Spin transfer effect in magnetic tunnel junction with a nano-current-channel layer in free layer

Hao Meng; Jian Ping Wang

doi:10.1109/TMAG.2005.855348

Spin transfer effect in magnetic tunnel junction with a nano-current-channel layer in free layer

Hao Meng, Jian Ping Wang

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current-induced magnetization switching (spin transfer effect) in a low resistance-area (RA) product magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with critical current density of 1.4 × 10⁷ A/cm² was demonstrated. The RA product of the MTJ is 4.2 Ωμm² and the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio induced by current is up to 16%. An MTJ structure with a novel nano-current-channel (NCC) layer inserted into the free layer for the current-induced magnetization switching by lower current density was proposed and prototyped. By using the current confined effect, the local current density in the integrated free layer was sufficiently high to switch the magnetization locally. Such local magnetization reversal helped to reverse the magnetic moments around together with the polarized current and spread out the switching of the entire free layer through the superparamagnetic nano-channels. The critical current density was reduced to 4.2 × 10⁶ A/cm ², which is only one quarter of that for a pure MTJ structure.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2612-2614
Number of pages	3
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Magnetics
Volume	41
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2005.855348
State	Published - Oct 2005

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid Fund from the University of Minnesota Graduate School and Heraeus, Inc.

Keywords

Current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS)
Hot spots
Magnetic random access memory (MRAM)
Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)
Nano-current-channel (NCC)
Nanogranular layer
Spin torque
Spin transfer

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title = "Spin transfer effect in magnetic tunnel junction with a nano-current-channel layer in free layer",

abstract = "The current-induced magnetization switching (spin transfer effect) in a low resistance-area (RA) product magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with critical current density of 1.4 × 107 A/cm2 was demonstrated. The RA product of the MTJ is 4.2 Ωμm2 and the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio induced by current is up to 16%. An MTJ structure with a novel nano-current-channel (NCC) layer inserted into the free layer for the current-induced magnetization switching by lower current density was proposed and prototyped. By using the current confined effect, the local current density in the integrated free layer was sufficiently high to switch the magnetization locally. Such local magnetization reversal helped to reverse the magnetic moments around together with the polarized current and spread out the switching of the entire free layer through the superparamagnetic nano-channels. The critical current density was reduced to 4.2 × 106 A/cm 2, which is only one quarter of that for a pure MTJ structure.",

keywords = "Current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS), Hot spots, Magnetic random access memory (MRAM), Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), Nano-current-channel (NCC), Nanogranular layer, Spin torque, Spin transfer",

author = "Hao Meng and Wang, {Jian Ping}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported in part by the Grant-in-Aid Fund from the University of Minnesota Graduate School and Heraeus, Inc.",

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AU - Wang, Jian Ping

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PY - 2005/10

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N2 - The current-induced magnetization switching (spin transfer effect) in a low resistance-area (RA) product magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with critical current density of 1.4 × 107 A/cm2 was demonstrated. The RA product of the MTJ is 4.2 Ωμm2 and the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio induced by current is up to 16%. An MTJ structure with a novel nano-current-channel (NCC) layer inserted into the free layer for the current-induced magnetization switching by lower current density was proposed and prototyped. By using the current confined effect, the local current density in the integrated free layer was sufficiently high to switch the magnetization locally. Such local magnetization reversal helped to reverse the magnetic moments around together with the polarized current and spread out the switching of the entire free layer through the superparamagnetic nano-channels. The critical current density was reduced to 4.2 × 106 A/cm 2, which is only one quarter of that for a pure MTJ structure.

AB - The current-induced magnetization switching (spin transfer effect) in a low resistance-area (RA) product magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with critical current density of 1.4 × 107 A/cm2 was demonstrated. The RA product of the MTJ is 4.2 Ωμm2 and the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio induced by current is up to 16%. An MTJ structure with a novel nano-current-channel (NCC) layer inserted into the free layer for the current-induced magnetization switching by lower current density was proposed and prototyped. By using the current confined effect, the local current density in the integrated free layer was sufficiently high to switch the magnetization locally. Such local magnetization reversal helped to reverse the magnetic moments around together with the polarized current and spread out the switching of the entire free layer through the superparamagnetic nano-channels. The critical current density was reduced to 4.2 × 106 A/cm 2, which is only one quarter of that for a pure MTJ structure.

KW - Current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS)

KW - Hot spots

KW - Magnetic random access memory (MRAM)

KW - Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)

KW - Nano-current-channel (NCC)

KW - Nanogranular layer

KW - Spin torque

KW - Spin transfer

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Spin transfer effect in magnetic tunnel junction with a nano-current-channel layer in free layer

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Keywords

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