Patent · US Active

Methods of manufacturing a magnetoresistive random access memory device

US9306156B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
8References
19Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateNov 4, 2014
Grant dateApr 5, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 10, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10N50/10

Abstract

In a method of manufacturing an MRAM device, a first sacrificial layer, an etch stop layer, and a second sacrificial layer are sequentially formed on a substrate and then partially etched to form openings therethrough. Lower electrodes are formed to fill the openings. The first and second sacrificial layers and portions of the etch stop layer are removed to form etch stop layer patterns surrounding upper portions of sidewalls of the lower electrodes, respectively. An upper insulating layer pattern is formed between the etch stop layer patterns to partially define an air pad between the lower electrodes. A first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, a second magnetic layer, and an upper electrode layer are formed, and are etched to form a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures. Each MTJ structure includes a sequentially stacked first magnetic layer pattern, tunnel layer pattern, and second magnetic layer pattern, and each of the MTJ structures contacts a corresponding one of the lower electrodes.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.