FERROMAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION ELEMENT AND METHOD OF DRIVING FERROMAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION ELEMENT

Abstract

In a tunnel junction element having a ferromagnetic free layer, an insulating layer and a ferromagnetic fixed layer, in order to reduce the current necessary for spin-transfer magnetization reversal operation in the tunnel junction element, the ferromagnetic free layer comprises first and second ferromagnetic layers, a nonmagnetic metal layer is provided between these ferromagnetic layers, the nonmagnetic metal layer is such that magnetic coupling is preserved between the first and second ferromagnetic layers, also such that there is no influence on the crystal growth of the first and second ferromagnetic layers, the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer are placed such that the first ferromagnetic layer is in contact with the insulating layer, and the second ferromagnetic layer has a smaller magnetization than the first ferromagnetic layer.

Claims

1. A method of operating a ferromagnetic tunnel junction element, the method comprising: passing a write current through a ferromagnetic free layer, an insulating layer, and a ferromagnetic fixed layer of the ferromagnetic tunnel junction element, wherein the ferromagnetic free layer and the ferromagnetic fixed layer sandwich the insulating layer; in response to said passing a write current, reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer; and in response to said reversing, reversing a magnetization direction of a second ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer due to ferromagnetically coupling of the second ferromagnetic layer to the first ferromagnetic layer maintaining the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer parallel with and in a same direction as the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said passing a write current comprises passing the write current in a first direction from the ferromagnetic fixed layer toward the ferromagnetic free layer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a first logic state by changing, in response to said passing a write current in the first direction, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to a parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said passing a write current comprises passing the write current in a second direction from the ferromagnetic free layer toward the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a second logic state by changing, in response to said passing the write current in the second direction, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: passing a read current having a smaller magnitude than the write current through the ferromagnetic free layer, the insulating layer, and the ferromagnetic fixed layer of the ferromagnetic tunnel junction element to produce a sense current; and detecting, based on the sense current, whether the magnetization directions of the first and second ferromagnetic layers of the ferromagnetic free layer have a parallel state or an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

9. A method, comprising: applying a write magnetic field to a ferromagnetic tunnel junction element having an insulting layer sandwiched between a ferromagnetic free layer and a ferromagnetic fixed layer; in response to said magnetic field, reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer; and in response to said reversing, reversing a magnetization direction of a second ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer due to ferromagnetically coupling of the second ferromagnetic layer to the first ferromagnetic layer maintaining the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer parallel and in a same direction as the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said applying a write magnetic field comprises: generating a first magnetic field component of the write magnetic field by passing a first current through a write line associated with the ferromagnetic tunnel junction; and generating a second magnetic field component of the write magnetic field by passing a second current through a bit line associated with the ferromagnetic tunnel junction.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a first logic state by changing, in response to said passing the write magnetic field, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to a parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a second logic state by changing, in response to said passing the write magnetic field, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising: passing a read current through the ferromagnetic free layer, the insulating layer, and the ferromagnetic fixed layer of the ferromagnetic tunnel junction element to produce a sense current; and detecting, based on the sense current, whether the magnetization directions of the first and second ferromagnetic layers of the ferromagnetic free layer have a parallel state or an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

16. A method, comprising: writing to a ferromagnetic tunnel junction having an insulating layer sandwiched between a ferromagnetic free layer and a ferromagnetic fixed layer, wherein said writing comprises: reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer; and in response to said reversing, reversing a magnetization direction of a second ferromagnetic layer of the ferromagnetic free layer due to ferromagnetically coupling of the second ferromagnetic layer to the first ferromagnetic layer maintaining the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer parallel with and in a same direction as the magnetization direction of the second ferromagnetic layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer changes the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising: passing a write current in a first direction from the ferromagnetic fixed layer toward the ferromagnetic free layer; wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a first logic state by changing, in response to said passing the write current in the first direction, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from an anti-parallel state to a parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising; passing a write current in a second direction from the ferromagnetic free layer toward the ferromagnetic fixed layer; wherein said reversing a magnetization direction of a first ferromagnetic layer stores a second logic state by changing, in response to said passing the write current in the second direction, the magnetization direction of the first ferromagnetic layer from a parallel state to an anti-parallel state with respect to a magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an MTJ element in Practical Example 1;

[0024] FIG. 2 explains the configuration of an MTJ element used in MRAM, in a magnetic field writing method of the prior art;

[0025] FIG. 3 explains a circuit configuration for addressing MTJ elements of MRAM, in a magnetic field writing method of the prior art; and

[0026] FIG. 4 explains a configuration of MRAM using the spin-transfer magnetization reversal technique in the prior art.

EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0027] 1 Ferromagnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element [0028] 2 Ferromagnetic free layer [0029] 3 Insulating layer [0030] 4 Ferromagnetic fixed layer [0031] Bit line [0032] 6 Write word line [0033] 7 Read word line [0034] 8 Readout electrode

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0035] Below, an embodiment of the invention is explained, referring to the drawings. The invention of this application is limited only by the attached Scope of Claims, and descriptions in embodiments and practical examples below are used solely as examples to aid understanding of the Scope of Claims.

Practical Example 1

[0036] This practical example is an MTJ element 1, which is an MTJ element of the invention in which Ni.sub.80Fe.sub.20 (Permalloy) is adopted as the low-magnetization ferromagnetic layer (second ferromagnetic layer). FIG. 1 shows the cross-sectional configuration of the MTJ element 1 of this practical example; below, a method of fabrication of the MTJ element of this practical example is described. As shown in the figure, the MTJ element 1 of this practical example has a configuration in which are layered, in order, Si/SiO.sub.2/Ta (5 nm)/Ru (10 nm)/Ir.sub.25Mn.sub.75 (10 nm)/Co.sub.70Fe.sub.30 (3 nm)/Ru (0.8 nm)/Co.sub.40Fe.sub.40B.sub.20 (3 nm)/MgO (2 nm)/Co.sub.60Fe.sub.20B.sub.20 (3 nm)/Ru (1.4 nm)/Ni.sub.80Fe.sub.20 (3 nm)/Ta (10 nm). Of these, Si/SiO.sub.2 means a thermally oxidized Si substrate (Si wafer). The IrMn layer is a layer to apply an antiferromagnetic exchange bias to the ferromagnetic fixed layer 4 (CoFe ferromagnetic layer/Ru intermediate layer/CoFeB ferromagnetic layer), and acts to fix the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic fixed layer 4. The ferromagnetic fixed layer 4 has a CoFe ferromagnetic layer/Ru intermediate layer/CoFeB ferromagnetic layer multilayer ferrimagnetic structure. The ferromagnetic free layer 2, comprising a CoFeB ferromagnetic layer/Rn intermediate layer/NiFe ferromagnetic layer multilayer ferrimagnetic structure, is positioned enclosing the MgO insulating layer, which is the insulating layer 3. The configuration of the ferromagnetic free layer 2 is described below.

[0037] A magnetron sputtering apparatus was used in deposition of the above-described multilayer structure. The background pressure must be 310.sup.7 Pa or lower. Films other than MgO, that is, metal films, were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering in an Ar gas atmosphere. On the other hand, MgO film deposition was performed by RF magnetron sputtering in an Ar gas atmosphere from a sintered MgO target.

[0038] After deposition of the multilayer film, patterning processes using photolithography and electron beam lithography, and argon ion milling processes, are used to fabricate the MTJ element 1. In this practical example, a milling process employing argon ions was used to expose the MTJ element 1. Then, the MTJ element 1 is subjected to thermal annealing in a vacuum chamber while maintaining a state in which a magnetic field was applied. In this practical example, the heating temperature when performing the annealing was 400 C., the heating time is 2 hours, the magnetic field strength is 4 kOe, and the vacuum is approximately 10.sup.4 Pa. By means of an annealing process after film deposition, the CoFeB film (first ferromagnetic layer) which had been amorphous immediately after film deposition is crystallized with the bcc (body-centered cubic) structure, with the single-crystal MgO as a seed. At this time, the NiFe film (second ferromagnetic layer) has the fcc (face-centered cubic) structure, but because the Ru layer is interposed, the difference in the crystal structures of the CoFeB film (first ferromagnetic layer) and the NiFe film (second ferromagnetic layer) does not affect crystallization of the CoFeB layer.

