Patent ID: 9356231
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for forming a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) device, the method comprising: forming a bottom electrode layer on a substrate; forming magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) layers over the bottom electrode layer; forming a top electrode layer over the MTJ layers; removing portions of the MTJ layers and the top electrode layer to form a stack, the stack comprising remaining portions of the MTJ layers and the top electrode layer, the stack having a sidewall; forming a first dielectric layer over the stack; removing a portion of the first dielectric layer, a remaining portion of the first dielectric layer adjoining the sidewall of the stack, the remaining portion of the first dielectric layer having a height above a thickness of the MTJ layers and below a thickness of the stack; forming a first capping layer over the stack and the remaining portion of the first dielectric layer; and removing lateral portions of the first capping layer and the first dielectric layer to expose sidewalls of the first dielectric layer and the bottom electrode layer.