Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co., ltd. (20240099150). GRADIENT PROTECTION LAYER IN MTJ MANUFACTURING simplified abstract

GRADIENT PROTECTION LAYER IN MTJ MANUFACTURING

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing co., ltd.

Inventor(s)

Tai-Yen Peng of Hsinchu (TW)

Yu-Shu Chen of Hsinchu (TW)

Sin-Yi Yang of Taichung City (TW)

Chen-Jung Wang of Hsinchu (TW)

Chien Chung Huang of Taichung City (TW)

Han-Ting Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

Jyu-Horng Shieh of Hsinchu (TW)

Qiang Fu of Hsinchu (TW)

GRADIENT PROTECTION LAYER IN MTJ MANUFACTURING - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240099150 titled 'GRADIENT PROTECTION LAYER IN MTJ MANUFACTURING

Simplified Explanation

The method described in the abstract involves forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack layers by depositing various layers in a specific order and then performing a passivation process to create a protection layer on the sidewall of the MTJ.

• Formation of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack layers:

 - Deposit bottom electrode layer
 - Deposit bottom magnetic electrode layer over the bottom electrode layer
 - Deposit tunnel barrier layer over the bottom magnetic electrode layer
 - Deposit top magnetic electrode layer over the tunnel barrier layer
 - Deposit top electrode layer over the top magnetic electrode layer

• Patterning the MTJ stack layers to form a MTJ
• Performing a passivation process on the sidewall of the MTJ to form a protection layer by reacting sidewall surface portions with a process gas containing elements like oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, or combinations thereof

Potential Applications

The technology described in the patent application can be applied in: - Magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) - Spintronic devices - Magnetic sensors

Problems Solved

This technology helps in: - Improving the performance and reliability of magnetic tunnel junctions - Enhancing the durability of the MTJ stack layers

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include: - Increased data storage capacity - Faster data access speeds - Lower power consumption

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology can be commercially applied in: - Semiconductor industry - Data storage industry - Electronics manufacturing sector

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art related to this technology is the use of passivation processes in semiconductor manufacturing to protect sensitive components from environmental factors.

How does the passivation process impact the overall performance of the MTJ?

The passivation process is crucial for forming a protection layer on the sidewall of the MTJ, but its specific effects on the performance metrics of the device are not explicitly mentioned in the abstract.

Are there any specific limitations or challenges associated with the patterning process of the MTJ stack layers?

While the abstract describes the patterning of the MTJ stack layers, it does not delve into any potential limitations or challenges that may arise during this step of the process.

Original Abstract Submitted

a method includes forming magnetic tunnel junction (mtj) stack layers, which includes depositing a bottom electrode layer; depositing a bottom magnetic electrode layer over the bottom electrode layer; depositing a tunnel barrier layer over the bottom magnetic electrode layer; depositing a top magnetic electrode layer over the tunnel barrier layer; and depositing a top electrode layer over the top magnetic electrode layer. the method further includes patterning the mtj stack layers to form a mtj; and performing a passivation process on a sidewall of the mtj to form a protection layer. the passivation process includes reacting sidewall surface portions of the mtj with a process gas comprising elements selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, and combinations thereof.