Title: Low Switching Current Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM
Speaker: Dr. Daniel Worledge, Distinguished Research Staff Member, Senior Manager, MRAM & PCM, IBM Almaden Research Center
Abstract:
Spin-Transfer-Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) possesses a unique combination of high speed, high endurance, non-volatility, and small cell size. Write current largely determines the cost of Spin Torque MRAM, since the transistor and hence cell area must be sized large enough to source the write current. This talk will give a brief overview of Spin Torque MRAM, including potential applications and materials challenges. I will then review the discovery of interface perpendicular anisotropy in the Ta|CoFeB|MgO system at IBM and the subsequent perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions which were developed using it, including demonstration of reliable, high speed spin-torque writing, and results on scaling down to 20 nm. Then I will discuss our recent results on methods to lower the switching current of Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM by using optimized magnetic materials and double magnetic tunnel junctions.