SBIR Phase I: An Enhanced Epitaxial Crystal Growth Method To Fabricate MTJ Having Ultra-Low Magnetic Damping

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) films having ultra-small damping constant for low-power, high performance spin transfer torque (STT) MRAM application. This program will take advantage of an enhanced epitaxial crystal growth method to fabricate MTJ magnetic recording layer with a novel structure to promote a high quality magnetic material crystalline growth with reduced defects and impurities to form low magnetic damping recording layer thin films. The magnetic damping constant reduction is the most direct and effective approach to decrease the critical write current and write power in STT-MRAM without any trade-off between the write power and thermal reliability, and to increase margin and yield of STT-MRAM product. This innovative MTJ fabrication method will not only create ultra-low damping constant magnetic recording layer but also provides better noise performance than traditional MTJ devices as used in magnetic sensor. Additionally, a memory block will also be developed to initiate commercialization efforts. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is in its ability to make high performance STT-MRAM with low power and excellent thermal reliability and high quality MTJ-based sensor with improved signal-to-noise ratio. Its main attribute is that it offers high quality magnetic thin films with ultra-low damping and low noise in MTJ devices. This capability could have a broad impact in various disciplines, including material science, spin-transfer torque (STT) MRAM manufacturing, advanced sensitive magnetic sensor and biosensor. Due to its overall excellent performance, including ultra-high speed, low power, non-volatile, long life and good data retention, STT-MRAM will enable next generation power-efficient computing applications and mobile devices as a disruptive memory technology. For example, it can reduce processor power consumption by 90% and provide a brand-new integrated memory solution for ultra-fast computers. This innovative MTJ fabrication approach will become a widely useful method to make magnetic thin films with less defects and impurities and accordingly have ultra-low magnetic damping for future nano-spintronics devices. Furthermore, it will lead a better understanding of magnetic damping phenomena physics in magnetic thin films.