A TMR element includes a reference layer, a magnetization free layer, a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the magnetization free layer, and a perpendicular magnetization inducing layer and a leakage layer stacked on a side of the magnetization free layer opposite to the tunnel barrier layer side. A magnetization direction of the reference layer is fixed along a stack direction. The perpendicular magnetization inducing layer imparts magnetic anisotropy along the stack direction to the magnetization free layer. The leakage layer is disposed on an end portion region in an in-plane direction of the magnetization free layer. The perpendicular magnetization inducing layer is disposed on at least a central region in the in-plane direction of the magnetization free layer. A resistance value of the leakage layer along the stack direction per unit area in plane is less than that of the perpendicular magnetization inducing layer.

A magnetic tunnel junction with out-of-plane magnetisation includes a storage layer; a reference layer; and a tunnel barrier layer. The two magnetisation states of the storage layer are separated by an energy barrier including a contribution due to the shape anisotropy of the storage layer and a contribution of interfacial origin for each interface of the storage layer. The storage layer has a thickness comprised between 0.8 and 8 times a characteristic dimension of a planar section of the tunnel junction. The contribution to the energy barrier due to the shape anisotropy of the storage layer is at least two times greater and preferably at least 4 times greater than the contributions to the energy barrier of interfacial origin.

A magnetoresistive effect element according to the present disclosure includes: a first ferromagnetic layer serving as a magnetization free layer; a second ferromagnetic layer serving as a magnetization fixed layer; and a nonmagnetic spacer layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. At least one of the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer contains a Heusler alloy represented by Formula (1): X.sub.2Mn.sub.Z.sub. . . . (1) where X represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, Fe, Ru, and Rh, and Z represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si, Al, Ga, Ge, Sb, and Sn, and <+<2 is satisfied, thereby providing a magnetoresistive effect element in which the ferromagnetic layer of a magnetoresistance layer contains a Heusler alloy containing Mn and which provides great magnetoresistive effect.

A material layer stack for a magnetic tunneling junction, the material layer stack including a fixed magnetic layer; a dielectric layer; a free magnetic layer; and an amorphous electrically-conductive seed layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is disposed between the dielectric layer and the seed layer. A non-volatile memory device including a material stack including an amorphous electrically-conductive seed layer; and a fixed magnetic layer juxtaposed and in contact with the seed layer. A method including forming an amorphous seed layer on a first electrode of a memory device; forming a material layer stack on the amorphous seed layer, the material stack including a dielectric layer disposed between a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer.

The present invention provides a memory device in which lower electrodes, a buffer layer, a seed layer, a magnetic tunnel junction, a capping layer, synthetic exchange diamagnetic layers, and an upper electrode are formed on a substrate in a laminated manner. According to the present invention, the lower electrodes and the seed layer are formed of a polycrystalline conductive material, and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the magnetic tunnel junction is maintained upon heat treatment at a high temperature of 400 C. or more.

Varying energy barriers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in different magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) arrays in a semiconductor die to facilitate use of MRAM for different memory applications is disclosed. In one aspect, energy barriers of MTJs in different MRAM arrays are varied. The energy barrier of an MTJ affects its write performance as the amount of switching current required to switch the magnetic orientation of a free layer of the MTJ is a function of its energy barrier. Thus, by varying the energy barriers of the MTJs in different MRAM arrays in a semiconductor die, different MRAM arrays may be used for different types of memory provided in the semiconductor die while still achieving distinct performance specifications. The energy barrier of an MTJ can be varied by varying the materials, heights, widths, and/or other characteristics of MTJ stacks.

The disclosed technology generally relates to magnetic devices, and more particular to a magnetic structure, and a magnetic tunnel junction device and a magnetic random access memory including the magnetic structure. According to an aspect, a magnetic structure for a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device includes a free layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a reference layer, a hard magnetic layer, and an inter-layer stack arranged between the hard magnetic layer and the reference layer. The inter-layer stack includes a first ferromagnetic sub-layer, a second ferromagnetic sub-layer and a non-magnetic spacer sub-layer. The non-magnetic spacer sub-layer is arranged in contact with and between the first ferromagnetic sub-layer and the second ferromagnetic sub-layer and is adapted to provide a ferromagnetic coupling of a magnetization of the first ferromagnetic sub-layer and a magnetization of the second ferromagnetic sub-layer. A magnetization direction of the reference layer is fixed by the hard magnetic layer and the inter-layer stack.

Varying energy barriers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in different magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) arrays in a semiconductor die to facilitate use of MRAM for different memory applications is disclosed. In one aspect, energy barriers of MTJs in different MRAM arrays are varied. The energy barrier of an MTJ affects its write performance as the amount of switching current required to switch the magnetic orientation of a free layer of the MTJ is a function of its energy barrier. Thus, by varying the energy barriers of the MTJs in different MRAM arrays in a semiconductor die, different MRAM arrays may be used for different types of memory provided in the semiconductor die while still achieving distinct performance specifications. The energy barrier of an MTJ can be varied by varying the materials, heights, widths, and/or other characteristics of MTJ stacks.

Analog-to-digital conversion circuits are presented which employ magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) elements that change state probabilistically in response to application of electrical pulses. Some implementations form a multi-channel analog-to-digital conversion circuit, with each channel comprising a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element, and a pulse generator that determines characteristics of perturbation pulses to be applied to an MTJ element based at least on an analog input. The pulse generator also applies read pulses to the MTJ element to produce indications of magnetization state changes for the MTJ element due to application of the perturbation pulses. Each channel of the multi-channel analog-to-digital conversion circuit can include count circuitry that counts the indications of the magnetization state changes for an associated MTJ element. Outputs from each single-channel analog-to-digital converter are combined to determine a digital output representative of the analog input.

A magnetoresistive element including: a storage layer having a first storage magnetostriction; a sense layer having a first sense magnetostriction; and a barrier layer between and in contact with the storage and sense layer. The magnetoresistive element also includes a compensating ferromagnetic layer having a second magnetostriction different from the first storage magnetostriction and/or sense magnetostriction, and adapted to compensate the first storage magnetostriction and/or the first sense magnetostriction so that a net magnetostriction of the storage layer and/or sense layer is adjustable between 10 ppm and +10 ppm or more negative than 10 ppm by adjusting a thickness of the compensating ferromagnetic layer. The present disclosure also concerns a magnetic device comprising the magnetoresistive element.