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Chin. Phys. B, 2017, Vol. 26(8): 087501    DOI: 10.1088/1674-1056/26/8/087501
CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES Prev   Next  

Total ionizing radiation-induced read bit-errors in toggle magnetoresistive random-access memory devices

Yan Cui(崔岩)1,2, Ling Yang(杨玲)1,2, Teng Gao(高腾)1,2, Bo Li(李博)1,2, Jia-Jun Luo(罗家俊)1,2
1 Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China;
2 Key Laboratory of Silicon Device and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Abstract  

The 1-Mb and 4-Mb commercial toggle magnetoresistive random-access memories (MRAMs) with 0.13 μm and 0.18-μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process respectively and different magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) are irradiated with a Cobalt-60 gamma source. The electrical functions of devices during the irradiation and the room temperature annealing behavior are measured. Electrical failures are observed until the dose accumulates to 120-krad (Si) in 4-Mb MRAM while the 1-Mb MRAM keeps normal. Thus, the 0.13-μm process circuit exhibits better radiation tolerance than the 0.18-μm process circuit. However, a small quantity of read bit-errors randomly occurs only in 1-Mb MRAM during the irradiation while their electrical function is normal. It indicates that the store states of MTJ may be influenced by gamma radiation, although the electrical transport and magnetic properties are inherently immune to the radiation. We propose that the magnetic Compton scattering in the interaction of gamma ray with magnetic free layer may be the origin of the read bit-errors. Our results are useful for MRAM toward space application.

Keywords:  magnetoresistive random-access memories      total ionizing dose effect      magnetic tunneling junction      magnetic Compton scattering effect  
Received:  10 March 2017      Revised:  13 April 2017      Accepted manuscript online: 
PACS:  75.47.-m (Magnetotransport phenomena; materials for magnetotransport)  
  61.80.Ed (γ-ray effects)  
  33.57.+c (Magneto-optical and electro-optical spectra and effects)  
Fund: 

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61404161).

Corresponding Authors:  Jia-Jun Luo     E-mail:  luojj@ime.ac.cn
About author:  0.1088/1674-1056/26/8/

Cite this article: 

Yan Cui(崔岩), Ling Yang(杨玲), Teng Gao(高腾), Bo Li(李博), Jia-Jun Luo(罗家俊) Total ionizing radiation-induced read bit-errors in toggle magnetoresistive random-access memory devices 2017 Chin. Phys. B 26 087501

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