BMDO TOPIC -- Magneto-Thermal MRAM

Magneto-Thermal MRAM uses both heat and magnetic field (current) to overcome thermal instabilites of very small memory cells. Self-generated heat in the cell raises the temperature of magnetic material in the cell above the exchange ordering temperature ofthe magnetic material (either ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic). Magneto-Thermal MRAM is compatible with advances in photolithography down to 0.05 micron to provide nonvolatile random access memory at DRAM densities. Because there is no irreversiblechange in lattice or phase during writing, no writing fatigue is anticipated. The proposed work will concentrate on materials and process developments to deomonstrate reliability and cell performance compatible with read and write speeds of approximately50 ns and a realistic chip capacity of 1 gigabit are expected using 0.1 micron lithography. A small, working memory array and conceptual design (compatible with domonstration array data) will show that Magneto-Thermal MRAM can provide high densitynonvolatile memory at least through the next decade.