layer having a search magnetization that can be freely varied, a storage layer having a storage magnetization that can be switched from a first stable direction to a second stable direction when the magnetic tunnel junction is at a high temperature threshold; and a tunnel barrier layer between the search and storage layers; a first conducting strap in electrical communication with one end of the first magnetic tunnel junction; a second conducting strap in electrical communication with one end of the second magnetic tunnel junction; a conductive line in electrical communication with the other end of the first and second magnetic tunnel junctions such that the two magnetic tunnel junctions are connected in series; a first current line for passing a first field current generating a first magnetic field to write a first write data to the first magnetic tunnel junction; and a second current line for passing a write current independently from passing the first field current in the first current line to write a second write data to the second magnetic tunnel junction selectively from the writing of the first write data, such that three distinct cell logic states can be written in the MRAM-based TCAM cell.