Methods of manufacture precessional spin current magnetic tunnel junction devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545620-B2
Application number	US-202016996573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2020
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device can include a second Precessional Spin Current (PSC) magnetic layer of Ruthenium (Ru) having a predetermined thickness and a predetermined smoothness. An etching process for smoothing the PSC magnetic layer can be performed in-situ with various deposition processes after a high temperature annealing of the MTJ formation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
a Synthetic Antiferromagnetic (SAF) formation disposed on a substrate;
a MTJ formation disposed on the SAF formation;
a first Precessional Spin Current (PSC) magnetic layer disposed on the MTJ formation, wherein the first PSC magnetic layer includes Iron (Fe) and has a thickness of approximately 0.4-1 nanometers (nm);
a second PSC magnetic layer disposed on the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the second PSC magnetic layer includes Ruthenium (Ru) and has a thickness of approximately 0.5-3 nm and a smoothness of approximately 0.2 nm; and
a third PSC magnetic layer disposed on the second PSC magnetic layer, wherein the third PSC magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm.

2. The MTJ device of claim 1 , wherein the MTJ formation comprises:
a reference magnetic layer disposed on the SAF formation, wherein the reference magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B), Cobalt Nickel (CoNi), Cobalt Platinum (CoPt) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm;
a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer disposed on the reference magnetic layer, wherein the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer includes Magnesium (Mg) oxide and has a thickness of approximately 1-10 nm; and
a free magnetic layer disposed on the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer, wherein the free magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B) and has a thickness of approximately 1-3 nm.

3. The MTJ device of claim 1 , wherein the SAF formation comprises:
a first ferromagnetic layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the first ferromagnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Cobalt Nickel (CoNi) and Cobalt Platinum (CoPt)) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm; and
a first non-magnetic layer disposed on the first ferromagnetic layer, wherein the first non-magnetic layer includes Ruthenium (Ru) and has a thickness of approximately 0.9 nm.

4. The MTJ device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a PSC coupling layer disposed between the MTJ formation and the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the PSC coupling layer includes one or more of Ruthenium (Ru), Tantalum (Ta), Copper (Cu), Copper Nitride (CuN), and Magnesium oxide (MgO) and has a thickness of approximately 1-20 nm.

5. The MTJ device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy (PMA) enhancement layer disposed between the MTJ formation and the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the PMA enhancement layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Boron (B) and Tantalum Nitride (TaN) and has a thickness of approximately 0.5-2 nm.

6. The MTJ device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more capping layers disposed on the third PSC magnetic layer.

7. The MTJ device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more seed layers disposed between the substrate and the SAF formation.

8. The MTJ device of claim 1 , wherein the MTJ device comprises a Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM).

9. A Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) device comprising:
a reference magnetic layer;
a non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer disposed on the reference magnetic layer;
a free magnetic layer disposed on the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer;
a first Precessional Spin Current (PSC) magnetic layer disposed on the free magnetic layer;
a second PSC magnetic layer disposed on the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the second PSC magnetic layer includes Ruthenium (Ru) and has a thickness of approximately 0.5-3 nm and a smoothness of approximately 0.2 nm; and
a third PSC magnetic layer disposed on the second PSC magnetic layer, wherein the third PSC magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm.

10. The MTJ device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a PSC coupling layer disposed between the free magnetic layer and the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the PSC coupling layer includes one or more of Ruthenium (Ru), Tantalum (Ta), Copper (Cu), Copper Nitride (CuN), and Magnesium oxide (MgO) and has a thickness of approximately 1-20 nm.

11. The MTJ device of claim 10 , further comprising:
one or more capping layers disposed on the third PSC magnetic layer.

12. The MTJ device of claim 11 , wherein:
the reference magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B), Cobalt Nickel (CoNi), Cobalt Platinum (CoPt) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm;
the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer includes Magnesium (Mg) oxide and has a thickness of approximately 1-10 nm; and
the free magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B) and has a thickness of approximately 1-3 nm.

13. The MTJ device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy (PMA) enhancement layer disposed between the free magnetic layer and the first PSC magnetic layer, wherein the PMA enhancement layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe), Boron (B) and Tantalum Nitride (TaN) and has a thickness of approximately 0.5-2 nm.

14. The MTJ device of claim 13 , further comprising:
one or more capping layers disposed on the third PSC magnetic layer.

15. The MTJ device of claim 14 , wherein:
the reference magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B), Cobalt Nickel (CoNi), Cobalt Platinum (CoPt) and has a thickness of approximately 1-5 nm;
the non-magnetic tunneling barrier layer includes Magnesium (Mg) oxide and has a thickness of approximately 1-10 nm; and
the free magnetic layer includes one or more of Cobalt (Co), Iron (Fe) and Boron (B) and has a thickness of approximately 1-3 nm.

Assignees

• Integrated Silicon Solution Cayman Inc

Inventors

• Kardasz Bartlomiej
• Vasquez Jorge
• Pinarbasi Mustafa

Classifications

• H01L43/02

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L27/222

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/08 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/12

  Electricity · mapped topic