Patent ID: 7001783

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing a workpiece; depositing a first magnetic layer over the workpiece; depositing a tunnel insulator over the first magnetic layer; depositing a second magnetic layer over the tunnel insulator, wherein the second magnetic layer, tunnel insulator, and first magnetic layer form a magnetic stack; depositing a first hard mask over the second magnetic layer; patterning the first hard mask; patterning the second magnetic layer and the tunnel insulator using the first hard mask as a mask; depositing a first material over the first hard mask; depositing a second material over the first material, wherein the first material and second material form a second hard mask; patterning the second material and the first material; and patterning the first magnetic layer using the second hard mask as a mask, wherein the patterned first magnetic layer, tunnel insulator, and second magnetic layer comprise at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ).