Title :
Low Write-Energy Magnetic Tunnel Junctions for High-Speed Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM
Author :
Amiri, P. Khalili ; Zeng, Z.M. ; Upadhyaya, P. ; Rowlands, G. ; Zhao, H. ; Krivorotov, I.N. ; Wang, J.P. ; Jiang, H.W. ; Katine, J.A. ; Langer, J. ; Galatsis, K. ; Wang, K.L.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. Eng., Univ. of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Abstract :
This letter presents energy-efficient MgO based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) bits for high-speed spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM). We present experimental data illustrating the effect of device shape, area, and tunnel-barrier thickness of the MTJ on its switching voltage, thermal stability, and energy per write operation in the nanosecond switching regime. Finite-temperature micromagnetic simulations show that the write energy changes with operating temperature. The temperature sensitivity increases with increasing write pulsewidth and decreasing write voltage. We demonstrate STT-MRAM cells with switching energies of <;1 pJ for write times of 1-5 ns.
Keywords :
SRAM chips; magnetic switching; magnetic tunnelling; micromagnetics; thermal stability; MgO; STT-MRAM cell; device area; device shape; energy efficiency; finite-temperature micromagnetic simulation; high-speed spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory; low write-energy magnetic tunnel junction; nanosecond switching; switching voltage; temperature sensitivity; thermal stability; tunnel-barrier thickness; write pulsewidth; write voltage; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetic tunneling; Resistance; Stability analysis; Switches; Thermal stability; Tunneling magnetoresistance; Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs); magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM); nonvolatile memory; spin transfer torque (STT);
Journal_Title :
Electron Device Letters, IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/LED.2010.2082487
