Patent ID: 9595670
Date: 2017-03-14
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method, comprising: forming a layered structure comprising a bottom electrode formed within a dielectric material, a switching material, a barrier material, a dielectric hardmask, and a patterned photoresist formed above and adjacent to a portion of the dielectric hardmask; patterning the dielectric hardmask to form a patterned dielectric hardmask using a first plasma-phase etchant and the patterned photoresist as a mask for the patterned dielectric hardmask; patterning the barrier material to form a patterned barrier material layer using a second plasma-phase etchant and the patterned dielectric hardmask as a second mask for the patterned barrier material, wherein the first plasma-phase etchant and the second plasma-phase etchant have a different etch selectivity for the dielectric hardmask and the barrier material, respectively; and patterning the switching material using ion milling and the patterned dielectric hardmask as a third mask for a patterned switching material.