Scaling magnetic tunnel junction down to single-digit nanometers—Challenges and prospects
Open Access
- 20 April 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 116 (16), 160501
- https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0004434
Abstract
Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), a spintronics device, has been intensively developed in the past couple of decades because of its high potential in terms of non-volatility, fast operation, virtually infinite endurance, scalability, and compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits as well as their process and circuits. Today, high-volume manufacturing of spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory based on MTJ has been initiated for embedded memory applications in CMOS logic. Whether MTJ is scalable along with the advancement of CMOS technology is critical for the technology's future. Here, we review the scaling of MTJ technology, from in-plane anisotropy MTJs to perpendicular interfacial- or shape-anisotropy MTJs. We also discuss challenges and prospects in the future 1X- and X-nm era.Funding Information
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP19K04486)
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University (Cooperative Research Project)
- Program on Open Innovation Platform with Enterprises, Research Institute and Academia (JPMJOP1611)
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