Methods of fabricating magnetic tunnel junctions integrated with selectors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of fabricating a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
- forming a plurality of source line conductors in a plurality of source line trenches, wherein a surface of the source line conductors are coplanar with a surface of a first dielectric layer;
forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer and the source line conductors;
forming an array of selector openings in the second dielectric layer, wherein sets of selector openings extended to respective source line conductors;
forming an array of selectors in the array of selector openings, wherein a surface of the selectors are coplanar with a surface of the second dielectric layer; and
forming an array of MTJ pillars coupled to the array of selectors.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods of fabricating devices including arrays of integrated Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJs) and corresponding selectors in an array of cells. The array of cells can include a plurality of source lines disposed in columns, set of selectors coupled to respective source lines, MJT structures coupled to respective selectors and a plurality of bit lines disposed in rows and coupled to respective sets of MTJ structures. The array of cells can also include buffers coupled between respective selectors and respective MTJ structures. In addition, multiple arrays can be fabricated on top of each other to implement vertical three-dimensional (3D) MTJ devices.
445 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method of fabricating a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
-
forming a plurality of source line conductors in a plurality of source line trenches, wherein a surface of the source line conductors are coplanar with a surface of a first dielectric layer; forming a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer and the source line conductors; forming an array of selector openings in the second dielectric layer, wherein sets of selector openings extended to respective source line conductors; forming an array of selectors in the array of selector openings, wherein a surface of the selectors are coplanar with a surface of the second dielectric layer; and forming an array of MTJ pillars coupled to the array of selectors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of forming a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
-
forming a plurality of source line trenches disposed in columns in a first dielectric layer; forming a plurality of source line conductors in the plurality of source line trenches; forming a selector layer over the first dielectric layer and the plurality of source line conductors; forming a first barrier layer on the selector layer; forming a reference magnetic layer over the first barrier layer; forming a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer over the reference magnetic layer; forming a free magnetic layer over the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer; forming a first portion of an array of pillars from the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and reference magnetic layer; forming a conformal dielectric layer on the exposed portions of the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunnel barrier layer, and the reference magnetic layer in the first portion of the pillars and the exposed portions of the first barrier layer; and forming a second portion of the array of pillars from the first barrier layer and the select layer, wherein portions of the conformal dielectric layer along sidewalls of the first portion of the array of pillars protect one or more of the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and the reference magnetic layer during forming the second portion of the array of pillars. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of forming a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
-
forming a source line layer on a first dielectric layer including in a plurality of trenches disposed in columns in the first dielectric layer; forming a selector layer over the source line layer including in the plurality of trenches; planarizing the selector layer and the source line layer to remove the selector layer and the source line layer on the first dielectric layer and leaving the source line layer and selector layer in the plurality of trenches; forming a reference magnetic layer over the first barrier layer; forming a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer over the reference magnetic layer; forming a free magnetic layer over the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer; forming a first portion of an array of pillars from the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and reference magnetic layer; forming a conformal dielectric layer on the exposed portions of the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunnel barrier layer, and reference magnetic layer in the first portion of the pillars and the exposed portions of the first barrier layer; and forming a second portion of the array of pillars from the first barrier layer and select layer, wherein portions of the conformal dielectric layer along sidewall of the first portion of the array of pillars protect one or more the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and the reference magnetic layer during forming the second portion of the array of pillars. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of forming a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
-
forming a source line layer on a first dielectric layer including in a plurality of trenches; forming a selector layer on the source line layer including in the plurality of trenches; forming a buffer layer on the selector layer including in the plurality of trenches; planarizing the buffer layer, the selector layer and the source line layer to remove buffer layer, the selector layer and the source line layer on the first dielectric layer and leaving buffer layer, the source line layer and selector layer in the plurality of trenches; forming a first barrier layer on the coplanar exposed portions of the buffer layer, the selector layer, source line layer and first dielectric layer; forming a reference magnetic layer over the first barrier layer; forming a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer over the reference magnetic layer; forming a free magnetic layer over the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer; and forming an array of pillars from the free magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and reference magnetic layer.
-
-
16. A method of forming a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
-
forming a plurality of bit line conductors in a plurality of bit line trenches, wherein a surface of the bit line conductors are coplanar with a surface of a first dielectric layer; forming a free magnetic layer over the plurality of bit line conductors and first dielectric layer; forming a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer over the free magnetic layer; forming a reference magnetic layer over the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer; forming a selector layer over the reference magnetic layer; and forming an array of pillars from the selector layer, the reference magnetic layer, the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer and the free magnetic layer. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification