Method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetoresistive element
AssigneeCanon Anelva Corporation
InventorYoung-suk CHOI
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element includes a tunnel barrier forming step. The tunnel barrier forming step comprises a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer to have a first thickness, a plasma processing step of performing a plasma treatment which exposes the metal layer to a plasma of an inert gas to etch the metal layer to have a second thickness smaller than the first thickness, and an oxidation step of oxidizing the metal layer having undergone the plasma treatment to form a metal oxide which forms a tunnel barrier.
Claims9
A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, a tunnel barrier forming step of the method comprising:
- a metal layer forming step of forming a metal layer to have a first thickness;
- a plasma processing step of performing a plasma treatment which exposes the metal layer to a plasma of an inert gas to etch the metal layer to have a second thickness smaller than the first thickness;
- and
- an oxidation step of oxidizing the metal layer having undergone the plasma treatment to form a metal oxide which forms a tunnel barrier.
An apparatus for manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, the apparatus comprising:
- a thin film deposition chamber comprising a thin film deposition apparatus configured to deposit a thin film;
- an etching chamber comprising gas introduction means for introducing an inert gas, and a dry etching apparatus having an electrode for plasma generation;
- an oxidation chamber comprising an oxidation process apparatus configured to perform an oxidation process;
- a substrate transport apparatus configured to transport a substrate among said chambers;
- and
- a control apparatus configured to control said thin film deposition apparatus, said dry etching apparatus, said oxidation process apparatus, and said substrate transport apparatus,
- wherein said control apparatus performs an operation of forming a metal layer in said thin film deposition chamber, an operation of performing a plasma treatment which exposes the metal layer to a plasma of an inert gas in said etching chamber to etch the metal layer to have a second thickness smaller than the first thickness, and an operation of oxidizing the metal layer, having undergone the plasma treatment, in said oxidation chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.