Magnetic tunnel junction device

• US 10,680,167 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2019
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Japan Science & Technology Trading Co. Limited
• Inventors: Yuasa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chambliss, Alonzo
• Application Number:
  US16/443,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20200020851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/15 using multiple magnetic layers G11C11/155 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/16 using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/161 details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/132 containing cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3254 the spacer being semiconducting or insulating, e.g. for spin tunnel junction [STJ]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/55 with a dielectric comprising a perovskite structure material
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 53/30 characterised by the memory core region
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/00 Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/22 of the field-effect transistor [FET] type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/10 Magnetoresistive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/80 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 50/85 Magnetic active materials
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one galvanomagnetic or Hall-effect element covered by groups H10N50/00 - H10N52/00 MRAM devices H10B61/00

Abstract

The output voltage of an MRAM is increased by means of an Fe(001)/MgO(001)/Fe(001) MTJ device, which is formed by microfabrication of a sample prepared as follows: A single-crystalline MgO (001) substrate is prepared. An epitaxial Fe(001) lower electrode (a first electrode) is grown on a MgO(001) seed layer at room temperature, followed by annealing under ultrahigh vacuum. A MgO(001) barrier layer is epitaxially formed on the Fe(001) lower electrode (the first electrode) at room temperature, using a MgO electron-beam evaporation. A Fe(001) upper electrode (a second electrode) is then formed on the MgO(001) barrier layer at room temperature. This is successively followed by the deposition of a Co layer on the Fe(001) upper electrode (the second electrode). The Co layer is provided so as to increase the coercive force of the upper electrode in order to realize an antiparallel magnetization alignment.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, comprising:

forming a first CoFeB layer that is amorphous;

forming a magnesium oxide (MgO) layer over the first CoFeB layer;

forming a second CoFeB layer that is amorphous over the MgO layer; and

annealing the first and second CoFeB layers and the MgO layer,

wherein the first and second CoFeB layers are crystallized by the annealing, and

wherein the MgO layer is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein after the annealing, the first and second CoFeB layers are entirely crystallized.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein after the annealing, each of the first and second CoFeB layers is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein after the annealing,

the first and second CoFeB layers are entirely crystallized, and

each of the first and second CoFeB layers is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein after the annealing, each of the first and second CoFeB layers is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented and each of the first and second CoFeB layers includes a BCC (body-centered cubic) structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein after the annealing,

the first and second CoFeB layers are entirely crystallized, and

each of the first and second CoFeB layers is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented and each of the first and second CoFeB layers includes a BCC (body-centered cubic) structure.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein in the forming the MgO layer, the MgO layer is formed as a MgO_x (0<

x<

1) layer.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein in the forming the MgO layer, the value of x in MgO_x for the MgO layer is greater than 0 and less than 1.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein in the forming the MgO layer, the MgO layer is formed directly on the first CoFeB layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in the forming the MgO layer, the MgO layer is formed directly on the first CoFeB layer, and

in the forming the second CoFeB layer, the second CoFeB layer is formed directly on the MgO layer.

11. A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, comprising:

forming a first ferromagnetic layer including a first CoFeB layer that is amorphous;

forming a barrier layer including a magnesium oxide (MgO) layer to have a poly-crystalline state in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented over the first ferromagnetic layer;

forming a second ferromagnetic layer including a second CoFeB layer that is amorphous over the barrier layer; and

annealing the first and second ferromagnetic layers and the barrier layer, to crystallize the first and second CoFeB layers.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein after the annealing, the first and second CoFeB layers are entirely crystallized.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein after the annealing,

the first and second CoFeB layers are entirely crystallized, and

each of the first and second CoFeB layers is poly-crystalline in which a (001) crystal plane is preferentially oriented and each of the first and second CoFeB layers includes a BCC (body-centered cubic) structure.

14. The method of claim 11,

wherein in the forming the barrier layer, the MgO layer is formed as a MgO_x (0<

x<

1) layer.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

in the forming the barrier layer, the barrier layer is formed directly on the first ferromagnetic layer, and

in the forming the second ferromagnetic layer, the second ferromagnetic layer is formed directly on the barrier layer.