A nano spintronic device for using the spin current of a ferromagnetic material and the spin current of a heavy metal channel. The device includes a lower channel layer, a free layer, a pinned layer, an insulating film layer, and an upper channel layer. When current flows upon application of power, electrons are divided into +y-polarized spins and ?y-polarized spins in the lower channel layer, thereby generating torque in the free layer. The torque switches the magnetization direction of the free layer to an +y-axis direction or an ?y-axis direction so that the free layer stores magnetization information according to the magnetization direction. When current flows in the upper channel layer, the current flows into the pinned layer so that electrons in the pinned layer are divided into +y-polarized spins and ?y-polarized spins. The insulating layer insulates the free layer and the pinned layer from each other. When power is supplied, current flows in the upper channel layer and flows into the pinned layer, thereby inducing polarized spins in the pinned layer, resulting in the generation of torque in the free layer.

A memory device including a pedestal structure containing a cobalt aluminum layer and a magnesium-aluminum-oxide containing base layer both of which have a (001) crystal orientation is provided. The memory device further includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) pillar containing an ordered alloy forming an interface with the cobalt aluminum alloy layer. The use of the structural and textural engineered pedestal structure provides improved control of resistance, as well as improved magnetic properties such as higher tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), and closer distribution of the ordered alloy.

A magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) including spin-transfer torque (STT) MRAM is provided that has enhanced data retention. The enhanced data retention is provided by constructing a MTJ pillar having a temperature-independent Delta, where Delta is Delta=Eb/kt, wherein Eb is the activation energy, k is the Boltzmann's constant, and T is the absolute temperature. Notably, the present application provides a way for EB to actually increase with temperature, which can cancel the effect of the term KT, resulting in a temperature independent Delta.

A magnetic storage device includes a magnetoresistance effect element including a first magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction, and a non-magnetic layer between the first and second magnetic layers. The first magnetic layer includes a first layer that is magnetic, a second layer that is magnetic and farther from the non-magnetic layer than the first layer, and a third layer between the first and second layers. The third layer includes a first portion formed of an insulating material or a semiconductor material and a plurality of second portions surrounded by the first portion and formed of a conductive material.

Memory stacks, memory devices and method of forming the same are provided. A memory stack includes a spin-orbit torque layer, a magnetic bias layer and a free layer. The magnetic bias layer is in physical contact with the spin-orbit torque layer and has a first magnetic anisotropy. The free layer is disposed adjacent to the spin-orbit torque layer and has a second magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the first magnetic anisotropy.

A semiconductor device includes a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell. The MRAM cell includes a first magnetic layer disposed over a substrate, a first non-magnetic material layer made of a non-magnetic material and disposed over the first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed over the first non-magnetic material layer, and a second non-magnetic material layer disposed over the second magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer includes a plurality of magnetic material pieces separated from each other.

A magnetoresistive element according to an embodiment includes: a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and an intermediate layer disposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, the intermediate layer including: a first layer containing oxygen and at least one element of Cu, Au, and Ag; and a second layer containing Mg and oxygen, the second layer being disposed between the first layer and the second magnetic layer.

A MR sensor is disclosed that has a free layer (FL) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), which eliminates the need for an adjacent hard bias structure to stabilize free layer magnetization, and minimizes shield-FL interactions. In a TMR embodiment, a seed layer, free layer, junction layer, reference layer, and pinning layer are sequentially formed on a bottom shield. After forming a sensor sidewall that stops in the seed layer or on the bottom shield, a conformal insulation layer is deposited. Thereafter, a top shield is formed on the insulation layer and includes side shields that are separated from the FL by a narrow read gap. The sensor is scalable to widths <50 nm when PMA is greater than the FL self-demag field. Effective bias field is rather insensitive to sensor aspect ratio, which makes tall stripe and narrow width sensors viable for high RA TMR configurations.

A magnetoresistive device includes a magnetically fixed region and a magnetically free region positioned on opposite sides of a tunnel barrier region. One or more transition regions, including at least a first transition region and second transition region, is positioned between the magnetically fixed region and the tunnel barrier region. The first transition region includes a non-ferromagnetic transition metal and the second transition region includes an alloy including iron and boron.

A magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device is described. The magnetic junction has a free layer, a reference layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer between reference and free layers. The free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. The free layer has a length in a first direction, a width in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, an exchange stiffness and an aspect ratio equal to the length divided by the width. The aspect ratio is greater than one. The exchange stiffness is not less than 210.sup.6 erg/cm.