Patent ID: 8673654
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,G11C,H01F,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of forming an MRAM structure on a substrate, comprising: (a) forming a bottom electrode with a line or sectioned line shape that is comprised of a seed layer on a substrate, a conductive layer that directly contacts a top surface of the seed layer, and an α-TaN capping layer on the conductive layer, the bottom electrode has a uniform thickness in a direction that is perpendicular to the top surface of the seed layer; (b) forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element with a top surface and sidewalls that form a MTJ length dimension and a MTJ width dimension and contact the α-TaN capping layer of the bottom electrode, all layers in the bottom electrode are formed directly below the MTJ element and have a lengthwise dimension greater than the MTJ length dimension, and a widthwise dimension greater than the MTJ width dimension, the lengthwise and widthwise dimensions of the bottom electrode layers, and the MTJ length and width dimensions are each formed in a direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction; (c) forming a top electrode on the top surface of the MTJ element; and wherein the seed layer is NiCr with a thickness of about 40 to 100 Angstroms and the conductive layer is comprised of Ru or Cu and has a thickness of between 50 and 1000 Angstroms.