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US 2003/0199167 A1Published application
Control of MTJ tunnel area
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorMark E. Tuttle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction memory element and the resulting structure are disclosed. A magnetic tunnel junction memory element comprising a thick nonmagnetic layer between two ferromagnetic layers. The thick nonmagnetic layer has an opening in which a thinner tunnel barrier layer is disposed. The resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction memory element may be controlled by adjusting the surface area and/or thickness of the tunnel barrier layer without regard to the surface area of the ferromagnetic layers.
Claims102
A magnetic memory element comprising:
- a first and second ferromagnetic layer one of said layers being a pinned layer and the other being a free layer;
- a first nonmagnetic layer formed between said first and said second ferromagnetic layers, said first nonmagnetic layer having an opening therein to a surface of at least one of said first and second ferromagnetic layers;
- and
- a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer formed within said opening, said first nonmagnetic layer being thicker than said tunnel barrier layer.
1 more element
A magnetic memory device comprising:
- at least one magnetic random access memory element, said magnetic random access memory element comprising a first ferromagnetic layer formed over a first line conductor;
- a nonmagnetic layer formed over said first ferromagnetic layer, said nonmagnetic layer containing an opening to a surface of said first ferromagnetic layer;
- a tunnel barrier layer formed at least within said opening and in contact with said first ferromagnetic layer;
- and a second ferromagnetic layer formed over at least said tunnel barrier layer, one of said first and second ferromagnetic layers being a pinned layer and the other of said first and second ferromagnetic layers being a sense layer.
1 more element
A magnetic memory device comprising:
- a plurality of memory elements, each of said memory elements comprising a pinned ferromagnetic layer, a free ferromagnetic layer, and at least two nonmagnetic layers between said pinned ferromagnetic layer and said free ferromagnetic layer, whereby one of said nonmagnetic layers is thicker than the other of said nonmagnetic layers further whereby said thicker non magnetic layer contains an opening to at least one of said pinned ferromagnetic layer and said free ferromagnetic layer, said opening having a portion of said thinner nonmagnetic layer disposed therein.
A processor-based system comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory circuit coupled to said processor, said memory circuit including a plurality of magnetic random access memory elements, each of said memory elements comprising:
- a first ferromagnetic layer formed over a first fine conductor, a second ferromagnetic layer formed over said first ferromagnetic layer, and first and second nonmagnetic layers between said first and second ferromagnetic layers whereby said first nonmagnetic layer is thicker than the other of said nonmagnetic layers, said thicker nonmagnetic layer containing an opening to at least one of said first and second nonmagnetic layers, said opening having a portion of said thinner nonmagnetic layer disposed therein.
A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a first magnetic layer;
- forming a first nonmagnetic layer in contact with said first magnetic layer;
- removing a portion of said first nonmagnetic layer to form an opening which exposes a portion of said first magnetic layer;
- and
- forming a tunnel barrier layer within said opening in contact with said first magnetic layer;
- and
- forming a second magnetic layer over said tunnel barrier layer.
4 more elements
A method of forming a magnetic random access memory element, said method comprising:
- forming a substrate;
- forming at least one first conductive line;
- forming at least one first ferromagnetic layer in electrical communication with said at least one first conductive line;
- forming at least one first nonmagnetic layer over said at least one first ferromagnetic layer;
- forming at least one opening in said at least one first nonmagnetic layer;
- forming a tunnel barrier layer within said opening;
- forming at least one second ferromagnetic layer over said tunnel barrier layer;
- and
- forming at least one second conductive line in electrical communication with said at least one second ferromagnetic layer.
6 more elements
A magnetic memory element comprising:
- a first and second plurality of layers wherein one of said first and said second plurality of layers is a pinning structure and the other of said first and said second plurality of layers is a sensing structure;
- whereby said sensing structure comprises at least one free ferromagnetic layer and said pinning structure comprises at least one pinned ferromagnetic layer;
- a first nonmagnetic layer formed between said pinning structure and said sensing structure, said first nonmagnetic layer having an opening therein to a surface of at least one of said ferromagnetic layers of at least one of said pinning structure and said sensing structure;
- a nonmagnetic tunnel barrier layer formed within said opening, said first nonmagnetic layer being thicker than said tunnel barrier layer.
1 more element
A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming a pinning structure comprising a pinned layer;
- forming a first nonmagnetic layer in contact with said pinning structure;
- removing a portion of said first nonmagnetic layer to form an opening which exposes a portion of said pinning structure;
- and
- forming a tunnel barrier layer within said opening in contact with said pinning structure;
- and
- forming a sensing structure comprising a free layer over said tunnel barrier layer.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.