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

Claim 0:
1. 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 stack of magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) layers on the electrode layer, wherein the stack of MTJ layers includes a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer in the stack of MTJ layers acquire a respective curved top surface from the forming of the stack of MTJ layers, wherein defects associated with forming the first layer and the second layer in the stack of MTJ layers migrate to outer portions of the first layer and the second layer during the forming of the stack of MTJ layers, wherein the curved top surface of the first layer in the stack of MTJ layers spans a first distance over the substrate and the curved top surface of the second layer in the stack of MTJ layers spans a second distance after the forming of the stack of MTJ layers, wherein the first and second distances are measured along a first direction that is substantially parallel to a top surface of the substrate, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance and wherein the outer portion of the second layer has a flat top surface that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the substrate after the forming of the stack of the MTJ layers; and
removing the outer portions of the first and second layers that contain defects and a portion of the convex top surface of the electrode layer to thereby expose a portion of the substrate, 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.