Researchers from the School of Engineering at Stanford University discovered that a metallic compound called manganese palladium three MnPd3 is a promising material to build SOT-MRAM memory devices.
The researchers say that the new material enables a breakthrough in SOT-MRAM device performance, as it is the first material that generates spin in the z-direction, rather than the y-direction as in most materials, which is a property needed in high-performance SOT-MRAM. In fact MnPd3 is able to generate spins in any orientation because its internal structure lacks the kind of crystal symmetry that would force all of the electrons into a particular orientation.
Using manganese palladium three, the researchers were able to demonstrate magnetization switching in both the y- and z-directions without needing an external magnetic field. In addition, the material can withstand high temperature, thus making it suitable for device fabrication. The researchers are now developing the first working on the first MnPd3 SOT-MRAM prototype device.