# US 2011/0008915 A1 · Method for use in making electronic devices having thin-film magnetic components > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2011/0008915 A1 - Document ID: US20110008915A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/500,573 - Filed: 2009-07-09 - Published: 2011-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 2009-07-09 - Assignees: Crocus Technology SA - Inventors: Jean Pierre Nozieres; Jason Reid - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20110008915A1 ## CPC - H10N 50/80: Constructional details - G11C 11/16: using elements in which the storage effect is based on magnetic spin effect - H10D 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment - H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Disclosed herein is a method of forming electronic device having thin-film components by using trenches. One or more of thin-film components is formed by depositing a thin-film in the trench followed by processing the deposited thin-film to have the desired thickness. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: providing a substrate that comprises a first magnetic layer on the substrate; forming a trench and a dielectric tunnel junction layer on the substrate such that at least a portion of the exposed bottom portion of the trench is covered by the dielectric tunnel junction layer; depositing a second magnetic layer after the dielectric tunneling layer such that a thin-film of the second magnetic layer is formed above the dielectric tunnel junction layer within the trench so as to form a magnetic tunnel junction at the bottom of the trench. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a trench comprises: depositing a trench layer on the substrate; and patterning the trench layer so as to form the trench. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: removing the deposited free magnetic layer from the surface of the trench layer such that the free magnetic layer within the trench has top surface that is substantially within the top surface of the trench layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: depositing a thermal barrier layer or a plurality of thin-film layers on the free magnetic layer; and removing a portion of the deposited thermal barrier layer or a portion of the plurality of thin-film layers from the surface of the trench layer such that the thermal barrier layer or the plurality of thin-film layers within the trench has top surface that is substantially larger than the top surface of the trench layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a dielectric tunnel junction layer and a trench layer comprises: forming the dielectric tunnel junction layer on the surface of the first magnetic layer of the substrate; depositing the trench layer on the dielectric tunnel junction layer; and patterning the trench layer so as to form the trench. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a dielectric tunnel junction layer and a trench layer comprises: depositing the trench layer on the surface of the fixed magnetic layer of the substrate; patterning the trench layer so as to form the trench such that a portion of the fixed magnetic layer is exposed at the bottom of the trench; and depositing the dielectric tunnel junction layer such that the dielectric tunnel junction layer covers at least the bottom portion of the trench. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: depositing another thin-film on the free magnetic layer; and patterning said another thin-film according to a characteristic dimension of the trench. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein said another thin-film is a thermal barrier layer. ### Claim 9 A method, comprising: providing a substrate; forming a trench, comprising: depositing a trench layer on the substrate; and forming a trench in the trench layer; forming a plurality of thin-film components of a device in the trench, wherein the plurality of thin-film components comprises at least a magnetic thin-film component, comprising: depositing the plurality of thin-film components in the trench and on the trench layer; and processing the deposited thin-film components by removing a portion of the deposited layers on the trench layer such that the thin-film components within the trench have a desired thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the step of processing the deposited thin-film components comprises; polishing the position on the trench layer by a chemical-mechanical polishing technique. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the device is a magnetic-random-access memory cell that comprises a magnetic-tunnel-junction that comprises a tunnel junction layer positioned between a free magnetic layer and a fixed magnetic layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises the fixed magnetic layer and the tunnel junction layer; and wherein the trench layer is comprised of a dielectric material; and wherein the stack of thin-film components within the trench comprises the free magnetic layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the stack of thin-film components in the trench has a lateral characteristic dimension of 100 nanometers or less. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the stack of thin-film components in the trench has a lateral characteristic dimension of 45 nanometers or less. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the stack of thin-film components further comprises a thermal barrier for preventing thermal leakage from the free magnetic layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the magnetic tunnel junction is substantially within the trench. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the substrate comprises: providing a sacrificial substrate; forming another trench, comprising; depositing another trench layer on said sacrificial substrate; and forming another trench in said another trench layer; forming a plurality of thin-film components of the device in the trench, comprising; depositing a plurality of thin films in the trench and on the sacrificial substrate; and removing at least a portion of the deposited thin-film components and said another trench layer such that the thin-film components within said another trench has a desired thickness. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises the free magnetic layer and the tunnel junction layer; and wherein the trench layer is comprised of a dielectric material; and wherein the stack of thin-film components within the trench comprises the fixed magnetic layer. ### Claim 19 A method, comprising: providing a substrate comprising a first magnetic layer and a magnetic tunnel junction layer of a magnetic-random-access memory cell; depositing a trench layer on the substrate; etching the trench layer to form a trench, wherein the etching is stopped by the magnetic tunnel junction layer; and wherein a portion of the tunnel junction layer is exposed at the bottom of the trench; depositing a stack of thin films in the trench and on the trench layer; and processing the deposited stack of thin films and the trench layer such that the stack of thin films within the trench has a desired thickness. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the step of processing the deposited stack of thin films comprises: processing the deposited stack of thin films and the trench layer using a chemical-mechanical-polishing technique. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the stack of thin films within the trench comprises a second magnetic layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, wherein the second magnetic layer is a free magnetic layer; and the first magnetic layer is a fixed magnetic layer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, herein the stack of thin-film components in the trench has a lateral characteristic dimension of 100 nanometers or less. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the stack of thin-film components further comprises a thermal barrier for preventing thermal leakage from the free magnetic layer. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing the substrate comprises: providing a sacrificial substrate; forming another trench, comprising; depositing another trench layer on said sacrificial substrate; and forming another trench in said another trench layer; forming a plurality of thin-film components of the device in the trench, comprising; depositing a plurality of thin films in the trench and on the sacrificial substrate; and removing at least a portion of the deposited thin-film components and said another trench layer such that the thin-film components within said another trench has a desired thickness.