Intrinsic back-switching phenomenon in SOT-MRAM devices

Abstract

The writing process of SOT-MRAMs is considered deterministic when additional symmetry-breaking factors, such as the application of an external magnetic field aligned with the current, are present. Notably, the write probability exhibits a unique behavior as a function of the current: it drops to zero at high currents or even oscillates with the current. This phenomenon is attributed to back-switching, an intrinsic effect of magnetization reversal driven by spin-orbit torques. A systematic investigation of this back-switching phenomenon is conducted on sub-100 nm CoFeB magnetic pillars positioned at the center of $\beta$-W Hall crosses. Using a statistical approach, the study examines the impact of various parameters, including the amplitude of current pulses and the application of magnetic fields in different directions. The findings reveal that the back-switching phenomenon is not statistically random. Macrospin simulations, employing realistic magnetic parameter values, accurately replicate the experimental observations and provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of back-switching. These simulations also explore strategies to mitigate the phenomenon, such as optimizing the shape of the writing pulses. Applying this approach to complete SOT-MRAM single cells achieves a write error rate below $2\times 10^{-6}$, demonstrating the effectiveness of this strategy in expanding the operational current range for write operations in SOT-MRAMs.

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020; Project acronym SPEAR; Grant Agreement No. 955671

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