Patent ID: 8169815

Claim:
A method of writing data in a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell with a thermally assisted switching (TAS) writing procedure, the MRAM cell including a magnetic tunnel junction and a select transistor, the magnetic tunnel junction having a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and an insulating layer disposed between the first and second magnetic layers, the select transistor being coupled with the magnetic tunnel junction and controllable via a word line, a current line electrically connected to the magnetic tunnel junction and passing a first portion of current for heating the magnetic tunnel junction and a second portion of current for switching a magnetization of the first magnetic layer, the method comprising: passing the first portion of current through the magnetic tunnel junction via the current line to heat the magnetic tunnel junction; passing the second portion of current through the current line to switch the magnetization of the storage layer; after the magnetic tunnel junction has reached a predetermined high temperature threshold, turning off the first portion of current to cool the magnetic tunnel junction; and after the magnetic tunnel junction has cooled down to a predetermined low temperature threshold current, turning off the second portion of current.