FABRICATING METHOD OF MAGNETORESISTIVE ELEMENT, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20100080894A1
• Filed: 09/01/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Anelva Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tsunekawa, Koji, Nagamine, Yoshinori
• Application Number:
  US12/551,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080894A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/131
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• 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 10/3272 by use of anti-parallel coupled [APC] ferromagnetic layers, e.g. artificial ferrimagnets [AFI], artificial [AAF] or synthetic [SAF] anti-ferromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 10/3295 Spin-exchange coupled multilayers wherein the magnetic pinned or free layers are laminated without anti-parallel coupling within the pinned and free layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/307 insulating or semiconductive spacer
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides a fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element having an MR ratio higher than a conventional MR ratio. In a step of depositing a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer on a substrate using a sputtering method in one embodiment of the present invention, the step of depositing the magnetization fixed layer deposits a ferromagnetic layer containing Co atoms, Fe atoms, and B atoms by a co-sputtering method using a first target containing Co atoms, Fe atoms and B atoms, and a second target having different B atom content from that of the first target.

Claims

1. A fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element comprising, on a substrate, a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer located between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer, the method including the steps of:

depositing the magnetization fixed layer;

depositing the tunnel barrier layer on the magnetization fixed layer; and

depositing the magnetization free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;

wherein

the step of depositing the magnetization fixed layer has a deposition step of depositing a ferromagnetic layer containing Co(cobalt) atom, Fe(iron) atom, and B(boron) atom by co-sputtering method using a first target containing Co(cobalt) atom, Fe(iron) atom, and B(boron) atom, and a second target containing Co (cobalt) atom and Fe(iron) atom, the second target having different B(boron) atom content from that of the first target (however, the second target includes a case where B(boron) atom content is zero).

2. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium oxide-containing target.

3. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline metal magnesium layer by a sputtering method using a metal magnesium-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline metal magnesium layer into a crystalline magnesium oxide layer.

4. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium boron oxide-containing target.

5. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 1, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium-boron alloy-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer into a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer.

6. A fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element comprising, on a substrate, a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer located between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer, the method including the steps of:

depositing the magnetization fixed layer;

depositing the tunnel barrier layer on the magnetization fixed layer; and

depositing the magnetization free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;

wherein

the step of depositing the magnetization fixed layer has;

a deposition step of depositing an amorphous ferromagnetic layer containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms by a co-sputtering method using a first target containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms, and a second target containing Co (cobalt) atoms and Fe (iron) atoms, the second target having different B (boron) atom content from that of the first target (however, the second target includes a case where B (boron) atom content is zero); and

a phase-change step of phase-changing the amorphous ferromagnetic layer to a crystalline ferromagnetic layer.

7. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 6, wherein the phase-change step has an annealing step.

8. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 6, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium oxide-containing target.

9. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 6, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline metal magnesium layer by a sputtering method using a metal magnesium-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline metal magnesium layer into a crystalline magnesium oxide layer.

10. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 6, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium boron oxide-containing target.

11. The fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element according to claim 6, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium-boron alloy-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer into a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer.

12. A storage medium for storing a control program configured to let a computer execute a fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element comprising, on a substrate, a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer located between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer, the method including the steps of:

depositing the magnetization fixed layer;

depositing the tunnel barrier layer on the magnetization fixed layer; and

depositing the magnetization free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;

wherein

the step of depositing the magnetization fixed layer has a deposition step of depositing a ferromagnetic layer containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms by a co-sputtering method using a first target containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms, and a second target containing Co (cobalt) atoms and Fe (iron) atoms, the second target having different B (boron) atom content from that of the first target (however, the second target includes a case where B (boron) atom content is zero).

13. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium oxide-containing target.

14. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline metal magnesium layer by a sputtering method using a metal magnesium-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline metal magnesium layer into a crystalline magnesium oxide layer.

15. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium boron oxide-containing target.

16. The storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium-boron alloy-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer into a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer.

17. A storage medium for storing a control program configured to let a computer execute a fabricating method of a magnetoresistive element comprising, on a substrate, a magnetization fixed layer, a magnetization free layer, and a tunnel barrier layer located between the magnetization fixed layer and the magnetization free layer, the method including the steps of:

depositing the magnetization fixed layer;

depositing the tunnel barrier layer on the magnetization fixed layer; and

depositing the magnetization free layer on the tunnel barrier layer;

wherein

the step of depositing the magnetization fixed layer has;

a deposition step of depositing an amorphous ferromagnetic layer containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms by a co-sputtering method using a first target containing Co (cobalt) atoms, Fe (iron) atoms, and B (boron) atoms, and a second target containing Co (cobalt) atoms and Fe (iron) atoms, the second target having different B (boron) atom content from that of the first target (however, the second target includes a case where B (boron) atom content is zero); and

a phase-change step of phase-changing the amorphous ferromagnetic layer to a crystalline ferromagnetic layer.

18. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the phase-change step has an annealing step.

19. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium oxide-containing target.

20. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline metal magnesium layer by a sputtering method using a metal magnesium-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline metal magnesium layer into a crystalline magnesium oxide layer.

21. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has a step of depositing a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium boron oxide-containing target.

22. The storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the step of depositing the tunnel barrier layer has:

a deposition step of depositing a crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer by a sputtering method using a magnesium-boron alloy-containing target; and

an oxidization step of oxidizing the crystalline magnesium-boron alloy layer into a crystalline magnesium boron oxide layer.