Method for manufacturing high density magnetic tunnel junction devices using photolithographic VIAS and chemically guided block copolymer self assembly

A method for high density pillar structures, the method comprising:

• depositing a pillar element material;
• depositing a hard mask layer over the pillar element material;
• depositing a chemical template layer over the hard mask layer;
• depositing a soluble polymer over the chemical template layer;
• forming a mask structure over the soluble polymer, the mask having openings that are separated by a spacing that is an integer multiple of a natural period of a block copolymer;
• depositing a spacer layer over the mask structure to shrink the size of the opening in the mask structure;
• performing an etching to remove a portion of the spacer layer and expose a portion of the underlying chemical template layer;
• performing a plasma exposure to chemically pattern the exposed portion of the chemical template layer;
• removing the soluble polymer and layers there-over;
• depositing a block copolymer;
• and
• annealing the block copolymer to cause the block copolymer to self assemble into cylinders, the cylinders being located over patterned portions of the chemical template layer and also in areas between the patterned portions of the chemical template layer.