Thin-film magnetic memory device executing data writing with data write magnetic fields in two directions

Claim 2

A thin-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a predetermined data write magnetic field caused by first and second data write currents; a first data write interconnection arranged in a first direction for passing said first data write current; and a second data write interconnection arranged in a second direction for passing said second data write current, wherein said first data write current is larger than said second data write current, and said first data write interconnection has a sectional area larger than a sectional area of said second data write interconnection.

Claim 3

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second data write interconnections are arranged such that a distance between said first data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion is longer than a distance between said second data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 4

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said first data write interconnection has an interconnection width larger than that of said second data write interconnection.

Claim 5

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said first data write interconnection has an interconnection thickness larger than that of said second data write interconnection.

Claim 6

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said magnetic memory portions has a form having an aspect ratio larger than one between a long side and a short side, said first data write interconnection has an interconnection width in the direction of said long side, and said second data write interconnection has an interconnection width in the direction of said short side smaller than that of said first data write interconnection.

Claim 7

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 5 , wherein said second data write interconnection is arranged using a metal interconnection layer at a higher level than said first data write interconnection.

Claim 8

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second data write currents are designed at predetermined levels, respectively.

Claim 9

A thin-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a data write magnetic field; a first data write interconnection for passing a first data write current producing said data write magnetic field along an easy axis; and a second data write interconnection for passing a second data write current producing said data write magnetic field along a hard axis, wherein said first data write current has a rising time constant larger than a rising time constant of said second data write current at a start of a data write operation performed by rewriting a magnetization direction of said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 10

A thin-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a data write magnetic field; a first data write interconnection for passing a first data write current producing said data write magnetic field along an easy axis; and a second data write interconnection for passing a second data write current producing said data write magnetic field along a hard axis, wherein said first data write current has a rising time constant larger than a rising time constant of said second data write current at a start of a data write operation performed by rewriting a magnetization direction of said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 11

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 8 , wherein supply of said second data write current ends earlier than ending of supply of said first data write current at the end of said data write operation.

Claim 12

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 8 , wherein each of said magnetic memory portions has a form having a long side and a short side, an aspect ratio of the form being greater than unity, said first data write interconnection is arranged along said short side, and said second data write interconnection is arranged along said long side.

Claim 13

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 8 , wherein said plurality of memory cells are arranged in rows and columns, said first data write interconnections are arranged for memory cell columns, respectively, and said second data write interconnections are arranged for memory cell rows, respectively; said thin-film magnetic memory device further comprises: plurality of column select lines arranged for said memory cell columns, respectively, and a plurality of column select line drive portions arranged for said memory cell columns, respectively, each for driving a corresponding one of said column select lines from a first voltage to a second voltage by a predetermined operation current in a selected column; and said predetermined operation current is set to provide said first data write current having said rising time constant larger than said rising time constant of said second data write current.

Claim 14

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 11 , wherein each of said column select line drive portion includes: a drive gate portion for driving said corresponding one of column select line by one of said first and second voltages in accordance with results of column selection, and a drive current switching portion for supplying a first current as said predetermined operation current to said drive gate portion in said data write operation, and supplying a second current larger than said first current as said predetermined operation current to said drive gate portion in the data read operation.

Claim 15

A think-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a predetermined data write magnetic field caused by predetermined first and second data write currents; a first data write interconnection arranged in a first direction for passing said predetermined first data write current; and a second data write interconnection arranged in a second direction for passing said predetermined second data write current, wherein said predetermined first and second data write currents are designed such that said predetermined first data write current is larger than said predetermined second data write current, and said first and second data write interconnections are arranged such that a distance between said first data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion is greater than a distance between said second data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 16

A think-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a predetermined data write magnetic field caused by predetermined first and second data write currents; a first data write interconnection arranged in a first direction for passing said predetermined first data write current; and a second data write interconnection arranged in a second direction for passing said predetermined second data write current, wherein said predetermined first and second data write currents are designed such that said predetermined first data write current is larger than said predetermined second data write current, and said first and second data write interconnections are arranged such that a distance between said first data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion is greater than a distance between said second data write interconnection and said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 17

A thin-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a data write magnetic field; a first data write interconnection for passing a first data write current producing said data write magnetic field along an easy axis; and a second data write interconnection for passing a second data write current producing said data write magnetic field along a hard axis, wherein supply of said second data write current begins earlier than beginning of supply of said first data write at the beginning of a data write operation.

Claim 18

A thin-film magnetic memory device comprising: a plurality of memory cells each having a magnetic memory portion having an electric resistance varying in accordance with a magnetization direction rewritable in response to application of a data write magnetic field; a first data write interconnection for passing a first data write current producing said data write magnetic field along an easy axis; and a second data write interconnection for passing a second data write current producing said data write magnetic field along a hard axis, wherein supply of said second data write current begins earlier than beginning of supply of said first data write at the beginning of a data write operation.

Claim 19

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 14 , wherein said first data write current has a rising time constant larger than a rising time constant of said second data write current at a start of said data write operation performed by rewriting a magnetization direction of said magnetic memory portion.

Claim 20

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 14 , wherein supply of said second data write current ends earlier than ending of supply of said first data write current at the end of said data write operation.

Claim 21

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 14 , wherein each of said magnetic memory portions has a form having a long side and a short side, an aspect ratio of the form being greater than unity, said first data write interconnection is arranged along said short side, and said second data write interconnection is arranged along said long side.

Claim 22

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 14 , wherein said plurality of memory cells are arranged in rows and columns, said first data write interconnections are arranged for memory cell columns, respectively, and said second data write interconnections are arranged for memory cell rows, respectively; said thin-film magnetic memory device further comprises: a plurality of column select lines arranged for said memory cell columns, respectively, and a plurality of column select line drive portions arranged for said memory cell columns, respectively, each for driving a corresponding one of said column select lines from a first voltage to a second voltage by a predetermined operation current in a selected column, and said predetermined operation current is set to provide said first data write current having said rising time constant larger than said rising time constant of said second data write current.

Claim 23

The thin-film magnetic memory device according to claim 18 , wherein each of said column select line drive portion includes: a drive gate portion for driving said corresponding one of column select line by one of said first and second voltages in accordance with results of column selection, and a drive current switching portion for supplying a first current as said predetermined operation current to said drive gate portion in said data write operation, and supplying a second current larger than said first current as said predetermined operation current to said drive gate portion in the data read operation.