MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION DEVICES

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd.

Inventor(s)

Tai-Yen Peng of Hsinchu (TW)

Hui-Hsien Wei of Taoyuan City (TW)

Han-Ting Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

Sin-Yi Yang of Taichung City (TW)

Yu-Shu Chen of Hsinchu (TW)

An-Shen Chang of Jubei City (TW)

Qiang Fu of Hsinchu (TW)

Chen-Jung Wang of Hsinchu (TW)

MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION DEVICES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240237551 titled 'MAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION DEVICES

The abstract describes a method for forming a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell by patterning various layers using an ion beam etching process.

Formation of a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer over a semiconductor substrate
Formation of a bottom electrode layer over the first IMD layer
Formation of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) film stack over the bottom electrode layer
Formation of a first top electrode layer over the MTJ film stack
Use of a protective mask to cover a first region of the first top electrode layer
Formation of a second top electrode layer over the protective mask and the first top electrode layer
Patterning of the layers with an ion beam etching process to create the MRAM cell

Potential Applications: - Memory storage in electronic devices - High-speed data processing applications - Embedded memory in integrated circuits

Problems Solved: - Improving memory density and performance - Enhancing data storage capabilities in small form factors

Benefits: - Increased memory capacity - Faster data access speeds - Enhanced reliability and durability of memory cells

Commercial Applications: Title: Advanced MRAM Technology for Next-Generation Electronics Description: This technology can be used in smartphones, tablets, computers, and other electronic devices requiring high-speed and reliable memory storage.

Questions about MRAM Technology: 1. How does MRAM technology compare to other types of non-volatile memory? 2. What are the potential challenges in scaling up MRAM technology for mass production?

Original Abstract Submitted

in an embodiment, a method includes: forming a first inter-metal dielectric (imd) layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming a bottom electrode layer over the first imd layer; forming a magnetic tunnel junction (mtj) film stack over the bottom electrode layer; forming a first top electrode layer over the mtj film stack; forming a protective mask covering a first region of the first top electrode layer, a second region of the first top electrode layer being uncovered by the protective mask; forming a second top electrode layer over the protective mask and the first top electrode layer; and patterning the second top electrode layer, the first top electrode layer, the mtj film stack, the bottom electrode layer, and the first imd layer with an ion beam etching (ibe) process to form a mram cell, where the protective mask is etched during the ibe process.