SBIR Phase I: Exchange Coupling Enabled Scalable High Density Nonvolatile STT-RAM at Fast Speed and Low Power

这个SBIR项目解决了一种新的（非热辅助开关）使用铁磁/反铁磁界面交换耦合来增强MTJ中自由层的磁各向异性和热稳定性。自旋转矩传输随机存储器（STT-RAM）利用隧道电子的自旋动量来开关磁隧道结（MTJ）存储元件，解决了磁性随机存储器（MRAM）的写电流缩放问题。STT- ram中使用的普通MTJ在优化小存储单元尺寸和低功耗操作所需的低电流STT开关时，其热稳定性降低。所提出的方法承诺更低的STT开关电流，更高的TMR和足够的热稳定性，用于高密度非易失性STT ram，速度快，成本低。这一努力的成功将使STT-RAM在嵌入式和独立存储器市场上实现超越主流半导体存储器（如SRAM， DRAM和NOR Flash）的性能和密度，并在半导体行业创造新的领域。消费者将购买手机、iPod和数码相机等移动设备的独立存储器。高通（Qualcomm）和飞思卡尔（Freescale）等公司可以在嵌入式存储器中使用这项技术。

This SBIR project addresses a novel (not heat assisted switching) use of ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interfacial exchange coupling to enhance the magnetic anisotropy and thermal stability of the free layer in a MTJ. Spin Torque Transfer Random Access Memory (STT-RAM) solves the write current scaling problem of Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) by using the spin momentum of the tunneling electrons to switch Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) memory elements. Common MTJ used in STT-RAM suffers from a reduced thermal stability when optimized for lower current STT switching required for a small memory cell size and low power operation. The proposed approach promises lower STT switching current, higher TMR and adequate thermal stability for a high density non-volatile STT-RAM at fast speed and low cost.The success of this effort will enable STT-RAM to achieve performance and density that surpass mainstream semiconductor memories such as SRAM, DRAM and NOR Flash in both embedded and standalone memory markets, and create new sectors in the semiconductor industry. Consumers will buy standalone memories in mobile devices such as cell phones, iPod and digital cameras. Corporations like Qualcomm and Freescale can use this technology in embedded memories.