Strained Voltage-Controlled Magnetic Memory Elements and Devices
10-fold reduction (1-2 V to 100-200 mV) in voltage requirements for VCMA controlled magnetic memory100-fold improvement in energy efficiency compared to volatile memory technologies (SRAM, DRAM)
Memory and data storage technologiesMicroprocessor logic gates and circuitsContent-addressable memory (CAM) circuitsNanoelectronics
Researchers under Kang Wang at UCLA have verified through computational calculations that manipulation of strain in materials used in and around the magnetic tunnel junction interface (MEJ) can be used to increase the magnitude of voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) and subsequently lower the required switching voltage required in MEJ based memory systems.
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State Of Development The Wang Group has outlined methods and structures for designing a VCMA controlled magnetic memory technology with engineered material strain. Work on experimental demonstration of their idea is currently in progress. Background Non-volatile magnetic memory technologies have the potential of becoming the next universal memory by providing the speed of static RAM (SRAM), the density of dynamic RAM (DRAM) and the non-volatility of Flash memory. Magnetic memory stores information in what is known as a magnetic tunnel junction consisting of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a non-conductive tunneling barrier. The direction of magnetization of the two ferromagnetic layers in relation to one another is read to store information. Magnetic anisotropy is the dependence of magnetic properties on a preferred direction that is affected by the structure, shape, and strain of the material. Voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) controlled magnetic memory is a next generation technology used to switch the orientation of the ferromagnetic layers. While magnetic memory technologies have lower energy consumption requirements compared to conventional memory, advances in energy efficiency are crucial for the future of ultra-low-voltage nanotechnologies. Related Materials Zhu J, Katine JA, Rowlands GE, Chen YJ, Duan Z, Alzate JG, Upadhyaya P, Langer J, Amiri PK, Wang KL, Krivorotov IN: Voltage-induced ferromagnetic resonance in magnetic tunnel junctions. Physical Review Letters 2012:108-19 Additional Technologies by these Inventors Tech ID/UC Case 29176/2015-092-0 Related Cases 2015-092-0
Yu G, Upadhyaya P, Fan Y, Alzate JG, Jiang W, Wong KL, Takei S, Bender SA, Chang LT, Jiang Y, Lang M, Tang J, Wang Y, Tserkovnyak Y, Amiri PK, Wang KL: Switching of perpendicular magnetization by spin-orbit torques in the absence of external magnetic fields. Nature Nanotechnology 2014:9-7
Lee H, Alzate J, Dorrance R, Cai X, Markovic D, Khalili Amiri P, Wang K: Design of a Fast and Low-Power Sense Amplifier and Writing Circuit for High-Speed MRAM. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics 2014:1-1.
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