Current-in-plane pseudo-spin-valve device performance for giant magnetoresistive random access memory applications (invited)

Write and read characteristics of current-in-plane pseudo-spin-valve (PSV) devices are demonstrated in terms of switching, resistive, and magnetoresistive properties of individual PSV devices and ensembles of PSV devices. Characteristics of PSV devices are described that are necessary and consistent with requirements for a giant magnetoresistive random access memory (GMRAM) which is an integrated magnetics-on-semiconductor memory. An architecture for a GMRAM is described that uses PSV devices for writing, readback, and nonvolatile data retention. Write and read switching, read magnetoresistance, write and read selectivity, switching repeatability, resistance, and change-in-resistance properties have been characterized and described in PSV devices and populations of PSV devices fabricated on bulk Si and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor underlayers. PSV device switching characteristics are shown to be consistent with coupled-switching models and have trends that show similarities with micromagnetic simulation results. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.