Patent ID: 11963457
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
Field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 7:
8. A method comprising:
forming an electrode layer having a convex top surface on a substrate, wherein the convex top surface extends from a first interface with the substrate to an opposing second interface with the substrate when viewed in cross-section after the forming of the electrode layer having the convex top surface on the substrate;
forming a first layer of a stack of MTJ layers on the convex top surface of the electrode layer thereby inducing strain in the first layer of the stack of MTJ layers to cause defects in the first layer to migrate from a second portion of the first layer to a first portion of the first layer, wherein the first portion of the first layer has a first top surface that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate; and
removing the first portion of the first layer and a portion of the convex top surface of the electrode layer after the forming of the first layer of the stack of MTJ layers on the convex top surface, wherein the convex top surface of the electrode layer no longer interfaces with the substrate at the first and second interfaces after the removing of the portion of the convex top surface of the electrode layer.