Strained perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction devices

MTJ material stacks with a laterally strained free magnetic layer, STTM devices employing such stacks, and computing platforms employing such STTM devices. In some embodiments, perpendicular pMTJ material stacks included free magnetic layers that are compressively strained laterally by a surrounding material, which increases coercive field strength for a more stable device. In some embodiments, a pMTJ material stack is encased in a compressive-stressed material. In some further embodiments, a pMTJ material stack is encased first in a dielectric shell, permitting a conductive material to be deposited over the shell as the compressive-stressed, strain-inducing material layer.