# US 2021/0242277 A1 · Embedded MRAM Device with Top Via

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- Number: US 2021/0242277 A1
- Document ID: US20210242277A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/780,684
- Filed: 2020-02-03
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-03
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Ashim Dutta; Ekmini Anuja De Silva; Dominik Metzler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242277A1

## CPC

- H10B 61/00: Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
- H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment
- H10N 50/80: Constructional details
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Techniques for integrating an embedded MRAM device with a BEOL interconnect structure are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming an embedded MRAM device includes: depositing a cap layer onto a substrate; forming a metal line and metal pad on the cap layer; patterning the metal line to form first top vias, and the metal pad to form a second top via; depositing a dielectric material onto the substrate surrounding the first/second top vias; recessing the second top via to form a bottom contact via self-aligned to the metal pad which serves as a bottom contact; forming an MRAM cell over the bottom contact via; and forming first/second top contacts in contact with the first top vias/the MRAM cell. An embedded MRAM device is also provided.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an embedded magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device, the method comprising the steps of:
depositing a cap layer onto a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a logic-to-memory boundary area separating a logic area of the substrate from a memory area of the substrate;
forming a metal line on the cap layer over the logic area of the substrate, and a metal pad on the dielectric cap layer over the memory area of the substrate;
patterning i) the metal line to form first top vias over an unpatterned portion of the metal line, and ii) the metal pad to form a second top via over an unpatterned portion of the metal pad;
depositing a dielectric material onto the substrate surrounding the first top vias and the second top via;
recessing the second top via and the dielectric material in the memory area of the substrate, wherein following the recessing what remains of the second top via serves as a bottom contact via that is self-aligned to the unpatterned portion of the metal pad which serves as a bottom contact;
forming an MRAM cell over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate; and
forming first top contacts in contact with the first top vias and a second top contact in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
depositing an interlayer dielectric (ILD) onto the dielectric material over the first top vias and the MRAM cell;
recessing the ILD to expose the first top vias and the MRAM cell; and
forming the first top contacts over the ILD in contact with the first top vias and the second top contact over the ILD in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the cap layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of: silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (SiN), silicon carbon nitride (SiCN), hydrogen containing silicon carbon nitride (SiCNH), and combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein at least one conductive via is present in the dielectric cap layer over the memory area of the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal line and the metal pad each comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: ruthenium (Ru), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), and combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
forming a block mask on the dielectric material covering the first top vias in the logic area of the substrate; and
recessing the second top via and the dielectric material in the memory area of the substrate using the block mask.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
forming an MRAM stack on the dielectric material over the first top vias in the logic area of the substrate and over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate, wherein the MRAM stack comprises a bottom electrode layer, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) layer disposed on the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer disposed on the MTJ layer; and
patterning the MRAM stack to form the MRAM cell over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:
depositing a top contact metal layer onto the ILD over the first top vias and the MRAM cell; and
patterning the top contact metal layer into the first top contacts in contact with the first top vias and the second top contact in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the top contact metal layer comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: Ru, Co, W, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein following the patterning of the MRAM stack a residual portion of the MRAM stack remains in the logic-to-memory boundary area of the substrate, the method further comprising the step of:
exposing the residual portion of the MRAM stack during the patterning of the top contact metal layer; and
removing the residual portion of the MRAM stack that has been exposed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
forming spacers along sidewalls of the MRAM cell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the spacers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: SiN, SiCN, SiCNH, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 13

A method of forming an embedded MRAM device, the method comprising the steps of:
depositing a cap layer onto a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises a logic-to-memory boundary area separating a logic area of the substrate from a memory area of the substrate;
forming a metal line on the cap layer over the logic area of the substrate, and a metal pad on the dielectric cap layer over the memory area of the substrate;
patterning i) the metal line to form first top vias over an unpatterned portion of the metal line, and ii) the metal pad to form a second top via over an unpatterned portion of the metal pad;
depositing a dielectric material onto the substrate surrounding the first top vias and the second top via;
recessing the second top via and the dielectric material in the memory area of the substrate, wherein following the recessing what remains of the second top via serves as a bottom contact via that is self-aligned to the unpatterned portion of the metal pad which serves as a bottom contact;
forming an MRAM stack on the dielectric material over the first top vias in the logic area of the substrate and over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate, wherein the MRAM stack comprises a bottom electrode layer, an MTJ layer disposed on the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer disposed on the MTJ layer;
patterning the MRAM stack to form an MRAM cell over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate;
depositing an ILD onto the dielectric material over the first top vias and the MRAM cell;
recessing the ILD to expose the first top vias and the MRAM cell; and
forming first top contacts and a second top contact over the ILD, wherein the first top contacts are in contact with the first top vias and the second top contact is in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the metal line, the metal pad, and the top contact metal layer each comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: Ru, Co, W, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
forming a block mask on the dielectric material covering the first top vias in the logic area of the substrate; and
recessing the second top via and the dielectric material in the memory area of the substrate using the block mask.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
depositing a top contact metal layer onto the ILD over the first top vias and the MRAM cell; and
patterning the top contact metal layer into the first top contacts in contact with the first top vias and the second top contact in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein following the patterning of the MRAM stack a residual portion of the MRAM stack remains in the logic-to-memory boundary area of the substrate, the method further comprising the steps of:
exposing the residual portion of the MRAM stack during the patterning of the top contact metal layer; and
removing the residual portion of the MRAM stack that has been exposed.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:
forming spacers along sidewalls of the MRAM cell, wherein the spacers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: SiN, SiCN, SiCNH, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 19

An embedded MRAM device, comprising:
a substrate comprising a logic-to-memory boundary area separating a logic area of the substrate from a memory area of the substrate;
a cap layer disposed on the substrate;
a metal line disposed on the cap layer over the logic area of the substrate;
a metal pad disposed on the cap layer over the memory area of the substrate;
top vias formed on the metal line;
a bottom contact via self-aligned to the metal pad, wherein the metal pad serves as a bottom contact of the MRAM device;
a dielectric material disposed on the substrate over the metal line and the metal pad and surrounding the top vias and the bottom contact via;
an MRAM cell formed over the bottom contact via in the memory area of the substrate;
spacers along sidewalls of the MRAM cell, wherein the spacers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: SiN, SiCN, SiCNH, and combinations thereof;
first top contacts in contact with the top vias; and
a second top contact in contact with the MRAM cell.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The embedded MRAM device of claim 19, wherein the metal line, the metal pad, the first top contacts and the second top contact each comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: Ru, Co, W, and combinations thereof.