- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine
Access Provided by Xinjiang University

Physical Review Applied

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Access by Xinjiang University

Impact of Reference-Layer Stray Field on the Write-Error Rate of Perpendicular Spin-Transfer-Torque Random-Access Memory

Arshid Nisar, Tanmoy Pramanik*, and Brajesh Kumar Kaushik†

  • Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India

  • *pramanik.tanmoy@ece.iitr.ac.in
  • †bkk23fec@iitr.ac.in
PDF

Phys. Rev. Applied 19, 024016 – Published 6 February, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.19.024016

Abstract

A finite-temperature micromagnetic study of magnetization switching and write-error rates in a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction with and without synthetic antiferromagnetic layer (SAF) is presented. In the absence of SAF, magnetization switching is induced by domain-wall nucleation and propagation. Although the various modes of domain-wall propagation are observed to delay switching, it does not show an appreciable impact on the overall write-error-rate slopes. In the presence of the nonuniform stray field from the SAF assembly, the domain-wall-based switching modes turn on more complex magnetization dynamics that impedes the switching process. In cases where the SAF layers fail to balance each other contributing to a stronger stray field, incoherent switching modes give rise to metastable states with significantly longer lifetimes, and a dramatic change in the write-error slopes is observed. Simulation results are compared to recent experimental findings from time-domain measurements of spin-transfer-torque switching and measurements of anomalous write-error rates. These results directly prove the long-predicted relation of the SAF stray field to write-error anomaly in perpendicular spin-transfer-torque magnetic random-access memory and could be useful to solve the anomalous write-error problems.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (28)

