Patent ID: 6914003

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a magnetic random access memory, the method comprising: forming a lower read layer on a cell region and peripheral circuit region of a semiconductor substrate; forming an interlayer insulating film on the lower read layer; etching a first portion of the interlayer insulating film disposed over the cell region to expose a portion of the lower read layer disposed over the cell region; forming a MTJ layer on the exposed portion of lower read layer and on a second portion of the interlayer insulating film disposed over the peripheral circuit region, wherein the MTJ layer has a thickness less than a thickness of the interlayer insulating film to thereby expose a sidewall of the interlayer insulating film insulating film disposed laterally between the cell and peripheral circuit regions; lifting off the MTJ layer and the interlayer insulating film disposed over the peripheral circuit region; and forming a bit line which is an upper read layer connected to the MTJ layer.