A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is disclosed wherein first and second interfaces of a free layer (FL) with a first metal oxide (Hk enhancing layer) and second metal oxide (tunnel barrier), respectively, produce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) to increase thermal stability. In some embodiments, a capping layer that is a conductive metal nitride such as MoN contacts an opposite surface of the Hk enhancing layer with respect to the first interface to reduce interdiffusion of oxygen and nitrogen compared with a TiN capping layer and maintain an acceptable resistance x area (RA) product. In other embodiments, the capping layer may comprise an insulating nitride such as AlN that is alloyed with a conductive metal to minimize RA. Furthermore, a metallic buffer layer may be inserted between the capping layer and Hk enhancing layer. As a result, electrical shorts are reduced and the magnetoresistive ratio is increased.

A perpendicular spin orbit torque (SOT) memory device includes an electrode having a spin orbit torque material, where the SOT material includes iridium and manganese and a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ) device on a portion of the electrode. The pMTJ device includes a free magnet structure electrode, a fixed layer and a tunnel barrier between the free layer and the fixed layer and a SAF structure above the fixed layer. The Ir—Mn SOT material and the free magnet have an in-plane magnetic exchange bias.

The present invention is directed to an MTJ memory element including a magnetic free layer structure which includes one or more magnetic free layers that have a same variable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof; an insulating tunnel junction layer formed adjacent to the magnetic free layer structure; a magnetic reference layer structure comprising a first magnetic reference layer formed adjacent to the insulating tunnel junction layer and a second magnetic reference layer separated therefrom by a perpendicular enhancement layer with the first and second magnetic reference layers having a first fixed magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to layer planes thereof; an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer formed adjacent to the second magnetic reference layer opposite the perpendicular enhancement layer; and a magnetic fixed layer comprising first and second magnetic fixed sublayers with the second magnetic fixed sublayer formed adjacent to the anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer opposite the second magnetic reference layer.

A spin-orbit torque device is described. The spin-orbit torque device comprising an interfacing layer and a magnetic layer having a switchable magnetization direction. An interface is formed between the interfacing layer and the magnetic layer, the interface having a 3m1 crystallographic point group symmetry adapted to interact with an electric current to generate a spin torque for switching the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer. A method for fabricating the spin-orbit device and a method for switching the switchable magnetization of a spin-orbit torque device are also described.

A magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) memory device including a free and fixed (reference) magnet between first and second electrodes, and a synthetic antiferromagnet structure (SAF) structure between the fixed magnet and one of the electrodes. The SAF structure includes a magnetic skyrmion. Two magnetic skyrmions within a SAF structure may have opposing polarity. A SAF structure may further include a coupling layer between two magnetic layers, as well as interface layers separated from the coupling layer by one of the magnetic layers. The coupling layer may have a spin-orbit coupling effect on the magnetic layers that is of a sign opposite that of the interface layers, for example to promote formation of the magnetic skyrmions.

A tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor device is disclosed that includes one or more TMR resistors. The TMR sensor device comprises a first TMR resistor comprising a first TMR film, a second TMR resistor comprising a second TMR film different than the first TMR film, a third TMR resistor comprising the second TMR film, and a fourth TMR resistor comprising the first TMR film. The first and fourth TMR resistors are disposed in a first plane while the second and third TMR resistors are disposed in a second plane different than the first plane. The first TMR film comprises a synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of a reference layer orthogonal to a magnetization direction a free layer. The second TMR film comprises a double synthetic anti-ferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetization direction of a reference layer orthogonal to a magnetization direction of a free layer.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a spin torque oscillator including an oscillation layer formed of a magnetic material, a spin injection layer formed of a magnetic material and configured to inject a spin into the oscillation layer, and a current confinement layer including an insulating portion formed of an oxide or a nitride and a conductive portion formed of a nonmagnetic metal and penetrating the insulating portion in a direction of stacking. The conductive portion of the current confinement layer is positioned near a central portion of a plane of a device region including the oscillation layer and the spin injection layer.

A permanent magnet comprising an antiferromagnetic layer and a ferromagnetic layer having a first sub-layer made of a first type of ferromagnetic material, the first type of ferromagnetic material being an at least partially crystallized alloy of iron and cobalt, and a second sub-layer made of a second type of ferromagnetic material, this second type of ferromagnetic material also being an alloy of iron and cobalt in which the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals is less than the proportion of face-centered cubic crystals in the first type of ferromagnetic material.

The present disclosure relates to the fabrication of spin transfer torque memory devices and spin logic devices, wherein a strain engineered interface is formed within at least one magnet within these devices. In one embodiment, the spin transfer torque memory devices may include a free magnetic layer stack comprising a crystalline magnetic layer abutting a crystalline stressor layer. In another embodiment, the spin logic devices may include an input magnet, an output magnet; wherein at least one of the input magnet and the output magnet comprises a crystalline magnetic layer abutting crystalline stressor layer and/or the crystalline magnetic layer abutting a crystalline spin-coherent channel extending between the input magnet and the output magnet.

Embodiments of the present invention include multiple independent terminals for a plurality of devices in a stack configuration within a semiconductor. In one embodiment, a multi terminal fabrication process comprises: performing an initial pillar layer formation process to create layers of a multi terminal stack; forming a first device in the layers of the multi terminal stack; forming a second device in the layers of the multi terminal stack; and constructing a set of terminals comprising: a first terminal coupled to the first device, a second terminal coupled to the second device; and a third terminal coupled to the first device; wherein at least two terminals in the set of terminals are independent. The third terminal can be coupled to the second device.