  1. O. Golonzka, J.-G. Alzate, U. Arslan, M. Bohr, P. Bai, J. Brockman, B. Buford, C. Connor, N. Das, B. Doyle et al., in 2018 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (IEEE, San Francisco, CA, 2018), pp. 18.1.1–18.1.4.
  2. J. G. Alzate, U. Arslan, P. Bai, J. Brockman, Y. J. Chen, N. Das, K. Fischer, T. Ghani, P. Heil, P. Hentges et al., in 2019 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (IEEE, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2019), pp. 2.4.1–2.4.4.
  3. C.-H. Chen, C.-Y. Chang, C.-H. Weng, T.-H. Kuo, C.-Y. Wang, M.-C. Shih, T.-W. Chiang, Y.-J. Lee, R. Wang, K.-H. Shen et al., in 16 nm FinFET CMOS Process, Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers 2 (2021).
  4. V. B. Naik, K. Yamane, T. Y. Lee, J. Kwon, R. Chao, J. H. Lim, N. L. Chung, B. Behin-Aein, L. Y. Hau, D. Zeng, et al., in 2020 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (2020), pp. 11.3.1–11.3.4.
  5. A. V. Khvalkovskiy, D. Apalkov, S. Watts, R. Chepulskii, R. S. Beach, A. Ong, X. Tang, A. Driskill-Smith, W. H. Butler, P. B. Visscher, et al., Basic principles of STT-MRAM cell operation in memory arrays, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 46, 074001 (2013).
  6. W. H. Butler, T. Mewes, C. K. A. Mewes, P. B. Visscher, W. H. Rippard, S. E. Russek, and R. Heindl, Switching distributions for perpendicular spin-torque devices within the macrospin approximation, IEEE Trans. Magn. 48, 4684 (2012).
  7. U. Roy, T. Pramanik, S. Roy, A. Chatterjee, L. F. Register, and S. K. Banerjee, Machine learning for statistical modeling: the case of perpendicular spin-transfer-torque random access memory, ACM Trans. Des. Autom. Electron. Syst. 26, 1 (2021).
  8. Y. Zhang, X. Wang, H. Li, and Y. Chen, STT-RAM cell optimization considering MTJ and CMOS variations, IEEE Trans. Magn. 47, 2962 (2011).
  9. T. Devolder, O. Bultynck, P. Bouquin, V. D. Nguyen, S. Rao, D. Wan, B. Sorée, I. P. Radu, G. S. Kar, and S. Couet, Back hopping in spin transfer torque switching of perpendicularly magnetized tunnel junctions, Phys. Rev. B 102, 184406 (2020).
  10. J. Z. Sun and C. Safranski, Metrology and metrics for spin-transfer-torque switched magnetic tunnel junctions in memory applications, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 563, 169878 (2022).
  11. S. Van Beek, B. J. O'Sullivan, P. J. Roussel, R. Degraeve, E. Bury, J. Swerts, S. Couet, L. Souriau, S. Kundu, S. Rao et al., in 2018 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (2018), pp. 25.2.1–25.2.4.
  12. J. J. Kan, C. Park, C. Ching, J. Ahn, L. Xue, R. Wang, A. Kontos, S. Liang, M. Bangar, H. Chen et al., in 2016 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (2016), pp. 27.4.1–27.4.4.
  13. I. Volvach, J. G. Alzate, Y.-J. Chen, A. J. Smith, D. L. Kencke, and V. Lomakin, Thermal stability and magnetization switching in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions, Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 192408 (2020).
  14. T. Devolder, A. Le Goff, and V. Nikitin, Size dependence of nanosecond-scale spin-torque switching in perpendicularly magnetized tunnel junctions, Phys. Rev. B 93, 224432 (2016).
  15. T. Min, Q. Chen, R. Beach, G. Jan, C. Horng, W. Kula, T. Torng, R. Tong, T. Zhong, D. Tang, et al., A study of write margin of spin torque transfer magnetic random access memory technology, IEEE Trans. Magn. 46, 2322 (2010).
  16. A. Meo, S. Sampan-a-pai, P. B. Visscher, R. Chepulskyy, D. Apalkov, J. Chureemart, P. Chureemart, R. W. Chantrell, and R. F. L. Evans, Spin transfer torque switching dynamics in CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junctions, Phys. Rev. B 103, 054426 (2021).
  17. P. Bouquin, S. Rao, G. S. Kar, and T. Devolder, Size dependence of spin-torque switching in perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions, Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 222408 (2018).
  18. P. Bouquin, J.-V. Kim, O. Bultynck, S. Rao, S. Couet, G. S. Kar, and T. Devolder, Stochastic Processes in Magnetization Reversal Involving Domain-Wall Motion in Magnetic Memory Elements, Phys. Rev. Appl. 15, 024037 (2021).
  19. H. Jiancheng, S. C. Hin, V. B. Naik, M. Tran, L. S. Ter, and H. Guchang, Effect of the stray field profile on the switching characteristics of the free layer in a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction, J. Appl. Phys. 117, 17B721 (2015).
  20. M. Yamanouchi, A. Jander, P. Dhagat, S. Ikeda, F. Matsukura, and H. Ohno, Domain structure in CoFeB thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, IEEE Magn. Lett. 2, 3000304 (2011).
  21. M. J. Donahue and D. G. Porter, OOMMF User’s Guide, Version 1.2 A3, Interagency Report NISTIR 6376, (2002).
  22. The Design and Verification of MuMax3: AIP Advances: Vol 4, No 10, https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063%2F1.4899186
  23. S. Gao, B. Chen, and Y. Zhao, Systematic study of medium states in spin-transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory and their implication for the bit error rate, IEEE Electron Device Lett. 41, 557 (2020).
  24. G. D. Chaves-O’Flynn, G. Wolf, J. Z. Sun, and A. D. Kent, Thermal Stability of Magnetic States in Circular Thin-Film Nanomagnets with Large Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy, Phys. Rev. Appl. 4, 024010 (2015).
  25. P. Bouquin, J.-V. Kim, O. Bultynck, S. Rao, S. Couet, G. S. Kar, and T. Devolder, Spin-torque induced wall motion in perpendicularly magnetized discs: ballistic versus oscillatory behavior, Phys. Rev. B 103, 224431 (2021).
  26. L. Lang, Y. Jiang, F. Lu, C. Wang, Y. Chen, A. D. Kent, and L. Ye, A low temperature functioning CoFeB/MgO-based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction for cryogenic nonvolatile random access memory, Appl. Phys. Lett. 116, 022409 (2020).
  27. L. Rehm, G. Wolf, B. Kardasz, M. Pinarbasi, and A. D. Kent, Sub-nanosecond spin-torque switching of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction nanopillars at cryogenic temperatures, Appl. Phys. Lett. 115, 182404 (2019).
  28. C. Yoshida, T. Tanaka, T. Ataka, J. Fujisaki, K. Shimizu, T. Hirahara, H. Shitara, A. Furuya, and Y. Uehara, Size dependence of the thermal stability factor in a perpendicular CoFeB/MgO magnetic tunnel junction studied by micromagnetic simulations, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 58, SBBB05 (2019).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Applied 19, 024016– Published 6 February, 2023
  • Received 5 August 2022
  • Revised 5 December 2022
  • Accepted 12 January 2023
Crossmark - Check for updates button

© 2023 American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation