# US 2014/0151824 A1 · Self-aligned wire for spintronic device

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- Number: US 2014/0151824 A1
- Document ID: US20140151824A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/689,850
- Filed: 2012-11-30
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: David W. Abraham; Philip L. Trouilloud; Daniel C. Worledge
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140151824A1

## CPC

- H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment
- B82Y 25/00: Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
- Y10S 977/933: Spintronics or quantum computing
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A method for fabricating a spintronic cell includes forming a cavity in a substrate, forming a wire in the cavity, depositing a spacer layer over exposed portions of the substrate and the conductive field line, depositing a layer of conductive material on a portion of the spacer layer, removing portions of the layer of conductive material to define a conductive strap portion, wherein the conductive strap portion has a first distal region a second distal region and a medial region arranged therebetween, wherein the medial region has a cross sectional area that is less than a cross sectional area of the first distal region and a cross sectional area of the second distal region, and forming an spintronic device stack on the conductive strap portion above the conductive field line.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for fabricating a spintronic cell, the method comprising:
forming a cavity in a substrate;
forming a wire in the cavity;
depositing a spacer layer over exposed portions of the substrate and the conductive field line;
depositing a layer of conductive material on a portion of the spacer layer;
removing portions of the layer of conductive material to define a conductive strap portion, wherein the conductive strap portion has a first distal region a second distal region and a medial region arranged therebetween, wherein the medial region has a cross sectional area that is less than a cross sectional area of the first distal region and a cross sectional area of the second distal region; and
forming an spintronic device stack on the conductive strap portion above the conductive field line.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein prior to depositing the layer of conductive material on the portion of the spacer layer, the method further includes:
depositing a first insulator layer over the spacer layer; and
patterning and etching to remove portions of the first insulator layer to expose portions of the spacer layer and define a cavity in the first insulator layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes an insulator material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cavity in the substrate is formed by:
patterning a photolithographic resist layer on the substrate; and
etching to remove exposed portions of the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the wire in the cavity comprises:
depositing a layer of conductive material over exposed portions of the substrate;
performing a planarization process to remove portions of the layer of conductive material and expose portions of the substrate; and
etching to remove portions of the exposed portions of the substrate and expose sidewalls of the conductive field line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the spacer layer is formed conformally over the exposed portions of the substrate, the sidewalls of the conductive field line, and a top portion of the conductive field line.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer layer includes an insulator material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spintronic device stack is a portion of a magnetic tunnel junction device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spintronic device stack is a portion of a thermally assisted spintronic device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer layer includes a nitride material and the first insulator layer includes an oxide material.

### Claim 11

A method for fabricating a spintronic cell, the method comprising:
forming a cavity in a substrate;
forming a wire in the cavity;
depositing a spacer layer over exposed portions of the substrate and the conductive field line;
depositing a first insulator layer over the spacer layer;
patterning and etching to remove portions of the first insulator layer to expose portions of the spacer layer and define a cavity in the first insulator layer;
depositing a layer of conductive material in the cavity and over exposed portions of the first insulator layer;
removing portions of the conductive material to expose portions of the insulator layer and the spacer layer, and define a first conductive strap portion and a second conductive strap portion;
depositing a second layer of conductive material on exposed portions of the insulator layer, the spacer layer, the first conductive strap portion and the second conductive strap portion;
patterning the second layer of conductive material to expose portions of the insulator layer, the first conductive strap portion and the second conductive strap portion; and to define a conductive connector portion that electrically connects the first conductive strap portion with the second conductive strap portion; and
forming an spintronic device stack on the conductive connector portion above the conductive field line.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the conductive connector portion has a cross sectional area that is less than a cross sectional area of the first conductive strap portion and the second conductive strap portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the forming the wire in the cavity comprises:
depositing a layer of conductive material over exposed portions of the substrate;
performing a planarization process to remove portions of the layer of conductive material and expose portions of the substrate; and
etching to remove portions of the exposed portions of the substrate and expose sidewalls of the conductive field line.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the spacer layer is formed conformally over the exposed portions of the substrate, the sidewalls of the conductive field line, and a top portion of the conductive field line.

### Claim at position 15

-20. (canceled)