Write asymmetry of spin-orbit torque memory induced by in-plane magnetic fields

Abstract

Write asymmetry, the significantly different write current for high-to-low and low-to-high resistance switching because of natural stochastic behaviors of magnetization, is a fundamental issue in magnetic random-access memory (MRAM). For high-performance spin transfer torque (STT) MRAM, it can be eliminated by precisely controlling atomically thin magnetic multilayers or by introducing compensation techniques in circuit-level designs, while for spin-orbit torque (SOT) MRAM, it has not been addressed. Here we systematically investigated the write asymmetry of SOT-MRAM as a function of applied magnetic fields (H) and demonstrated that the write currents are intrinsically asymmetric due to different SOT efficiencies for high-to-low and low-to-high switching. Furthermore, we found that the SOT efficiency is very sensitive to the tilt angle between H and write current, which can be tuned through H to achieve symmetric SOT switching. These results provide an additional guideline for designing SOT devices and suggest that the write asymmetry can be eliminated by adjusting the introduced effective magnetic fields within a field-free SOT-MRAM architecture.

arXiv comment4 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (14)

• Spin torque switching with the giant spin Hall effect of tantalum
• Magnetic switching by spin torque from the spin Hall effect
• Spin transfer torque devices utilizing the giant spin Hall effect of tungsten
• Dynamics of Dzyaloshinskii domain walls in ultrathin magnetic films
• Switching of perpendicular magnetization by spin-orbit torques in the absence of external magnetic fields
• Dependence of the Efficiency of Spin Hall Torque on the Transparency of Pt-Ferromagnetic Layer Interfaces
• Room-temperature perpendicular magnetization switching through giant spin-orbit torque from sputtered BixSe(1-x) topological insulator material
• Determination of the Spin-Hall-Effect-Induced and the Wedged-Structure-Induced Spin Torque Efficiencies in Heterostructures with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy
• Threshold current for switching of a perpendicular magnetic layer induced by spin Hall effect
• Central role of domain wall depinning for perpendicular magnetization switching driven by spin torque from the spin Hall effect
• Anomalous Spin-Orbit Torques in Magnetic Single-Layer Films
• Spin-orbit torque switching of synthetic antiferromagnets
• Enhancement of spin transparency by interfacial alloying
• Tunable Spin-Orbit Torques in Cu-Ta Binary Alloy Heterostructures

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Switching of Perpendicular Magnetization by Spin-Orbit Torque
• Large anomalous unidirectional magnetoresistance in a single ferromagnetic layer
• Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in as-deposited CoFeB/MgO thin films
• Impact of gate voltage on switching field of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with a synthetic antiferromagnetic free layer