Magnetic memory devices and methods for manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10003011-B2
Application number	US-201715454210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2017
Priority date	Aug 4, 2016
Publication date	Jun 19, 2018
Grant date	Jun 19, 2018

Abstract

A magnetic memory device may include a free magnetic pattern and a capping pattern on a surface of the free magnetic pattern. The capping pattern may include first and second metal elements. The capping pattern may include a first portion adjacent to an interface between the free magnetic pattern and the capping pattern, and a second portion spaced apart from the interface. The first metal element may have a concentration greater in the first portion than in the second portion. The first metal element may have an atomic weight smaller than that of the second metal element. The concentration of the first metal element along the thickness direction of the capping pattern may be proportional to a proximity to the interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnetic memory device, comprising:
a pinned magnetic pattern;
a free magnetic pattern;
a tunnel barrier pattern between the pinned magnetic pattern and the free magnetic pattern, wherein the free magnetic pattern includes a first surface in contact with the tunnel barrier pattern and a second surface opposite the first surface; and
a capping pattern on the second surface of the free magnetic pattern, the capping pattern including,
a first portion adjacent to an interface between the free magnetic pattern and the capping pattern,
a second portion spaced apart from the interface, and
a first metal element and a second metal element, the second metal element having an atomic weight greater than an atomic weight of the first metal element, the first portion including a concentration of the first metal element that is greater than a concentration of the first metal element in the second portion.

2. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein,
the free magnetic pattern includes a magnetic material, the magnetic material including at least one selected from a group consisting of Fe, Ni and Co, and
the magnetic memory device includes a mixture of the second metal element and the magnetic material at the interface, such that the magnetic memory device is configured to induce an interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (i-PMA).

3. The magnetic memory device of claim 2 , wherein,
the free magnetic pattern includes a stack of patterns, the stack of patterns including a first free magnetic pattern and a second free magnetic pattern on the first free magnetic pattern,
the second free magnetic pattern is between the first free magnetic pattern and the capping pattern, and
the second free magnetic pattern has an Fe concentration that is greater than an Fe concentration of the first free magnetic pattern.

4. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein,
the second metal element includes one of Ta, W, Hf, Mo, Nb, Zr, Y, Cr and V, and
the first metal element includes one of Mg, Ca, Al, Be, Li and Ti.

5. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein the capping pattern has a thickness ranging from about 5 Å to about 15 Å.

6. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an oxidation pattern on the capping pattern, the oxidation pattern including a metal oxide,
wherein the capping pattern is between the free magnetic pattern and the oxidation pattern.

7. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein,
the pinned magnetic pattern includes,
a first pinned magnetic pattern,
a second pinned magnetic pattern, and
an exchange coupling pattern between the first pinned magnetic pattern and the second pinned magnetic pattern,

the first pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a magnetization direction that is fixed in one direction, and
the second pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a magnetization direction that is fixed in a direction inverse to the one direction.

8. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein,
the pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a unidirectionally fixed magnetization direction,
the free magnetic pattern is associated with an adjustable magnetization direction, and
the magnetization directions of the pinned and free magnetic patterns are each substantially perpendicular to a surface of the free magnetic pattern, respectively, the surface of the free magnetic pattern being in contact with the tunnel barrier pattern.

9. The magnetic memory device of claim 1 , wherein the pinned magnetic pattern, the tunnel barrier pattern, the free magnetic pattern, and the capping pattern are sequentially stacked on a substrate.

10. A magnetic memory device, comprising:
a free magnetic pattern; and
a capping pattern on the free magnetic pattern, the capping pattern including a first metal element and a second metal element, the second metal element having an atomic weight greater than an atomic weight of the first metal element, the capping pattern including a concentration of the first metal element that varies along a thickness direction of the capping pattern, such that the concentration of the first metal element is proportional with a proximity to an interface between the capping pattern and the free magnetic pattern.

11. The magnetic memory device of claim 10 , wherein,
the free magnetic pattern includes a magnetic material, the magnetic material including at least one selected from a group consisting of Fe, Ni and Co, and
the magnetic memory device includes a mixture of the second metal element and the magnetic material at the interface, such that the magnetic memory device is configured to induce an interface perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (i-PMA).

12. The magnetic memory device of claim 10 , wherein,
the free magnetic pattern includes a stack of patterns, the stack of patterns including a first free magnetic pattern and a second free magnetic pattern that is stacked on the first free magnetic pattern,
the second free magnetic pattern is between the first free magnetic pattern and the capping pattern, and
the second free magnetic pattern has an Fe concentration that is greater than an Fe concentration of the first free magnetic pattern.

13. The magnetic memory device of claim 10 , wherein,
the first metal element includes one of Mg, Ca, Al, Be, Li and Ti, and
the second metal element includes one of Ta, W, Hf, Mo, Nb, Zr, Y, Cr and V.

14. The magnetic memory device of claim 10 , further comprising:
an oxidation pattern on the capping pattern, the oxidation pattern including a metal oxide.

15. The magnetic memory device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a pinned magnetic pattern, the free magnetic pattern being between the capping pattern and the pinned magnetic pattern.

16. The magnetic memory device of claim 15 , wherein,
the pinned magnetic pattern includes,
a first pinned magnetic pattern,
a second pinned magnetic pattern, and
an exchange coupling pattern between the first pinned magnetic pattern and the second pinned magnetic pattern,

the first pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a magnetization direction that is fixed in one direction, and
the second pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a magnetization direction that is fixed in a direction inverse to the one direction.

17. The magnetic memory device of claim 15 , wherein,
the pinned magnetic pattern is associated with a unidirectionally fixed magnetization direction,
the free magnetic pattern is associated with an adjustable magnetization direction, and
the magnetization directions of the pinned and free magnetic patterns are each substantially perpendicular to a surface of the free magnetic pattern, respectively, the surface of the free magnetic pattern being in contact with a tunnel barrier layer.

18. A magnetic memory device, comprising:
a free magnetic pattern; and
a non-oxidized capping pattern on the free magnetic pattern, the capping pattern including,
a first portion proximate to an interface between the free magnetic pattern and the capping pattern, the first portion including a first concentration of a first metal element and a first concentration of a second metal element, and
a second portion distal from the interface, the second portion including a second concentration of the first metal element and a second concentration of the second metal element, the second concentration of the first metal element smaller than the first concentration of the first metal element, the second concentration of the second metal element greater than the f

Assignees

• Park Sang Hwan
• Kim Keewon
• Jang Youngman
• Kim Kwangseok
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Sang Hwan
• Kim Keewon
• Jang Youngman
• Kim Kwangseok

Classifications

• H01L43/08

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/12

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G11C11/16

  using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect · CPC title