Patent ID: 7532505

Claim:
A method for programming a magnetic memory, the magnetic memory including a plurality of magnetic storage cells, each of the plurality of magnetic storage cells including at least one magnetic element programmable due to spin transfer when a write current is passed through the magnetic element and at least one selection device, the method comprising: driving a first current in proximity to but not through the at least one magnetic element of a portion of the plurality of magnetic storage cells, the first current generating a magnetic field; driving a second current through the at least one magnetic element of the portion of the plurality of magnetic storage cells, the second current and the first current being turned on at a start time, the second current and the magnetic field being sufficient to program the at least one magnetic element; wherein the magnetic layers of the at least one magnetic element has in-plane anisotropy; and wherein the in-plane anisotropy is a uniaxial anisotropy along an axis and having a strength K, wherein a data storage layer of the at least one magnetic element has a saturation magnetization of M, wherein the magnetic field has a strength H, and wherein an angle between the magnetic field and the axis is substantially ninety degrees plus one-half multiplied by the inverse sin of H multiplied by M divided by K.