Method of fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with reduced switching current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9070870-B2
Application number	US-201414219026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Jun 30, 2015
Grant date	Jun 30, 2015

Abstract

Partial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PPMA) type magnetic random access memory cells are constructed using processes and structural configurations that induce a directed static strain/stress on an MTJ to increase the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Consequently, reduced switching current of the MTJ results. The directed static strain/stress on the MTJ is induced in a controlled direction and/or with a controlled magnitude during fabrication. The MTJ is permanently subject to a predetermined directed stress and permanently includes the directed static strain/strain that provides reduced switching current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device with reduced switching current, the method comprising:
depositing an MTJ film;
patterning the MTJ film to form an MTJ;
depositing a stress-strain film against the MTJ;
patterning the stress-strain film in a pattern that induces a directed static strain and/or stress in the MTJ;
patterning an oxide spacer between the MTJ and the stress-strain film, the oxide spacer having an angled surfac…

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Zhu Xiaochun
• Li Xia
• Chen Wei-Chuan
• Kang Seung Hyuk

Classifications

• H01L43/08

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G11C11/16 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• H01L41/12

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L43/10

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01F10/3286

  Electricity · mapped topic