Low resistance MTJ
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorsEugene Chen, Jon Slaughter, Renu Whig
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Abstract
A low resistance magnetic tunnel junction with low resistance barrier layer and method of fabrication is disclosed. A first magnetic layer of material with a surface is provided and a continuous layer of material, e.g. aluminum, is formed on the surface of the first magnetic layer. The continuous layer of material is treated to produce a low resistance barrier layer of oxynitride material and a second magnetic layer is formed on the barrier layer of oxynitride material to complete the low resistance magnetic tunnel junction.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction with low resistance barrier layer comprising the steps of:
- providing a support structure including a first magnetic layer of material;
- forming a continuous layer of material on the support structure parallel with the first magnetic layer;
- treating the continuous layer of material to produce a barrier layer of oxynitride material;
- and
- forming a cover structure including a second magnetic layer on the barrier layer of oxynitride material, the second magnetic layer being positioned parallel with the first magnetic layer so as to form a magnetic tunnel junction with the barrier layer and the first magnetic layer.
A method of fabricating a magnetic tunnel junction comprising the steps of:
- providing a support structure including a first magnetic layer of material;
- forming a continuous layer of aluminum alloy on the support structure parallel with the first magnetic layer with a thickness in a range of 1 nm to 3 nm, the layer of aluminum alloy including greater than 90% aluminum having atoms and traces of materials having atoms that are different from the atoms of the aluminum to produce grains which are different than grains of the aluminum alone;
- generating a plasma of oxygen and nitrogen and subjecting the continuous layer of aluminum alloy to the plasma to produce a layer of aluminum oxynitride;
- and
- forming a cover structure including a second magnetic layer on the layer of aluminum oxynitride so as to produce a magnetic tunnel junction with the layer of aluminum oxynitride and the first magnetic layer.
A magnetic tunnel junction comprising:
- a support structure including a first magnetic layer of material;
- a continuous layer of metal oxynitride positioned on the support structure parallel with the first magnetic layer;
- and
- a cover structure including a second magnetic layer formed on the continuous layer so as to produce a magnetic tunnel junction with the layer of metal oxynitride and the first magnetic layer.
A magnetic tunnel junction comprising:
- a support structure including a first magnetic layer of material;
- a continuous layer of aluminum oxynitride formed on the support structure in parallel with the first magnetic layer;
- and
- a cover structure including a second magnetic layer positioned on the continuous layer so as to produce a magnetic tunnel junction with the layer of aluminum oxynitride and the first magnetic layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.