Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM: the Next Revolution in Memory

Worledge, D. C.

doi:10.1109/imw52921.2022.9779288

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Following this breakthrough, the CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB structure became the mainstream of MTJ devices. Due to the ability to obtain high and stable TMR values quickly at the wafer level, TMR devices were rapidly applied in the fields of HDD heads, sensors and magnetic storage (see section 2.6) [39][40][41]. However, it is worth noting that different capping layers could induce different lattice orientations on the upper CoFeB and thereby the TMR ratio, as shown in figure 5.…”

Section: Cofeb/mgo Based Tmr Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tunneling magnetoresistance materials and devices for neuromorphic computing

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Artificial intelligence has become indispensable in modern life, but its energy consumption has become a significant concern due to its huge storage and computational demands. Artificial intelligence algorithms are mainly based on deep learning algorithms, relying on the backpropagation of convolutional neural networks or binary neural networks. While these algorithms aim to simulate the learning process of the human brain, their low bio-fidelity and the separation of storage and computing units lead to significant energy consumption. The human brain is a remarkable computing machine with extraordinary capabilities for recognizing and processing complex information while consuming very low power. Tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR)-based devices, namely magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), have great advantages in simulating the behavior of biological synapses and neurons. This is not only because MTJs can simulate biological behavior such as Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity(STDP) and Leaky Integrate-Fire(LIF), but also because MTJs have intrinsic stochastic and oscillatory properties. These characteristics improve MTJs' bio-fidelity and reduce their power consumption. MTJs also possess advantages such as ultrafast dynamics and non-volatile properties, making them widely utilized in the field of neuromorphic computing in recent years. We conducted a comprehensive review of the development history and underlying principles of TMR, including a detailed introduction to the material and magnetic properties of MTJs and their temperature dependence. We also explored various writing methods of MTJs and their potential applications. Furthermore, we provided a thorough analysis of the characteristics and potential applications of different types of MTJs for neuromorphic computing. TMR-based devices have demonstrated promising potential for broad application in neuromorphic computing, particularly in the development of spiking neural networks. Their ability to perform on-chip learning with ultra-low power consumption makes them an exciting prospect for future advances in the era of the Internet of Things.

show abstract

Section: Cofeb/mgo Based Tmr Devicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tunneling magnetoresistance materials and devices for neuromorphic computing

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The core reason is that large current (voltage) is needed to switch the resistance state of the memory cell, which is capable of damaging the MgO barrier layer in the MTJs. 17) To overcome this issue, many efforts to reduce the switching current have been made. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Nonetheless, the switching current of the 1T-1MTJ device remains in the order of several tens of microamperes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The fabrication of spin transfer torque-based magnetoresistive random access memory cell with ultra-low switching power

Yang,

Zou,

Chen

et al. 2024

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We conducted research on the integration technology of STT-MRAM (Spin Transfer Torque-Based Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) memory cell (1 Transistor - 1 Magnetic Tunnel Junction, 1T-1MTJ) on an 8-inch process platform. By combining 0.5μm CMOS FEOL(Front End Of Line) process and STT-MTJ BEOL(Back End Of Line) process, 1T-1MTJ device with the MTJ sized about 80 nm is realized. The R-H measurement reveals a coercive force of approximately 450 Oe for the MTJ. Nevertheless, the 1T-1MTJ device exhibits a critical switching current of 4.7 μA (from high to low resistance state) and 17.9 μA (from low to high resistance state), accompanied by corresponding critical switching voltages of 0.05 V and 0.16 V, respectively, which is extremely low in STT-MRAM with dual CoFeB/MgO interface free layer. Our findings hold the potential for application in ultra-low-power portable mobile devices and embedded systems.

show abstract

“…Magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) is an emerging nonvolatile memory with low latency, high endurance, low power consumption, and high scalability [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. A MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is a fundamental element of MRAM because of its large magnetoresistance ratio [11][12][13] and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) [14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First-principles study of enhancement of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy obtained by inserting an ultrathin LiF layer at an Fe/MgO interface

Kitaoka¹,

Imamura²

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is a key property of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM). To increase areal density of MRAM it is important to find a way to enhance the PMA. Recently a strong enhancement of the PMA by inserting an ultrathin LiF layer at an Fe/MgO interface was reported [T. Nozaki et al., NPG Asia Materials (2022) 14: 5]. To understand the origin of the observed enhancement of the PMA we perform first-principles calculations of magetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MAE) of the following four kind of multilayer structures: Fe/MgO, Fe/LiF/MgO, Fe/FeO/MgO, and Fe/FeF/LiF/MgO. We find that the MAEs of the Fe/LiF/MgO and the Fe/FeF/LiF/MgO structures are almost the same as that of the Fe/MgO structure, while the MAE of the Fe/FeO/MgO structure is less than a half of that of the Fe/MgO structure. The results show that the major origin of the enhancement of the PMA obtained by inserting an ultrathin LiF layer at an Fe/MgO interface is the suppression of the mixing of Fe and O atoms at the interface. We also find that the in-plane Fe-F coupling gives a positive contribution to the MAE while the in-plane Fe-O coupling gives a negative contribution. The results are useful for designing of high-PMA materials.

show abstract

Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM: the Next Revolution in Memory

Cited by 16 publications

References 35 publications

Tunneling magnetoresistance materials and devices for neuromorphic computing

Tunneling magnetoresistance materials and devices for neuromorphic computing

The fabrication of spin transfer torque-based magnetoresistive random access memory cell with ultra-low switching power

First-principles study of enhancement of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy obtained by inserting an ultrathin LiF layer at an Fe/MgO interface

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About