PLANARIZATION METHOD, SUBSTRATE TREATMENT SYSTEM, MRAM MANUFACTURING METHOD, AND MRAM ELEMENT
First Claim
1. A planarization method, comprising:
- irradiating an oxygen GCIB (gas cluster ion beam) to a metal film formed on a substrate, the metal film being formed before an MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction) element of an MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) is formed.
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Abstract
Provided is a planarization method capable of reliably planarizing a metal film formed before an MTJ element of an MRAM is formed. An MTJ element is formed by a sequence of processes including: forming a Cu film to be embedded in a SiO2 film in a wafer W; irradiating an oxygen GCIB to a surface of the Cu film to planarize the Cu film; forming a Ta film; forming a Ru film or a Ta film; irradiating the oxygen GCIB to the Ta film, the Ru film or the Ta film to planarize the Ta film, the Ru film or the Ta film; forming a PtMn film; irradiating the oxygen GCIB to a surface of the PtMn film to planarize the PtMn film; forming a CoFe thin film and a Ru thin film; and forming a CoFeB thin film, a MgO thin film and a CoFeB thin film in that order.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A planarization method, comprising:
irradiating an oxygen GCIB (gas cluster ion beam) to a metal film formed on a substrate, the metal film being formed before an MTJ (Magnetic Tunnel Junction) element of an MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) is formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A substrate treatment system, comprising:
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a film-forming processing chamber configured to form a metal film; and a GCIB irradiation processing chamber configured to irradiate an oxygen GCIB, wherein the film-forming processing chamber forms the metal film on a substrate before an MTJ element of an MRAM is formed, and the GCIB irradiation processing chamber irradiates the oxygen GCIB to the formed metal film before the MTJ element is formed. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. An MRAM manufacturing method, comprising:
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a lower electrode formation step of forming a lower electrode; a lower metal layer formation step of forming a lower metal layer on the lower electrode; an anti-ferromagnetic layer formation step of forming an anti-ferromagnetic layer on the lower metal layer; an MTJ element formation step of forming an MTJ element on the anti-ferromagnetic layer; and an upper electrode formation step of forming an upper electrode on the MTJ element; the method further comprising a planarization step that is performed at least one of between the lower electrode formation step and the lower metal layer formation step, between the lower metal layer formation step and the anti-ferromagnetic layer formation step, and between the anti-ferromagnetic layer formation step and the MTJ element formation step, wherein in the planarization step includes irradiating an oxygen GCIB to a formed metal film.
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10. An MRAM manufacturing method comprising:
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a lower electrode formation step of forming a lower electrode; a planarization step of planarizing the lower electrode; an MTJ element formation step of forming an MTJ element on the planarized lower electrode; an anti-ferromagnetic layer formation step of forming an anti-ferromagnetic layer on the MTJ element; an upper metal layer formation step of forming an upper metal layer on the anti-ferromagnetic layer; and an upper electrode formation step of forming an upper electrode on the upper metal layer, wherein the planarization step includes irradiating an oxygen GCIB to a formed metal film.
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11. An MRAM element comprising at least an MTJ element formed on a metal film, wherein a flatness of the metal film is Ra=1.0 nm or less.
Specification