Tunnel magnetoresistive effect element and random access memory using same

摘要

Provided is a tunnel magnetoresistive effect element such that a high TMR ratio and a low write current can be realized, and the thermal stability factor (E/kBT) of a recording layer and a pinned layer is increased while an increase in resistance of the element as a whole is suppressed, thus enabling a stable operation. On at least one of a recording layer 21 and a pinned layer 22 each comprising CoFeB, electrically conductive oxide layers 31 and 32 are disposed on a side opposite to a tunnel barrier layer 10.

主权项

1. A tunnel magnetoresistive effect element comprising:
a recording layer with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; a pinned layer with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and with a magnetization direction fixed in one direction; and an oxide tunnel barrier layer disposed between the recording layer and the pinned layer, the tunnel magnetoresistive effect element characterized in that: one of the recording layer and the pinned layer comprises a ferromagnetic material including at least one type of a 3d transition metal, with a magnetization direction oriented in a perpendicular direction with respect to a film plane by anisotropy at an interface with the tunnel barrier layer; and at least one of the recording layer and the pinned layer is provided with an electrically conductive oxide layer disposed on an interface on a side opposite to the tunnel barrier layer, the electrically conductive oxide layer being adapted to increase the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.