High Capacity Low Cost Multi-Stacked Cross-Line Magnetic Memory

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes a diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and a diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ.

1 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
 a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ); and   a thin-film diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ.   
   
   
       2 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , including a conductive seeding silicon layer that separates the MTJ from the diode. 
   
   
       3 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the MTJ includes a pinning layer on top of which is formed a fixed layer on top of which is formed a tunnel layer on top of which is formed a free layer. 
   
   
       4 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a magnetic diode. 
   
   
       5 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a non-magnetic diode. 
   
   
       6 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a Schottky diode. 
   
   
       7 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , wherein the diode is operative to address the memory element. 
   
   
       8 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
 a thin-film diode formed on top of the MTJ for addressing the MTJ; and   a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) formed on top of the diode.   
   
   
       9 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 8 , including a conductive seeding silicon layer that separates the MTJ from the diode. 
   
   
       10 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the MTJ includes a pinning layer on top of which is formed a fixed layer on top of which is formed a tunnel layer on top of which is formed a free layer. 
   
   
       11 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 8 , wherein the thin-film diode is a magnetic diode. 
   
   
       12 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thin-film diode is a non-magnetic diode. 
   
   
       13 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 8 , wherein the thin-film diode is a Schottky diode. 
   
   
       14 . A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element, a recited in  claim 8 , wherein the diode is operative to address the memory element. 
   
   
       15 . A method of manufacturing A diode-addressable current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) memory element comprising:
 Forming a pinning layer;   forming a fixed layer on top of the pinning layer;   forming a tunnel layer on top of the pinning layer;   forming a free layer on top of the tunnel layer to form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ);   forming a conductive seeding silicon layer on top of the free layer; and   forming a thin-film diode on top of the MTJ.