Post Treatment to Reduce Shunting Devices for Physical Etching Process
AssigneeHeadway Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYu-Jen Wang, Dongna Shen, Vignesh Sundar, Sahil Patel
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Abstract
A method for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure is described. A stack of MTJ layers is provided on a bottom electrode. A top electrode is provided on the MTJ stack. The top electrode is patterned. Thereafter, the MTJ stack not covered by the patterned top electrode is oxidized or nitridized. Then, the MTJ stack is patterned to form a MTJ device wherein any sidewall re-deposition formed on sidewalls of the MTJ device is non-conductive and wherein some of the dielectric layer remains on horizontal surfaces of the bottom electrode.
Claims13
A method for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure comprising:
- providing a stack of MTJ layers on a bottom electrode;
- providing a top electrode on said MTJ stack;
- patterning said top electrode;
- thereafter oxidizing or nitridizing entire said MTJ stack not covered by patterned said top electrode thereby converting to oxide or nitride all of said MTJ stack material not covered by said patterned top electrode;
- and
- thereafter patterning said MTJ stack to form a MTJ device wherein any sidewall re-deposition formed on sidewalls of said MTJ device is non-conductive.
A method for etching a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure comprising:
- providing a stack of MTJ layers on a bottom electrode;
- providing a top electrode on said MTJ stack;
- patterning said top electrode;
- thereafter oxidizing or nitridizing entire said MTJ stack and said bottom electrode not covered by patterned said top electrode thereby converting to oxide or nitride all of said MTJ stack material and said bottom electrode material not covered by said patterned top electrode;
- thereafter patterning said MTJ stack to form a MTJ device wherein any sidewall re-deposition formed on sidewalls of said MTJ device is non-conductive;
- and
- thereafter patterning said bottom electrode wherein any sidewall re-deposition on sidewalls of said MTJ device is non-conductive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.