Patent ID: 9601686
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method of making a magnetoresistive structure, comprising: depositing layers comprising a reference magnetic lower layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a free magnetic upper layer onto a substrate comprising a first electrode; depositing a patterned electrically conductive hard mask over the deposited layers; etching the deposited layers to form a preliminary pillar structure under the patterned hard mask; depositing an interlayer dielectric material around the preliminary pillar structure; etching a trench in the interlayer dielectric material adjacent to the preliminary pillar structure to form a pillar structure; depositing an electrically conductive stressed layer onto the top and sidewall of the pillar structure; and depositing a second electrode onto the pillar structure; wherein the etching of the trench leaves an electrically non-conductive sidewall layer on a sidewall of the pillar structure, and the electrically conductive stressed layer is deposited on entire sides of the electrically non-conductive sidewall layer.