MAGNETIC STORAGE ELEMENT, MAGNETIC MEMORY INCLUDING THE SAME, AND DRIVING METHOD OF MAGNETIC MEMORY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an erroneous writing operation during a read operation. SOLUTION: A method is provided for driving a magnetic memory including a memory cell having a magnetic memory element wherein the magnetic memory element includes: a magnetic pinned layer which has magnetization in a direction substantially perpendicular to a film surface and has a pinned magnetization orientation; a magnetic storage layer which has magnetization in a direction substantially perpendicular to the film surface and has a variable magnetization orientation; and a tunnel barrier layer provided between the magnetic pinned layer and the magnetic storage layer. The magnetization orientation of the magnetic storage layer can be reversed by passing a current pulse through the magnetic storage layer to inject spin-polarized electrons. The width of a write current pulse for writing information into the magnetic storage layer is larger than that of a read current pulse for reading information from the magnetic storage layer. The magnetic anisotropic magnetic field Hk of the magnetic storage layer is 50 Oe to 5,000 Oe. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT