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Influence of Total Ionizing Dose on Magnetic Tunnel Junctions With Perpendicular Anisotropy

Spin-transfer torque magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM) is a promising solution for onboard, radiation-tolerant memory for space environments. This is because magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) have demonstrated outstanding resilience to ionizing radiation. In this study, we examine the effect of total ionizing dose (TID) on the MTJ’s thermal stability factor, intrinsic critical switching voltage, and write energy. These parameters were calculated from switching probability distribution curves taken at three different pulsewidths. Additionally, dc current hysteresis plots were obtained to measure the MTJ’s tunnel magnetoresistance ratio, its dependence on voltage, and the dc current required to switch states. Tests were carried out at two TID exposure levels up to 1 Mrad(Si) on a total of 24 MTJs of varying cross section dimensions in order to identify the influence of scaling as well as to obtain statistical variation for any changes observed. Results indicate that TID exposure had small effects on the MTJ’s thermal stability and critical switching voltage, which affected the write energy, especially for switching from the antiparallel (AP) to parallel (P) direction. For switching from P to AP, these changes fluctuated, suggesting that TID has multiple effects, which have competing influences on the MTJ’s switching properties. The work presented here shows that, while MTJs are highly resistant to ionizing radiation, a subtle influence on some properties for the STT-MRAM write operation should be considered in radiation environment assessments for both terrestrial and space applications.