Method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive-based device
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a spin-torque magnetoresistive device, the method comprising:
- forming a first electrically conductive electrode layer over a substrate,forming at least one layer of first magnetic material over the first electrically conductive electrode;
forming a first tunnel barrier layer over the at least one layer of first magnetic material;
forming at least one layer of second magnetic material over the first tunnel barrier layer;
forming a second electrically conductive electrode layer over the at least one layer of second magnetic material;
forming a first hard mask over a portion of the second electrically conductive electrode layer;
performing a first etch, after forming the first hard mask, through the second electrically conductive electrode layer and the at least one layer of second magnetic material to form a second electrically conductive electrode and provide sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material;
forming a second hard mask over the second electrically conductive electrode and the sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material;
performing a second etch, after forming the second hard mask, through the first tunnel barrier layer to form the first tunnel barrier, wherein the first tunnel barrier includes sidewalls;
after performing the second etch, forming a third hard mask; and
performing a third etch, after forming the third hard mask, through the first electrically conductive electrode layer to form the first electrically conductive electrode.
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive-based device having magnetic material layers formed between a first electrically conductive layer and a second electrically conductive layer, the magnetic materials layers including a tunnel barrier layer formed between a first magnetic materials layer and a second magnetic materials layer, including removing the first electrically conductive layer and the first magnetic materials layer unprotected by a first hard mask, to form a first electrode and a first magnetic materials, respectively; and removing the tunnel barrier layer, second magnetic materials layer, and second electrically conductive layer unprotected by the second hard mask to form a tunnel barrier, second magnetic materials, and a second electrode.
71 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a spin-torque magnetoresistive device, the method comprising:
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forming a first electrically conductive electrode layer over a substrate, forming at least one layer of first magnetic material over the first electrically conductive electrode; forming a first tunnel barrier layer over the at least one layer of first magnetic material; forming at least one layer of second magnetic material over the first tunnel barrier layer; forming a second electrically conductive electrode layer over the at least one layer of second magnetic material; forming a first hard mask over a portion of the second electrically conductive electrode layer; performing a first etch, after forming the first hard mask, through the second electrically conductive electrode layer and the at least one layer of second magnetic material to form a second electrically conductive electrode and provide sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; forming a second hard mask over the second electrically conductive electrode and the sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; performing a second etch, after forming the second hard mask, through the first tunnel barrier layer to form the first tunnel barrier, wherein the first tunnel barrier includes sidewalls; after performing the second etch, forming a third hard mask; and performing a third etch, after forming the third hard mask, through the first electrically conductive electrode layer to form the first electrically conductive electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of manufacturing a spin-torque magnetoresistive device, the method comprising:
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forming a first electrically conductive electrode layer over a substrate, forming at least one layer of first magnetic material over the first electrically conductive electrode; forming a first tunnel barrier layer over the at least one layer of first magnetic material; forming at least one layer of second magnetic material over the first tunnel barrier layer; forming a metal hard mask layer over the at least one layer of second magnetic material; performing a first etch through the metal hard mask layer to form a metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode; performing a second etch through the at least one layer of second magnetic material using metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode to provide sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; forming a second hard mask over (i) the metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode and (ii) the sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; performing a second etch, after forming the second hard mask, through the first tunnel barrier layer to form the first tunnel barrier, wherein the first tunnel barrier includes sidewalls; after performing the second etch, forming a third hard mask; and performing a third etch through the first electrically conductive electrode layer to form the first electrically conductive electrode. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of manufacturing a spin-torque magnetoresistive device from:
- (i) a first electrically conductive electrode layer disposed over a substrate, (ii) at least one layer of first magnetic material disposed over the first electrically conductive electrode, (iii) a first tunnel barrier layer disposed over the at least one layer of first magnetic material, and (iv) at least one layer of second magnetic material over the first tunnel barrier layer, the method comprising;
forming a metal hard mask layer over the at least one layer of second magnetic material performing a first etch through the metal hard mask layer to form a metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode; performing a second etch through the at least one layer of second magnetic material using metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode to provide sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; forming a second hard mask over (i) the metal hard mask-second electrically conductive electrode and (ii) the sidewalls of the at least one layer of second magnetic material; performing a second etch through the first tunnel barrier layer using the second hard mask to form the first tunnel barrier, wherein the first tunnel barrier includes sidewalls; forming a third hard mask over the sidewalls of the first tunnel barrier; and performing a third etch through the first electrically conductive electrode layer using the third hard mask to form the first electrically conductive electrode. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
- (i) a first electrically conductive electrode layer disposed over a substrate, (ii) at least one layer of first magnetic material disposed over the first electrically conductive electrode, (iii) a first tunnel barrier layer disposed over the at least one layer of first magnetic material, and (iv) at least one layer of second magnetic material over the first tunnel barrier layer, the method comprising;
Specification