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中国物理学会期刊

磁场对自旋-轨道矩磁性存储器性能影响

CSTR: 32037.14.aps.75.20251720

Influence of magnetic fields on the performance of spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memory

CSTR: 32037.14.aps.75.20251720
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  • 自旋-轨道矩磁性随机存储器因其高读写速度、高耐久性、非易失性以及与先进半导体工艺的良好兼容性, 被认为是下一代非易失存储技术的解决方案之一. 然而, 其器件性能对磁场高度敏感. 磁隧道结中参考层偶极场、层间交换耦合场及电流奥斯特场等效应, 产生作用于自由层的偏置磁场, 导致非对称的写入电流和数据保持时间, 给提升器件能效及集成密度等带来阻碍. 为解决上述问题, 本文基于自旋-轨道矩磁性存储器集成架构和微磁学模拟理论, 系统研究了磁场对写入电流的调控作用. 进一步设计了与半导体后端互连工艺兼容的器件结构, 通过在垂直互联通道中填充磁性层, 产生局域的杂散磁场, 以补偿偏置磁场作用和优化器件性能. 仿真结果表明, 磁性填充层产生的非均匀局域磁场有助于实现对称写入电流, 且适用于微缩先进工艺节点. 该研究验证了基于磁场调控的设计方案对提升器件能效和集成密度上的潜力, 为未来实现高密度、低功耗自旋-轨道矩磁存储芯片设计提供了新思路.

     

    Spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memory (SOT-MRAM) possesses high speed, ultrahigh endurance and excellent compatibility with advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, and is considered to be a promising non-volatile memory technology. However, the free layer in the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is affected by an intrinsic bias field (Hs) originating from the stray field of reference layer and interlayer coupling associated with surface roughness. The bias field gives rise to a pronounced asymmetry in the critical current density for magnetization switching between the two resistance states, thereby increasing the overall energy consumption. Recent solutions typically introduce additional magnetic layers within the MTJ stack to compensate for Hs. However, such an approach increases manufacturing costs and limits their practicality in wafer-scale manufacturing. To address the issue of asymmetry, we propose a method that avoids modifying the original MTJ stack. The basic idea is to regulate the write current via local stray magnetic field engineering, which involves filling magnetic materials into designated vertical interconnect access (VIA) channels during the back-end-of-line (BEOL) process. Taking the well-studied perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) SOT-MTJ as an example, where the undesired Hs is typically oriented along the z-axis, micromagnetic simulations show that inserting an in-plane ferromagnetic layer can significantly reduce the write-current asymmetry and provide the auxiliary field for deterministic switching as well. Furthermore, by slightly shifting the MTJ away from its original centered position, the bias-compensation effect can be further optimized, reducing the write-current bias ratio from 21.6% in the conventional design to 1.3%. Notably, this approach implements field-free switching—a critical feature for SOT-MTJ applications targeting high integration density. The concept is also applicable for SOT-MTJs with in-plane magnetic anisotropy. Finally, the down-scaling analyses demonstrate excellent compatibility: even when scaled at 20% of the original size (MTJ diameter ≈ 10 nm), the write-current bias ratio remains at a low level of 0.1%, indicating that our design is effective across MTJs and highly suitable for high-density integration with advanced technology nodes.

     

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