Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090210146 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING AN ITINERARY - A method for generating an itinerary to be implemented by a system includes: enabling the system to determine a route that starts at a departure point and that ends at a destination point with reference to an electronic route-providing source; enabling the system to determine at least one candidate place-of-interest located in the vicinity of the route with reference to an electronic place-of-interest providing source; and enabling the system to generate an itinerary that departs from the departure point and that arrives at the destination point via the route. The system includes the candidate place-of-interest as a to-be-visited place-of-interest into the itinerary based on an estimated travel time associated with the route, a duration of stay associated with the to-be-visited place-of-interest already included in the itinerary, and a duration of stay associated with the candidate place-of-interest. A system that performs the method is also disclosed. | 08-20-2009 |
20110169112 | Composite Hardmask Architecture and Method of Creating Non-Uniform Current Path for Spin Torque Driven Magnetic Tunnel Junction - A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) storage element and method of forming the MTJ are disclosed. The magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) storage element includes a pinned layer, a barrier layer, a free layer and a composite hardmask or top electrode. The composite hardmask/top electrode architecture is configured to provide a non-uniform current path through the MTJ storage element and is formed from electrodes having different resistance characteristics coupled in parallel. An optional tuning layer interposed between the free layer and the top electrode helps to reduce the damping constant of the free layer. | 07-14-2011 |
20120205764 | Methods of Integrated Shielding into MTJ Device for MRAM - Methods and apparatus for shielding a shielding a non-volatile memory, such as shielding a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device from a magnetic flux are provided. In an example, a shielding layer is formed adjacent to an electrode of an MTJ device, such that the shielding layer substantially surrounds a surface of the electrode, and a metal line is coupled to the shielding layer. The metal line can be coupled to the shielding layer by a via. | 08-16-2012 |
20130062715 | SYMMETRICALLY SWITCHABLE SPIN-TRANSFER-TORQUE MAGNETORESISTIVE DEVICE - A spin transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) device includes magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with reduced switching current asymmetry. At least one switching asymmetry balance layer (SABL) near the free layer of the MTJ reduces a first switching current Ic(p-ap) causing the value of the first switching current to be nearly equal to the value of a second switching current Ic(ap-p) without increasing the average switching current of the device. The SABL may be a non-magnetic switching asymmetry balance layer (NM-SABL) and/or a magnetic switching asymmetry balance layer (M-SABL). | 03-14-2013 |
20130191048 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ESTIMATING DAMAGE TO A MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION (MTJ) ELEMENT - A method of estimating damage to a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element that includes providing an MTJ element having a magnetic barrier layer, the magnetic barrier layer having a periphery, a cross-sectional area and a thickness and comprising an inner region of undamaged magnetic barrier material and an outer region of damaged magnetic barrier material between the inner region and the periphery, determining a first value indicative of an electrical characteristic of the MTJ element, determining a second value indicative of the electrical characteristic that the MTJ element would have had if the outer region of damaged magnetic barrier material were not present and if the inner region of undamaged magnetic barrier material extended to the periphery, and calculating a value indicative of the size of the outer region of damaged magnetic barrier material from the first value and the second value. Also a computer configured to perform the method. | 07-25-2013 |
20140027869 | AMORPHOUS ALLOY SPACER FOR PERPENDICULAR MTJs - A perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) apparatus includes a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) enhancement buffer layer deposited between the tunnel barrier layer and the reference layers An amorphous alloy spacer is deposited between the TMR enhancement buffer layer and the reference layers to enhance TMR The amorphous alloy spacer blocks template effects of face centered cubic (fcc) oriented pinned layers and provides strong coupling between the pinned layers and the TMR enhancement buffer layer to ensure full perpendicular magnetization. | 01-30-2014 |
20140048894 | MTP MTJ DEVICE - Systems and methods for multiple-time programmable (MTP) devices. An MTP device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device programmable to a plurality of states based on voltage applied across the MTJ device. The plurality of states include a first resistance state corresponding to a first binary value stored in the MTJ device based on a first voltage, a second resistance state corresponding to a second binary value stored in the MTJ device based on a second voltage, a third resistance state corresponding to a breakdown of a barrier layer of the MTJ device based on a third voltage, and a fourth resistance state corresponding to an open fuse based on a fourth voltage. | 02-20-2014 |
20140073064 | MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION (MTJ) ON PLANARIZED ELECTRODE - A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with direct contact is manufactured having lower resistances, improved yield, and simpler fabrication. The lower resistances improve both read and write processes in the MTJ. The MTJ layers are deposited on a bottom electrode aligned with the bottom metal. An etch stop layer may be deposited adjacent to the bottom metal to prevent overetch of an insulator surrounding the bottom metal. The bottom electrode is planarized before deposition of the MTJ layers to provide a substantially flat surface. Additionally, an underlayer may be deposited on the bottom electrode before the MTJ layers to promote desired characteristics of the MTJ. | 03-13-2014 |
20140203381 | PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSFORMING NITRIDATION/OXIDATION AT EDGES, AND PROTECTING EDGES OF MAGNETORESISTIVE TUNNEL JUNCTION (MTJ) LAYERS - Material surrounding a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device region of a multi-layer starting structure is etched, forming an MTJ device pillar having an MTJ layer with a chemically damaged peripheral edge region. De-nitridation or de-oxidation, or both, restore the chemically damaged peripheral region to form an edge-restored MTJ layer. An MTJ edge restoration assist layer is formed on the edge-restored MTJ layer. An MTJ-edge-protect layer is formed on the insulating MTJ-edge-restoration-assist layer. | 07-24-2014 |