Method for manufacturing a magnetic memory element array using high angle side etch to open top electrical contact
First Claim
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1. A method for manufacturing high density pillar structures, the method comprising:
- forming magnetic memory element pillars over a substrate;
depositing a dielectric material over the magnetic memory element pillars and substrate;
performing a first high angle ion milling to remove a portion of the dielectric material, the high angle ion milling being performed at an angle of at least 70 degrees relative to normal with a rotating chuck; and
after performing the first ion milling, performing a second ion milling at an angle relative to normal that is greater than the angle of the first ion milling.
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a magnetic memory element array. A plurality of magnetic memory elements are formed on a substrate, and a dielectric fill layer such as SiO2 or SiNx is deposited over the magnetic memory element pillars. An ion milling is then performed at a high angle (at least 70 degrees) relative normal to remove topographic dielectric features from areas over the magnetic memory elements. Optionally, additional ion milling processes can be performed at increasing angles relative to normal until the dielectric material has been removed from the areas over the magnetic memory elements.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing high density pillar structures, the method comprising:
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forming magnetic memory element pillars over a substrate; depositing a dielectric material over the magnetic memory element pillars and substrate; performing a first high angle ion milling to remove a portion of the dielectric material, the high angle ion milling being performed at an angle of at least 70 degrees relative to normal with a rotating chuck; and after performing the first ion milling, performing a second ion milling at an angle relative to normal that is greater than the angle of the first ion milling. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for manufacturing high density pillar structures, the method comprising:
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forming magnetic memory element pillars over a substrate, the memory element pillars having a hard mask layer formed at their top, the hard mask layer having an end point detection layer incorporated therein; depositing a dielectric material over the magnetic memory element pillars and substrate; performing a first high angle ion milling to remove a portion of the dielectric material, the high angle ion milling being performed at an angle of at least 70 degrees relative to normal with a rotating chuck; and after performing the first ion milling performing a second ion milling at an angle relative to normal that is greater than the angle of the first ion milling. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification