Techniques for patterning multilayer magnetic memory devices using ion implantation
AssigneeVarian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
InventorJohn J. Hautala
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Abstract
A method of patterning a substrate includes providing a layer stack comprising a plurality of layers on a base portion of the substrate, where the layer stack includes an electrically conductive layer and a magnetic layer. The method further includes forming a first mask feature on an outer surface of the layer stack above a first protected region and a second mask feature on the outer surface of the layer stack above a second protected region, and directing ions towards the layer stack to magnetically isolate and electrically isolate the first protected region from the second protected region.
Claims15
A method of patterning a substrate comprising:
- providing a layer stack comprising a plurality of layers on a base portion of the substrate, the layer stack comprising a plurality of initially electrically conductive layers and a magnetic layer;
- forming a first mask feature on an outer surface of the layer stack above a first protected region and a second mask feature on the outer surface of the layer stack above a second protected region, wherein the first protected region and second protected region define an exposed region therebetween that is not covered by a mask feature;
- directing ions towards the layer stack, wherein the ions are effective to magnetically isolate the first protected region from the second protected region, wherein the directing the ions comprises forming implanted regions of the layer stack within the plurality of electrically conductive layers and the magnetic layer in the exposed region;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the implanted regions of the layer stack within the plurality of electrically conductive layers and the magnetic layer after formation of the implanted regions, wherein a tapered side region is formed from a remaining portion of the implanted regions, the tapered region being magnetically deadened, wherein the first protected region is magnetically isolated and electrically isolated from the second protected region, and wherein the first protected region is physically isolated from the second protected region.
A method of forming a magnetic memory, comprising:
- providing a layer stack comprising a plurality of layers on a base portion of a substrate, the plurality of layers comprising a plurality of initially electrically conductive layers and a magnetic layer;
- forming a plurality of mask features on a surface of the layer stack, wherein a first mask feature of the plurality of mask features defines a first protected region of the layer stack and a second mask feature of the plurality of mask features defines a second protected region of the layer stack;
- and
- directing ions to the substrate at an ion dose and ion energy sufficient to magnetically isolate the first protected region of the layer stack from the second protected region of the layer stack, wherein the directing the ions comprises forming implanted regions of the layer stack within the plurality of electrically conductive layers and the magnetic layer in the exposed region;
- and
- etching at least a portion of the implanted regions within the plurality of electrically conductive layers and the magnetic layer after formation of the implanted regions, wherein a tapered side region is formed from a remaining portion of the implanted regions, the tapered region being magnetically deadened, wherein the first protected region is magnetically isolated and electrically isolate from the second protected region, and wherein the first protected region is physically isolated from the second protected region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.