Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd. (20240381784). SPACER SCHEME AND METHOD FOR MRAM simplified abstract

SPACER SCHEME AND METHOD FOR MRAM

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd.

Inventor(s)

Joung-Wei Liou of Zhudong Township (TW)

Chin Kun Lan of Hsinchu City (TW)

SPACER SCHEME AND METHOD FOR MRAM - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240381784 titled 'SPACER SCHEME AND METHOD FOR MRAM

The patent application describes an MRAM cell structure consisting of a bottom electrode, a metal tunneling junction, and a top electrode. The metal tunneling junction includes a side surface between the bottom and top electrodes. A thin layer on the side surface contains compounds of a metal found in one of the electrodes, with lower conductance than the MTJ.

• The thin layer is formed by redeposited electrode metal reacting to form compounds with lower conductance than a nitride of the electrode metal.
• The thin layer may include an oxide or a compound of the electrode metal deposited over the redeposited electrode metal.
• A silicon nitride spacer can be formed over the thin layer without forming nitrides of the electrode metal.

Potential Applications: - Non-volatile memory devices - Magnetic random-access memory (MRAM) technology - Semiconductor industry for data storage applications

Problems Solved: - Enhancing the performance and reliability of MRAM cells - Improving data retention and stability in memory devices

Benefits: - Increased data storage capacity - Faster data access and retrieval - Lower power consumption compared to traditional memory technologies

Commercial Applications: Title: Advanced MRAM Cell Technology for Next-Generation Data Storage This technology can be utilized in: - Consumer electronics - Cloud computing infrastructure - Automotive electronics

Questions about MRAM Cell Technology: 1. How does the thin layer in the metal tunneling junction contribute to the overall performance of the MRAM cell? The thin layer helps to improve the conductance and stability of the cell, enhancing data retention and access speed.

2. What are the potential challenges in scaling up this technology for mass production? Scaling up may involve optimizing deposition processes and ensuring uniformity in thin layer formation, which could impact production costs and efficiency.

Original Abstract Submitted

an mram cell has a bottom electrode, a metal tunneling junction, and a top electrode. the metal tunneling junction has a side surface between the bottom electrode and the top electrode. a thin layer on the side surface includes one or more compounds of a metal found in one of the electrodes. the thin layer has a lower conductance than the mtj. the electrode metal may have been deposited on the side during mtj patterning and subsequently been reacted to from a compound having a lower conductance than a nitride of the electrode metal. the thin layer may include an oxide deposited over the redeposited electrode metal. the thin layer may include a compound of the electrode metal deposited over the redeposited electrode metal. a silicon nitride spacer may be formed over the thin layer without forming nitrides of the electrode metal.