Magnetic recording element and magnetic memory

Abstract

A magnetic recording element according to an example of the present invention includes a magnetic free layer whose magnetization is variable in accordance with a current direction passing through a film and whose direction of easy axis of magnetization is a direction perpendicular to a film plane, a magnetic pinned layer whose magnetization is fixed to a direction perpendicular to the film plane, and a non-magnetic barrier layer between the magnetic free layer and the magnetic pinned layer. In the magnetic free layer, a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms (emu/cc) and an anisotropy field Han (Oe) satisfies Han>12.57 Ms, and Han<1.2 E7 Ms−1+12.57 Ms.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1A and 1B are side views showing a structure of a magnetic recording element according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms and an anisotropy field Han for a magnetic free layer of FIGS. 1A and 1B;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are side views showing a structure of a magnetic recording element according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a view showing a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms and an anisotropy field Han for a magnetic free layer of FIGS. 3A and 3B;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are side views showing a structure of a magnetic recording element according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view showing a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms and an anisotropy field Han for a magnetic free layer of FIGS. 5A and 5B;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic recording element formed in a first experimental example;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms and an anisotropy field Han of a sample of the first experimental example;

FIG. 9 is a view showing a relation between thickness of the magnetic free layer and a switching current density;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing the state at the time of writing;

FIG. 11 is a view showing evaluation results of write characteristics;

FIG. 12 is a view showing a structure of a magnetic recording element formed in a second experimental example;

FIG. 13 is a view showing the structure of the magnetic recording element formed in the second experimental example;

FIG. 14 is a view showing the structure of the magnetic recording element formed in the second experimental example;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are side views showing a structure of a magnetic recording element according to a fifth embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a magnetic recording element formed in a third experimental example;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a magnetic recording element formed in a fourth experimental example;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic recording element formed in the fifth experimental example;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the magnetic recording element formed in the fifth experimental example;

FIG. 20 is a view showing a range of the magnetic recording element formed in the fifth experimental example;

FIG. 21 is a circuit diagram showing a magnetic random access memory as an application example;

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of a memory cell in “1”-programming;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the memory cell in “0”-programming;

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the memory cell in “1”-reading;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the memory cell in “0”-reading;

FIG. 26 is a view showing an example of a layout of the magnetic recording element;

FIG. 27 is a view showing an example of a layout of the magnetic recording element;

FIG. 28 is a view showing an example of a layout of the magnetic recording element;

FIG. 29 is a view showing an example of a layout of the magnetic recording element;

FIG. 30 is a view showing a basic structure of a probe memory as an application example;

FIG. 31 is a view showing a modified example of the probe memory of FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is a view showing a modified example of the probe memory of FIG. 30;

FIG. 33 is a view showing a modified example of the probe memory of FIG. 30;

FIG. 34 is a view showing the probe memory with a multi-probe structure as an application example;

FIG. 35 is a view showing a device structure of the probe memory of FIG. 34; and

FIG. 36 is a view showing a spin FET as an application example.

Claims

1. A magnetic recording element comprising: a magnetic free layer whose magnetization is variable in accordance with a current direction passing therethrough and whose direction of easy axis of magnetization is a direction perpendicular to a film plane;a magnetic pinned layer whose magnetization is fixed to a direction perpendicular to the film plane; anda non-magnetic barrier layer between the magnetic free layer and the magnetic pinned layer,wherein the magnetic free layer has a characteristics that a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms (emu/cc) and an anisotropy field Han (Oe) satisfies Han>12.57 Ms, and Han<1.2 E7 Ms−1+12.57 Ms.

2. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, wherein the saturated magnetization Ms of the magnetic free layer exceeds 600 emu/cc.

3. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, further comprising an insertion layer provided between the magnetic free layer and the non-magnetic barrier layer,wherein the saturated magnetization Ms of the insertion layer exceeds 600 emu/cc, and thickness of the insertion layer is less than 2 nm.

4. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic free layer is composed of fine particles separated spatially by non-magnetic materials.

5. The magnetic recording element according to claim 4, wherein the fine particles are composed of magnetic materials, and each of the fine particles constitutes a recording unit.

6. The magnetic recording element according to claim 5, wherein each of the fine particles has a magnetization direction determined independently.

7. The magnetic recording element according to claim 4, wherein one recording unit comprises plural fine particles.

8. The magnetic recording element according to claim 4, wherein the non-magnetic material includes oxygen.

9. The magnetic recording element according to claim 4, wherein there exists a layer with thickness of 3-atoms or less between the fine particles and the non-magnetic barrier layer, the layer being composed of different material from the fine particles and the non-magnetic barrier layer.

10. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, further comprising: a non-magnetic conductive or insulating layer which comes into contact with an opposite surface to the non-magnetic barrier layer of the magnetic free layer; anda magnetic pinned layer which comes into contact with an opposite surface to the magnetic free layer of the non-magnetic conductive layer, and whose magnetization is fixed in a direction perpendicular to the film plane.

11. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, further comprising a cap layer with thickness of 10 nm or less which covers an opposite surface to the non-magnetic barrier layer of the magnetic free layer.

12. The magnetic recording element according to claim 11, wherein the cap layer is composed of one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride and fluoride, with thickness of 1 nm or less.

13. The magnetic recording element according to claim 11, wherein the cap layer has a laminated structure of a first layer composed of one selected from the group consisting of oxide, nitride and fluoride, with thickness of 1 nm or less, and a second layer arranged between the magnetic free layer and the first layer and composed of a non-magnetic metal with thickness of 3 nm or less.

14. The magnetic recording element according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic pinned layer has a layer including oxide.

15. A magnetic memory comprising: the magnetic recording element according to claim 1;a current source which generates a switching current having current density for reversing a magnetization direction of a magnetic free layer of the magnetic recording element; anda current path which leads the switching current to the magnetic recording element.

16. The magnetic memory according to claim 15, wherein the current path includes a bit line connected to one end of the magnetic recording element and a MOS transistor connected to other end; anda gate of the MOS transistor is connected to a word line.

17. The magnetic memory according to claim 15, wherein the current path includes a bit line and a word line crossing each other, andthe magnetic recording element is arranged at a crossing portion of the bit line and the word line.

18. The magnetic memory according to claim 15, wherein the magnetic free layer of the magnetic recording element is composed of aggregates of magnetic particles in which the magnetization direction is determined independently, andthe magnetic recording element is arranged along the bit line.

19. The magnetic memory according to claim 15, wherein the magnetic free layer of the magnetic recording element is composed of aggregates of magnetic particles in which the magnetization direction is determined independently, andthe magnetic recording element is formed all over a memory cell array including a region between the bit line and the word line.

20. The magnetic memory according to claim 15, wherein the current path is arranged on the magnetic recording element, and includes a probe whose relative position to the magnetic recording element is movable.

21. The magnetic memory according to claim 20, wherein the magnetic memory is realized inside a semiconductor chip.

22. A spin FET comprising: a magnetic free layer whose magnetization is variable and whose direction of easy axis of magnetization is a direction perpendicular to a film plane;a magnetic pinned layer whose magnetization is fixed to a direction perpendicular to the film plane;a channel region between the magnetic free layer and the magnetic pinned layer;a gate insulating layer on the channel region; anda gate electrode on the gate insulating layer,wherein the magnetic free layer has a characteristics that a relation between a saturated magnetization Ms (emu/cc) and an anisotropy field Han (Oe) satisfies Han>12.57 Ms, and Han<1.2 E7 Ms−1+12.57 Ms.