Magnetic memory and method of its manufacture
AssigneeNEC Electronics Corporation
InventorsTakeshi Okazawa, Kiyotaka Tsuji, Kuniko Kikuta
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Abstract
A magnetic memory of a present invention is formed as below. The magnetic memory has a TMR film formed on a first conductive film, and a second conductive film with a flat top surface, having the same plane shape as that of the TMR film, formed on the TMR laminated film. A first insulating film having a flat top surface and the same height as the surface of the second conductive film is formed so as to surround the TMR film and the second conductive film. A third conductive film connected electrically to the second conductive film is formed on the first insulating film.
Claims21
A method of forming a magnetic memory, comprising:
- forming, on a first conductive film, a TMR layer and a second conductive layer in this order;
- forming a patterned second conductive film as a hard mask by patterning said second conductive layer;
- forming a patterned TMR film by patterning said TMR layer by using said hard mask.
A magnetic memory comprising:
- a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) film formed on a first conductive film;
- and
- a second conductive film formed on said TMR film, said second conductive film having the same plane shape as said TMR film, the width and length of said conductive film being different from the width and length of said TMR film.
A magnetic memory comprising;
- a plurality of transistors formed on a substrate in a matrix form;
- a first layer insulating film formed so as to cover said plurality of transistors;
- a plurality of first conductive films formed on said plurality of transistors so as to expose only their top faces from said first layer insulating film, respective films of said plurality of first conductive films being connected to one of drain and source of said plurality of transistors in the corresponding columns;
- a plurality of magnetic memory elements formed on respective films of said plurality of first conductive films, respective elements of said plurality of magnetic memory elements having TMR films;
- a plurality of second conductive films formed on respective films of said plurality of magnetic memory elements;
- a second layer insulating film formed on said first layer insulating film so as to cover said plurality of first conductive films and so as to expose the top surface of said second conductive films, said second layer insulating film having a top surface with the same height as the top surface of said second conductive film;
- and
- a plurality of third conductive films formed on said second layer insulating film, respective films of said plurality of third conductive films being connected electrically to the said second films of respective columns of said plurality of magnetic memory elements,
- wherein each of said magnetic memory elements has a plane size which is different from a plane area overlapping one of said first conductive films and a corresponding one of said third conductive films.
A method of forming a magnetic memory, comprising:
- forming a first conductive layer, a TMR layer and a second conductive layer in this order on a first insulating film;
- patterning said second conductive film to form a first hard mask;
- patterning said TMR layer by using said first hard mask.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.