Patent ID: 8642358

Claim:
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a fixed magnetization layer, a tunnel insulation layer, and a free magnetization layer for a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element; forming an etch mask pattern for the MTJ element over the fixed magnetization layer, the tunnel insulation layer, and the free magnetization layer; patterning the free magnetization layer and the tunnel insulation layer using the etch mask pattern as an etch mask to form a free magnetization layer pattern and a tunnel insulation layer pattern; forming a carbon spacer on the sidewalls of the free magnetization layer pattern and the tunnel insulation layer pattern; and patterning the fixed magnetization layer using the carbon spacer formed on the sidewalls of the free magnetization layer pattern and the tunnel insulation layer pattern as an etch mask to form a fixed magnetization layer pattern after patterning the free magnetization layer and the tunnel insulation layer.