Patent ID: 8310020

Claim:
A non-volatile current-switching magnetic memory element capable of storing information when current flows therethrough, comprising: a pinning layer; a first ferromagnetic layer formed on top of the pinning layer; a first synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed on top of the first ferromagnetic layer, the first synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer having a thickness; a second ferromagnetic layer formed on top of the first synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer; a tunnel layer formed on top of the second ferromagnetic layer; a free layer including, a third ferromagnetic layer formed on top of the tunnel layer, a granular ferromagnetic layer formed on top of the third ferromagnetic layer, the granular film layer being made of a base magnetic alloy having a compound and having a granular micro-structure with grains that, prior to the application of current to the magnetic memory element, have random magnetic moments associated therewith and are separated from each other by grain boundaries, the granular film layer being made of (Co x Fe (1-x) )(Z), wherein x is the atomic percent and is a value in the range of greater than 0 to 1 where 1 refers to 100 atomic percent and wherein Z is a compound chosen from any of the following list of compounds and can be a mixture of: Titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), tungsten oxide (WO), tantalum nitride (TaN), or titanium nitride (TiN), a fourth ferromagnetic layer formed on top of the granular ferromagnetic layer, and magnetic coupling layers including a second synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer and a third synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer, the second synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer and the third synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer separated from each other by a first super-paramagnetic layer, the second synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed on top of the fourth ferromagnetic layer, the second synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer and a third synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer each having a thickness; a top electrode formed on top of the magnetic coupling layers, wherein the thickness of the first synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer being greater than the thickness of each of the second synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer and third synthetic anti-ferromagnetic coupling layers.