A magnetic memory device includes a conductive line extending in a first direction, a magnetic tunnel junction structure on a first surface of the conductive line, the magnetic tunnel junction structure comprising at least two magnetic patterns and a barrier pattern between the at least two magnetic patterns, and a magnetic layer on a second surface of the conductive line, which is opposite to the first surface. The magnetic layer includes magnetization components having a magnetization in a direction which is parallel to the second surface and intersects the first direction.

A spin-orbit torque magnetoresistive random-access memory device formed by fabricating a plurality of stacks of vertical magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) cell stacks, each stack formed upon a different bottom electrode, each stack including: a first vertical MRAM cell stack, the first vertical MRAM cell stack disposed upon a first bottom electrode, a first metal layer disposed above and in electrical contact with the first MRAM cell stack, and a second vertical MRAM cell stack, the second MRAM cell stack disposed above and in electrical contact with the first metal layer. Further by fabricating a low resistivity layer between adjacent stacks of vertical MRAM cell stacks, the low resistivity layer in electrical contact with the spin-Hall-Effect layer of each of the adjacent stacks.

A memory apparatus is provided which comprises: a stack comprising a magnetic insulating material and a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD), wherein the magnetic insulating material has a first magnetization. The stack behaves as a free magnet. The apparatus includes a fixed magnet with a second magnetization. An interconnect is further provided which comprises a spin orbit material, wherein the interconnect is adjacent to the stack.

The invention comprises a method of forming a novel magnetic pinning structure having a (100) textured or cube-textured reference layer through a non-epitaxial texturing approach so that an excellent coherent tunneling effect is achieved in a pMTJ element due to its texture structure of CoFe BCC (100)/MgO rocksalt (100)/CoFe BCC (100). Correspondingly, a high MR ratio and a high pinning strength on the reference layer can be achieved for perpendicular spin-transfer-torque magnetic-random-access memory (pSTT-MRAM) using perpendicular magnetoresistive elements as basic memory cells which potentially replace the conventional semiconductor memory used in electronic chips, especially mobile chips for power saving and non-volatility.

A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element includes a reference layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a free layer, and a dusting layer. The reference layer has a fixed magnetic orientation. The tunnel barrier layer is disposed on the reference layer, and includes an insulating material. The free layer has a changeable magnetic orientation, and includes a first surface and a second surface. The second surface is disposed to confront the tunnel barrier layer and opposite to the first surface. The dusting layer is formed on one of the first and second surfaces of the free layer, and includes a non-magnetic metal. Another aspect of the MTJ element, and a method for manufacturing the MTJ element are also disclosed.

A magnetic multilayer film for a magnetic memory element includes an amorphous heavy metal layer having a multilayer structure in which a plurality of first layers containing Hf alternate repeatedly with a plurality of second layers containing a heavy metal excluding Hf; and a recording layer that includes a ferromagnetic layer and that is adjacent to the heavy metal layer, the ferromagnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction.

A laminated seed layer stack with a smooth top surface having a peak to peak roughness of 0.5 nm is formed by sequentially sputter depositing a first seed layer, a first amorphous layer, a second seed layer, and a second amorphous layer where each seed layer may be Mg and has a resputtering rate 2 to 30X that of the amorphous layers that are TaN, SiN, or a CoFeM alloy. A template layer that is NiCr or NiFeCr is formed on the second amorphous layer. As a result, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in an overlying magnetic layer that is a reference layer, free layer, or dipole layer is substantially maintained during high temperature processing up to 400° C. and is advantageous for magnetic tunnel junctions in embedded MRAMs, spintronic devices, or in read head sensors. The laminated seed layer stack may include a bottommost Ta or TaN buffer layer.

A magnetic memory device includes a magnetoresistance effect element including a first, second, and third ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic layer between the second and third ferromagnetic layer. The second ferromagnetic layer is between the first and third ferromagnetic layer. The third ferromagnetic layer includes a fourth ferromagnetic layer in contact with the second non-magnetic layer, a third non-magnetic layer, and a fourth non-magnetic layer between the fourth ferromagnetic layer and the third non-magnetic layer. The first non-magnetic layer includes an oxide including magnesium (Mg). A melting point of the fourth non-magnetic layer is higher than the third non-magnetic layer.

In one embodiment, the magnetic memory device includes a free layer structure having a variable magnetization direction. The free layer structure includes a first free layer, the first free layer being a first Heusler alloy; a coupling layer on the first free layer, the coupling layer including a metal oxide layer; and a second free layer on the metal oxide layer, the second free layer being a second Heusler alloy, the second Heusler alloy being different from the first Heusler alloy.

An electronic device may include a semiconductor memory, and the semiconductor memory may include a substrate; a variable resistance element formed over the substrate and exhibiting different resistance values representing different digital information, the variable resistance element including a free layer having a variable magnetization direction, a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction and a tunnel barrier layer interposed between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a blocking layer disposed on at least sidewalls of the variable resistance element, wherein the blocking layer may include a layer that is substantially free of nitrogen, oxygen or a combination thereof.