Spin-torque MRAM product status and technology for 40nm, 28nm and 22nm nodes

Slaughter, J. M.; Nagel, K.; Whig, R.; Deshpande, S.; Aggarwal, S.; DeHerrera, M.; Janesky, J.; Lin, Mingjie; Chia, Hao-Chung; Hossain, Moinul; Ikegawa, S.; Mancoff, F. B.; Shimon, G.; Sun, J. J.; Tran, Michaël; Andre, T.; Alam, Syed Q.; Poh, F.; Lee, J.; Chow, Yew Tuck; Jiang, Yi; Liu, H.; Wang, C.; Noh, Sujung; Tahmasebi, T.; Ye, S.; Shum, D.

doi:10.1109/intmag.2017.8007929

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Thus, at a small bias voltage, the MTJ is used to read out the magnetic state, while at higher bias voltages, its magnetic states can be altered. Such an MTJ device forms the basis for spin transfer torque magnetic random access memories (STT-MRAM), now being widely developed worldwide by the semiconductor industry [11][12][13][14][15]. Improvements in efficiency and new ideas for generating spin torques can thus have a huge impact on this nascent semiconductor memory technology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Perspective on Electrical Generation of Spin Current for Magnetic Random Access Memories

Safranski,

Sun,

Kent

2022

Preprint

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Spin currents are used to write information in magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices by switching the magnetization direction of one of the ferromagnetic electrodes of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) nanopillar. Different physical mechanisms of conversion of charge current to spin current can be used in 2-terminal and 3-terminal device geometries. In 2-terminal devices, charge-to-spin conversion occurs by spin filtering in the MTJ's ferromagnetic electrodes and present day MRAM devices operate near the theoretically expected maximum charge-to-spin conversion efficiency. In 3-terminal devices, spin-orbit interactions in a channel material can also be used to generate large spin currents. In this perspective article, we discuss charge-to-spin conversion processes that can satisfy the requirements of MRAM technology. We emphasize the need to develop channel materials with larger charge-to-spin conversion efficiency-that can equal or exceed that produced by spin filtering-and spin currents with a spin polarization component perpendicular to the channel interface. This would enable high-performance devices based on sub-20 nm diameter perpendicularly magnetized MTJ nanopillars without need of a symmetry breaking field. We also discuss MRAM characteristics essential for CMOS integration. Finally, we identify critical research needs for charge-to-spin conversion measurements and metrics that can be used to optimize device channel materials and interface properties prior to full MTJ nanopillar device fabrication and characterization.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Perspective on Electrical Generation of Spin Current for Magnetic Random Access Memories

Safranski,

Sun,

Kent

2022

Preprint

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“…Magnet based non-volatile memory has a rich history, with field-switched magnetic RAMs (MRAMs) and spin transfer torque based RAMs (STT-RAMs) now commercialized [1][2][3]. In magnetic memory, the different directions of magnetization can be used to store data as digital bits (e.g., up equals one, down is zero).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Computing and Memory Technologies based on Magnetic Skyrmions

Vakili,

Zhou,

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Solitonic magnetic excitations such as domain walls and, specifically, skyrmionics enable the possibility of compact, high density, ultrafast, all-electronic, low-energy devices, which is the basis for the emerging area of skyrmionics. The topological winding of skyrmion spins affects their overall lifetime, energetics and dynamical behavior. In this review, we discuss skyrmionics in the context of the present day solid state memory landscape, and show how their size, stability and mobility can be controlled by material engineering, as well as how they can be nucleated and detected. Ferrimagnets near their compensation points are important candidates for this application, leading to detailed exploration of amorphous CoGd as well as the study of emergent materials such as Mn4N and Inverse Heusler alloys. Along with material properties, geometrical parameters such as film thickness, defect density and notches can be used to tune skyrmion properties, such as their size and stability. Topology, however, can be a double-edged sword, especially for isolated metastable skyrmions, as it brings stability at the cost of additional damping and deflective Magnus forces compared to domain walls. Skyrmion deformation in response to forces also makes them intrinsically slower than domain walls. We explore potential analog applications of skyrmions, including temporal memory at low density -one skyrmion per racetrack -that capitalizes on their near ballistic current-velocity relation to map temporal data to spatial data, and decorrelators for stochastic computing at higher density that capitalizes on their interactions. We summarize the main challenges to achieve a skyrmionics technology, including maintaining positional stability with very high accuracy, electrical readout, especially for small ferrimagnetic skyrmions, deterministic nucleation and annihilation and overall integration with digital circuits with the associated circuit overhead.

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Fabrication and Individual Addressing of STT-MRAM Bit Array With 50 nm Full Pitch

Wan

Smith

et al. 2022

IEEE Trans. Magn.

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Spin-torque MRAM product status and technology for 40nm, 28nm and 22nm nodes

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

A Perspective on Electrical Generation of Spin Current for Magnetic Random Access Memories

A Perspective on Electrical Generation of Spin Current for Magnetic Random Access Memories

Computing and Memory Technologies based on Magnetic Skyrmions

Fabrication and Individual Addressing of STT-MRAM Bit Array With 50 nm Full Pitch

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