Commercialization of 1Gb Standalone Spin-Transfer Torque MRAM
J. J. Sun, M. DeHerrera, Brian Hughes, S. Ikegawa, H. K. Lee, F. B. Mancoff, K. Nagel, G. Shimon, S. M. Alam, D. Houssameddine, S. Aggarwal
Abstract
In this paper, we review key materials and process technology developments to successfully commercialize 1Gb standalone Spin-Transfer Torque (STT) MRAM. Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and process integration were developed to reduce the operation voltage and to minimize the distribution of essential parameters across MTJ arrays. We demonstrate endurance cycles over 1x10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">10</sup> and data retention of 20 years at 105°C. Reliable STT switching with a current pulse width less than 10 ns was achieved with no impact on endurance cycles.