Patent ID: 7989224

Claim:
A method for fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (“MTJ”) device, the method comprising: forming an intermediate layer on top of a free magnetic layer, the free magnetic layer being part of a magnetic tunnel junction stack, the intermediate layer comprising a first thickness; forming a hard mask over the intermediate layer, the hard mask comprising a second thickness; forming a spacer on sidewalls of the hard mask, sidewalls of the intermediate layer, and a portion of a top surface of the free magnetic layer, wherein the spacer comprises a spacer material with a different electrical conductivity than the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a low electrical conductivity and the spacer material comprises a high electrical conductivity, the spacer being formed above the free magnetic layer, wherein a height of the spacer is substantially equal to a sum of the first and second thicknesses; injecting spin polarized electrons into the free magnetic layer, the injecting controlling a direction of magnetization of the free magnetic layer, wherein the intermediate layer forms a low-conductivity impediment to an electron flow in a vertical direction, the electron flow occurring at an outer region of the spacer and the magnetic tunnel junction stack in response to the low-conductivity impediment.