Structure for thermally assisted MRAM

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515251-B2
Application number	US-201414583997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A mechanism is provided for fabricating a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device. A bottom thermal barrier is formed on a bottom contact. A magnetic tunnel junction is formed on the bottom thermal barrier. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier. The tunnel barrier is formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer. A top thermal barrier is formed on the top ferromagnetic layer. A top contact is formed on the top thermal barrier. The top contact is reduced to a first diameter. The tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter. The first diameter of the top contact is smaller than the second diameter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM), the method comprising:
forming a bottom contact;
forming a bottom thermal barrier on the bottom contact;
forming a magnetic tunnel junction on the bottom thermal barrier, the magnetic tunnel junction including a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier, the tunnel barrier being formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer;
forming a top thermal barrier on the top ferromagnetic layer;
forming a top contact on the top thermal barrier; and
reducing the top contact to a first diameter;
wherein the tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter, the first diameter of the top contact being smaller than the second diameter;
the method further comprising reducing an upper part of the top ferromagnetic layer to the first diameter while reducing a bottom part of the top ferromagnetic layer to the second diameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an encapsulating conformal layer on horizontal sides around the top contact, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top contact approximately matches the second diameter.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing the top thermal barrier to the first diameter; and
forming the encapsulating conformal layer on horizontal sides around the top thermal barrier, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top thermal barrier approximately matches the second diameter.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing the top ferromagnetic layer to the first diameter; and
forming the encapsulating conformal layer on horizontal sides around the top ferromagnetic layer, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top ferromagnetic layer approximately matches the second diameter.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer has the first diameter that is smaller than the second diameter of the tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic sense layer; and
wherein the bottom ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic storage layer.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic storage layer; and
wherein the bottom ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic sense layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the top contact to the first diameter includes reducing an upper part of the top contact to the first diameter while reducing a bottom part of the top contact to the second diameter.

9. A thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device (TAS-MRAM), the device comprising:
a bottom thermal barrier formed on a bottom contact;
a magnetic tunnel junction formed on the bottom thermal barrier, the magnetic tunnel junction including a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier, the tunnel barrier being formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer;
a top thermal barrier formed on the top ferromagnetic layer; and
a top contact formed on the top thermal barrier;
wherein the top contact is reduced to a first diameter; and
wherein the tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter, the first diameter of the top contact being smaller than the second diameter;
wherein an upper part of the top ferromagnetic layer is reduced to the first diameter while reducing a bottom part of the top ferromagnetic layer to the second diameter.

10. The device of claim 9 , further comprising an encapsulating conformal layer formed on horizontal sides around the top contact, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top contact approximately matches the second diameter.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the top thermal barrier is reduced to the first diameter; and
forming the encapsulating conformal layer on horizontal sides around the top thermal barrier, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top thermal barrier approximately matches the second diameter.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer is reduced to the first diameter; and
wherein the encapsulating conformal layer is formed on horizontal sides around the top ferromagnetic layer, such that a combined diameter of the encapsulating conformal layer and the top ferromagnetic layer approximately matches the second diameter.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer has the first diameter that is smaller than the second diameter of the tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic sense layer; and
wherein the bottom ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic storage layer.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein the top ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic storage layer; and
wherein the bottom ferromagnetic layer is a ferromagnetic sense layer.

16. The device of claim 9 , wherein reducing the top contact to the first diameter includes reducing an upper part of the top contact to the first diameter while reducing a bottom part of the top contact to the second diameter.

Assignees

• IBM
• Crocus Technology Sa

Inventors

• Annunziata Anthony J
• Prejbeanu Lucian
• Trouilloud Philip L
• Worledge Daniel C

Classifications

• G11C14/0036

  and the nonvolatile element is a magnetic RAM [MRAM] element or ferromagnetic cell · CPC title

• G11C11/1673

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/5607

  using magnetic storage elements · CPC title

• G11C14/0081

  and the nonvolatile element is a magnetic RAM [MRAM] element or ferromagnetic cell · CPC title

• G11C11/161 Primary

  details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell · CPC title