Patent ID: 7796419

Claim:
A magnetic memory comprising an array of storage areas, wherein each of said storage areas comprises: a first line, a first magnetic field being generated around the first line; a second line, a second magnetic field being generated around the second line; a magnetoresistive element disposed directly below the first line and directly above the second line between a midway of the first line and the second line and electrically connected to the midway of the first line and to the second line; and a spin filter prepared for the magnetoresistive element, so as to change a direction of magnetization of a magnetosensitive layer in the magnetoresistive element by spin injection, wherein the first and second lines are so arranged that: in writing of information, directions of an electric current flowing in the first line and in the second line are opposite to each other and the first and second magnetic fields around the first line and around the second line both assist a force to change the direction of magnetization of the magnetosensitive layer by spin injection; and in reading of information, an electric current flowing in the first line and an electric current flowing in the second line are in the same direction with each other and the first and second magnetic fields around the first line and around the second line cancel each other in the magnetosensitive layer, wherein the magnetoresistive element is arranged so as to receive the first and second magnetic fields generated by the first line and the second line, the first line and the second line being parallel to each other wherein each of said storage areas comprises: a transistor having a gate, a source and a drain, one of the source and the drain being connected to the second line arranged under the magnetoresistive element, and said magnetic memory further comprising: a switching circuit having a word line connected to the gate of the transistor; and a control circuit for controlling a current direction in the first line opposite to a current direction in the second line.