Ultralow Current Switching of Synthetic-Antiferromagnetic Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Via Electric-Field Assisted by Spin–Orbit Torque

Brandon R. Zink; Delin Zhang; Hongshi Li; Onri J. Benally; Yang Lv; Deyuan Lyu; Jian Ping Wang

doi:10.1002/aelm.202200382

Ultralow Current Switching of Synthetic-Antiferromagnetic Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Via Electric-Field Assisted by Spin–Orbit Torque

Brandon R. Zink, Delin Zhang, Hongshi Li, Onri J. Benally, Yang Lv, Deyuan Lyu, Jian Ping Wang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spintronic devices, especially electric-field and spin–orbit torque driven magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), are promising candidates to replace the current memory and logic components for satisfying future computing demands. Current spin–orbit torque based MTJ devices with a single free layer and spin Hall channel still face high current density for switching. Here, 150-nm perpendicular MTJs are designed and fabricated with a synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer and a bilayered spin Hall channel. The switching behavior is investigated via combination of forces from electric-field and spin–orbit torque, where the electric field can modulate the exchange coupling of the synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer. Through an assistance of spin–orbit torque, bidirectional switching is obtained with switching current density as low as 3 × 10³ A cm⁻², which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the current best reported values. These results suggest that electric-field switching of synthetic-antiferromagnetic MTJs could be a promising approach for reducing write current density of spintronic devices.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	2200382
Journal	Advanced Electronic Materials
Volume	8
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202200382
State	Published - Oct 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
B.R.Z. and D.Z. contributed equally to this work. This work is currently supported by ASCENT, one of six centers of JUMP, a Semiconductor Research Corporation program that is sponsored by MARCO and DARPA, and DARPA HR001117S0056‐FP‐042 “Advanced MTJs for computation in and near random access memory.” Portions of this work were conducted in the Minnesota Nano Center, which is supported by the National Science Foundation through the National Nano Coordinated Infrastructure Network (NNCI) under Award Number ECCS‐1542202.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Electronic Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Keywords

electric-field (voltage-controlled exchange coupling)
energy-efficient spin–orbit torque devices
perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions
synthetic antiferromagnetic free layers

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/aelm.202200382

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title = "Ultralow Current Switching of Synthetic-Antiferromagnetic Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Via Electric-Field Assisted by Spin–Orbit Torque",

abstract = "Spintronic devices, especially electric-field and spin–orbit torque driven magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), are promising candidates to replace the current memory and logic components for satisfying future computing demands. Current spin–orbit torque based MTJ devices with a single free layer and spin Hall channel still face high current density for switching. Here, 150-nm perpendicular MTJs are designed and fabricated with a synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer and a bilayered spin Hall channel. The switching behavior is investigated via combination of forces from electric-field and spin–orbit torque, where the electric field can modulate the exchange coupling of the synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer. Through an assistance of spin–orbit torque, bidirectional switching is obtained with switching current density as low as 3 × 103 A cm−2, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the current best reported values. These results suggest that electric-field switching of synthetic-antiferromagnetic MTJs could be a promising approach for reducing write current density of spintronic devices.",

keywords = "electric-field (voltage-controlled exchange coupling), energy-efficient spin–orbit torque devices, perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions, synthetic antiferromagnetic free layers",

author = "Zink, {Brandon R.} and Delin Zhang and Hongshi Li and Benally, {Onri J.} and Yang Lv and Deyuan Lyu and Wang, {Jian Ping}",

note = "Funding Information: B.R.Z. and D.Z. contributed equally to this work. This work is currently supported by ASCENT, one of six centers of JUMP, a Semiconductor Research Corporation program that is sponsored by MARCO and DARPA, and DARPA HR001117S0056‐FP‐042 “Advanced MTJs for computation in and near random access memory.” Portions of this work were conducted in the Minnesota Nano Center, which is supported by the National Science Foundation through the National Nano Coordinated Infrastructure Network (NNCI) under Award Number ECCS‐1542202. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. Advanced Electronic Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.",

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AU - Lyu, Deyuan

AU - Wang, Jian Ping

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N2 - Spintronic devices, especially electric-field and spin–orbit torque driven magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), are promising candidates to replace the current memory and logic components for satisfying future computing demands. Current spin–orbit torque based MTJ devices with a single free layer and spin Hall channel still face high current density for switching. Here, 150-nm perpendicular MTJs are designed and fabricated with a synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer and a bilayered spin Hall channel. The switching behavior is investigated via combination of forces from electric-field and spin–orbit torque, where the electric field can modulate the exchange coupling of the synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer. Through an assistance of spin–orbit torque, bidirectional switching is obtained with switching current density as low as 3 × 103 A cm−2, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the current best reported values. These results suggest that electric-field switching of synthetic-antiferromagnetic MTJs could be a promising approach for reducing write current density of spintronic devices.

AB - Spintronic devices, especially electric-field and spin–orbit torque driven magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), are promising candidates to replace the current memory and logic components for satisfying future computing demands. Current spin–orbit torque based MTJ devices with a single free layer and spin Hall channel still face high current density for switching. Here, 150-nm perpendicular MTJs are designed and fabricated with a synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer and a bilayered spin Hall channel. The switching behavior is investigated via combination of forces from electric-field and spin–orbit torque, where the electric field can modulate the exchange coupling of the synthetic-antiferromagnetic free layer. Through an assistance of spin–orbit torque, bidirectional switching is obtained with switching current density as low as 3 × 103 A cm−2, which is two orders of magnitude lower than that of the current best reported values. These results suggest that electric-field switching of synthetic-antiferromagnetic MTJs could be a promising approach for reducing write current density of spintronic devices.

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Ultralow Current Switching of Synthetic-Antiferromagnetic Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Via Electric-Field Assisted by Spin–Orbit Torque

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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