Fabricating an electroconductive contact on a top surface of a tunneling magnetoresistance element

A method, comprising:

• depositing a capping layer over a semiconductor device structure comprising:
• a plurality of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) elements;
• a corresponding one hard mask on each TMR element;
• a metal layer;
• and
• a plurality of electroconductive vias directing connecting the TMR elements to the metal layer;
• depositing a first insulator on the capping layer;
• depositing a first photoresist on the insulator;
• patterning the first photoresist using photolithography to expose portions of the first insulator;
• etching the exposed portions of the first insulator and the hard masks to expose top surfaces of the TMR elements;
• stripping the first photoresist;
• and
• depositing a conducting material on the top surfaces of the TMR elements to form an electroconductive contact.

A method, comprising:

• depositing an insulator on a capping layer of a semiconductor device structure, the semiconductor structure comprising:
• a tunneling magnetoresistance (MR) element:
• a hard mask on the MR element;
• and
• the capping layer on the hard mask;
• depositing a first photoresist on the insulator;
• patterning the first photoresist using photolithography to expose portions of the insulator;
• etching the insulator;
• stripping the first photoresist;
• and
• depositing a metal on a top surface of the MR element to form an electroconductive contact.

A method, comprising:

• depositing a capping layer on a semiconductor device structure comprising:
• a plurality of magnetoresistance (MR) elements;
• a corresponding one hard mask on each MR element;
• a metal layer;
• and
• a plurality of electroconductive vias directing connecting the MR elements to the metal layer;
• depositing an insulator on the capping layer;
• depositing a first photoresist on the insulator;
• patterning the first photoresist using photolithography to expose portions of the insulator;
• etching the exposed portions of the insulator and the hard masks to expose top surfaces of the MR elements;
• stripping the first photoresist;
• and
• depositing a conducting material on the top surfaces of the MR elements to form an electroconductive contact.