# US 2017/0256702 A1 · Method and system for providing a magnetic layer in a magnetic junction usable in spin transfer torque applications using a sacrificial oxide layer

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- Number: US 2017/0256702 A1
- Document ID: US20170256702A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/177,176
- Filed: 2016-06-08
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., LTD.
- Inventors: Xueti Tang; Mohamad Towfik Krounbi; Gen Feng; Vladimir Nikitin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256702A1

## CPC

- H10N 50/80: Constructional details
- G11C 11/161: {details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell}
- G11C 11/1673: {Reading or sensing circuits or methods}
- G11C 11/1675: {Writing or programming circuits or methods}
- H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices
- H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A magnetic junction and method for providing the magnetic junction are described. The magnetic junction includes free and pinned layers separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer. The free layer is switchable between stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction. Providing the pinned and/or free layer(s) includes providing a magnetic layer including a glass-promoting component, providing a sacrificial oxide layer on the magnetic layer, providing a sacrificial layer on the sacrificial oxide layer and performing at least one anneal of the magnetic layer, the sacrificial oxide layer and the sacrificial layer at anneal temperature(s) greater than 300 degrees Celsius and not exceeding 475 degrees Celsius. The magnetic layer is amorphous as-deposited but is at least partially crystallized after the anneal(s). The sacrificial layer includes a sink for the glass-promoting component. The sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer are removed after the anneal(s).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for providing magnetic junction residing on a substrate and usable in a magnetic device, the method comprising:
providing a pinned layer, the pinned layer being magnetic;
providing a nonmagnetic spacer layer; and
providing a free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer being magnetic and switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction, wherein at least one of the step of providing the pinned layer and the step of providing the free layer further include
providing a magnetic layer including a glass-promoting component, the magnetic layer being amorphous as-deposited;
providing a sacrificial oxide layer on the magnetic layer;
providing a sacrificial layer on the sacrificial oxide layer, the sacrificial layer including a sink for the glass-promoting component;
performing at least one anneal of the magnetic layer, the sacrificial oxide layer and the sacrificial layer at an anneal temperature greater than 300 degrees Celsius and not more than 475 degrees Celsius, the magnetic layer being at least partially crystallized after the at least one anneal; and
removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer after the step of performing the at least one anneal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the pinned layer has a pinned layer perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy greater than a pinned layer out-of-plane demagnetization energy and the free layer has a free layer perpendicular magnetic anisotropy greater than a free layer out-of-plane demagnetization energy.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the anneal temperature is at least three hundred fifty degrees Celsius and not more than four hundred degrees Celsius.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the glass-promoting component includes B.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the sacrificial layer includes at least one of Ta, Hf, Rb, Sc, Zr, Nb, Mg, V, Mn, Ag, Be, Mo, Ti, Cr, Al, Te and W.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetic layer is selected from a CoFeB layer and a FeB layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the free layer is performed before the step of providing the pinned layer and wherein the step of providing the pinned layer includes the steps of depositing the magnetic layer, providing the sacrificial oxide layer, providing the sacrificial layer, performing at least one anneal and removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer and wherein the step of providing the pinned layer further includes:
providing at least one bulk-perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (B-PMA) layer after the step of removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing at least one B-PMA layer further includes:
providing a Co layer after the step of removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer;
providing a Pt layer on the Co layer; and
providing a Co/Pt multilayer on the Pt layer such that a Co sublayer of the Co/Pt multilayer adjoins the Pt layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the step of providing the pinned layer further includes:
providing a nonmagnetic coupling on layer the B-PMA layer; and
providing an additional magnetic layer on the nonmagnetic coupling layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the free layer is performed after the step of providing the pinned layer and wherein the step of providing the pinned layer includes the steps of depositing the magnetic layer, providing the sacrificial oxide layer, providing the sacrificial layer, performing at least one anneal and removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer and wherein the step of providing the pinned layer further includes:
providing at least one bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (B-PMA) layer, the magnetic layer being provided on the at least one B-PMA layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the step of providing the at least one additional magnetic layer further includes:
providing a Co/Pt multilayer, the magnetic layer being provided on the Co/Pt multilayer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the free layer is performed before the step of providing the pinned layer and wherein the step of providing the free layer includes the steps of depositing the magnetic layer, providing the sacrificial oxide layer, providing the sacrificial layer, performing at least one anneal and removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer and wherein the step of providing the free layer further includes:
providing an additional magnetic layer including an additional glass-promoting component after the step of removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer, the additional magnetic layer being amorphous as-deposited.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12 wherein the additional magnetic layer is selected from a CoFeB layer and an FeB layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the free layer is performed after the step of providing the pinned layer and wherein the step of providing the free layer includes the steps of depositing the magnetic layer, providing the sacrificial oxide layer, providing the sacrificial layer, performing at least one anneal and removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer and wherein the step of providing the free layer further includes:
providing an additional magnetic layer including an additional glass-promoting component after the step of removing the sacrificial layer and the sacrificial oxide layer, the additional magnetic layer being amorphous as-deposited

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the additional magnetic layer is selected from a CoFeB layer and an FeB layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the nonmagnetic spacer layer further includes:
providing an MgO tunneling barrier layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing an additional nonmagnetic spacer layer, the free layer being between the additional nonmagnetic spacer layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer; and
providing an additional pinned layer, the additional nonmagnetic spacer layer being between the additional pinned layer and the free layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the sacrificial oxide layer has a first thickness of greater than zero Angstroms and not more than five Angstroms and the sacrificial layer has a thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than five Angstroms.

### Claim 19

A method for providing magnetic junction residing on a substrate and usable in a magnetic device, the method comprising:
providing a pinned layer, the pinned layer being magnetic;
providing a nonmagnetic spacer layer; and
providing a free layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer being between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer being magnetic and switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction, wherein at least one of the step of providing the pinned layer and the step of providing the free layer further include
providing a magnetic layer including B and at least one of Co and Fe, the magnetic layer being amorphous as-deposited;
providing an MgO layer on the magnetic layer, the MgO layer having a first thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than four Angstroms;
depositing a sacrificial layer on the MgO layer, the sacrificial layer including at least one of Ta and W, the sacrificial layer having a second thickness of at least two Angstroms and not more than five Angstroms;
performing at least one anneal of the magnetic layer, the MgO layer and the sacrificial layer at an anneal temperature greater than 350 degrees Celsius and not more than 400 degrees Celsius, the magnetic layer being at least partially crystallized after the at least one anneal; and
removing the sacrificial layer and the MgO layer after the step of performing the at least one anneal.

### Claim 20

A memory magnetic junction residing on a substrate and comprising:
a plurality of magnetic storage cells, each of the plurality of magnetic storage cells including at least one magnetic junction, the at least one magnetic junction including a free layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer and a pinned layer, the nonmagnetic spacer layer residing between the pinned layer and the free layer, the free layer being switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction, the free layer having a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy greater than an out-of-plane demagnetization energy, at least one of the pinned layer and the free layer including a crystalline magnetic layer having a body-centered cubic crystal structure and a (100) orientation, the at least one of the pinned layer and the free layer including at least one of MgO, Ta and W.