Patent ID: 8481339
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic memory, the magnetic memory having a magnetic recording layer as a ferromagnetic layer, a reference layer connected by way of a non-magnetic layer to the magnetic recording layer, and a first magnetization pinning layer and a second magnetization pinning layer disposed below the magnetic recording layer along a line normal to the film, the magnetic recording layer and the reference layer having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, the magnetic recording layer including a magnetization reversal region having a reversible magnetization and overlapping the reference layer, a first magnetization pinned region connected to a first boundary of the magnetization reversal region with the direction of magnetization being fixed in a first direction, and a second magnetization pinned region connected to a second boundary of the magnetization reversal region with the direction of magnetization being fixed in a second direction anti-parallel to the first direction, the first magnetization pinning layer and the second magnetization pinning layer fixing the magnetization in the first magnetization pinned region and the second magnetization pinned region respectively, and the coercive force of the second magnetization pinning layer being lower than that of the first magnetization pinning layer, the method of manufacturing the magnetic memory comprising: forming a film for the magnetization pinning layer; forming a hard mask over the film for the magnetization pinning layer; forming a protective film so as to cover the hard mask stacked over a region in the film for the magnetization pinning layer other than the region of forming the second magnetization pinning layer; processing the hard mask using the protective film as a mask; patterning the hard mask after removing the protective film; and patterning the film for the magnetization pinning layer using the patterned hard mask as a mask, thereby forming the first magnetization pinning layer and the second magnetization pinning layer.