Impact of stray field on the switching properties of perpendicular MTJ for scaled MRAM

Abstract

For the first time, we show the stray field (Hs) from the pinned layer of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (pMTJs) plays multiple important roles: its out-of-plane component degrades pinned layer stability of scaled MTJ, while its in-plane component assists spin-transfer torque switching. Through stray field engineering, one can retain its advantage, and minimized its detrimental effect. We also show that etching process plays a vital role in the stray-field engineering. Our pMTJ exhibits robust pinned layer performance, symmetrical R-H loop and balanced spin-torque switching current. The switching current of our pMTJ is ~60uA@20us for a 80nm diameter pMTJ.