[0039] According to Non-patent Reference 1, the current value necessary for spin-transfer magnetization reversal is proportional to HkMs(Hk+2Ms). Here Hk is the anisotropy magnetic field of the ferromagnetic free layer 2, and Ms is the saturation magnetization. From this, by lowering the anisotropy magnetic field Hk of the ferromagnetic free layer 2 and the saturation magnetization Ms, writing to the ferromagnetic free layer 2 (reversal of the magnetization of the ferromagnetic free layer 2) is made easier. The effect of lowering the saturation magnetization Ms is particularly great. However, lowering the saturation magnetization Ms of CoFeB is difficult. This is because in order to lower the saturation magnetization Ms of CoFeB, the annealing temperature must be lowered and impurity doping must be performed, and these changes in conditions induce worsening of the crystallinity of CoFeB. And, reduced crystallinity leads to a lower TMR ratio and reduced thermal stability. That is, if CoFeB is deposited under conditions which lower the saturation magnetization, an adequate TMR ratio and thermal stability cannot be secured.

[0040] Hence in this practical example, a Ru layer is placed between the CoFeB and the NiFe, while layering NiFe, which is a ferromagnetic layer (low-magnetization ferromagnetic layer, second ferromagnetic layer) with low magnetization, in proximity to the CoFeB layer (first ferromagnetic layer), for the purpose of achieving reduced effective saturation magnetization of the ferromagnetic free layer. Here the Ru layer is placed therebetween in order to preserve the crystallinity of the CoFeB. That is, the Ru layer separates the crystal growth of the two layers which are the CoFeB layer and the NiFe layer, that is, acts so as to cause crystallization in a state in which the crystal structure of the CoFeB layer and the crystal structure of the NiFe layer do not exert mutual influence, as well as to cause magnetic coupling between the layers through the RKKY interaction. In this practical example, the Ru film thickness is set to 0.4 nm so that the RKKY interaction acts ferromagnetically, that is, such that the parallel state of the magnetizations of the CoFeB layer and NiFe layer is preserved. Whether a parallel state or an antiparallel state is preserved between two magnetic layers interacting through the RKKY interaction generally depends on the film thickness of the nonmagnetic metal layer placed between the magnetic layers.

[0041] Below, advantageous results of this practical example are described, for a case in which the combination of magnetizations of the ferromagnetic fixed layer and the ferromagnetic free layer are changed from a parallel state into an antiparallel state by passing a magnetization reversal current. Spin-polarized electrons flowing from the ferromagnetic fixed layer retain to some degree the spin polarization in the 3 nm CoFeB ferromagnetic layer, and arrive at the NiFe layer. Because of the low saturation magnetization of the NiFe layer, magnetization reversal occurs at a lower current density than for the CoFeB layer. Because the NiFe layer and the CoFeB layer are ferromagnetically coupled by means of the RKKY interaction via the Ru, that is, are magnetically coupled so as to be mutually parallel, magnetization reversal in the NiFe layer is accompanied by magnetization reversal in the CoFeB layer as well, and consequently magnetization reversal is realized at a lower current density than for a CoFeB single-layer ferromagnetic free layer. Here, it is important that the film thickness of the Ru layer be determined such that the NiFe layer and the CoFeB layer are ferromagnetically coupled. This is because if the coupling is antiferromagnetic, the magnetizations of the NiFe layer and of the ferromagnetic fixed layer are in a parallel state, so that spin-polarized electrons arriving at the NiFe layer act in the direction to fix the magnetization of the NiFe layer, and magnetization reversal of the ferromagnetic free layer becomes more difficult, rather than easier. Likewise in a case where, in a state in which the ferromagnetic fixed layer and the ferromagnetic free layer are parallel, a magnetization reversal current is passed to change to the antiparallel state, similar advantageous results are obtained for spin-polarized electrons reflected at the ferromagnetic fixed layer interface, so that by means of this practical example there is the advantageous result of a lowered magnetization reversal current.

[0042] In the above, an embodiment of the invention has been described; however, the invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications, alternations, and combinations are possible based on the technical concept of the invention.