Patent ID: 7880249

Claim:
An MTJ MRAM device, comprising: a substrate; a patterned MTJ element formed on said substrate, said element having a capping layer of uniform as-deposited thickness forming a planar horizontal upper surface of said MTJ element, said MTJ element also having a uniform width characterized by vertical lateral side surfaces extending uniformly from said capping layer to said substrate and said MTJ element including a horizontal free layer disposed beneath said capping layer and parallel to said upper surface and separated from said upper surface by said as-deposited thickness; and a pair of layers of dielectric material formed abutting said lateral side surfaces of said MTJ element, an innermost layer of said pair directly contacting said vertical lateral side surfaces and an outermost layer of said pair contacting said innermost layer, wherein said innermost layer is a current-leakage eliminating layer and is formed of a dielectric material that is more resistant to RIE than said outermost layer; and a layer of insulation laterally disposed about the exposed surface of said capping layer of said MTJ element, a portion of an upper surface of said insulation layer adjacent to said MTJ element and the upper surface of said MTJ element being smooth and co-planar.