# US 9,520,553 B2 · Methods of forming a magnetic electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction and methods of forming a magnetic tunnel junction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,553 B2 - Document ID: US9520553B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/687,317 - Filed: 2015-04-15 - Published: 2016-10-20 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-15 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Manzar Siddik; Witold Kula; Gurtej S. Sandhu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520553B2 ## CPC - H10N 50/01: Manufacture or treatment - G11C 11/161: {details concerning the memory cell structure, e.g. the layers of the ferromagnetic memory cell} - H10N 50/10: Magnetoresistive devices - H10N 50/85: Materials of the active region - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract A method of forming a magnetic electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction comprises forming non-magnetic MgO-comprising material over conductive material of the magnetic electrode being formed. An amorphous metal is formed over the MgO-comprising material. Amorphous magnetic electrode material comprising Co and Fe is formed over the amorphous metal. The amorphous magnetic electrode material is devoid of B. Non-magnetic tunnel insulator material comprising MgO is formed directly against the amorphous magnetic electrode material. The tunnel insulator material is devoid of B. After forming the tunnel insulator material, the amorphous Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material is annealed at a temperature of at least about 250° C. to form crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material from an MgO-comprising surface of the tunnel insulator material. The crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material is devoid of B. Other method and non-method embodiments are disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a magnetic electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction, comprising: forming non-magnetic MgO-comprising material over conductive material of the magnetic electrode being formed; forming amorphous metal over the MgO-comprising material, the amorphous metal comprising an alloy of a) at least one of Mo and Cr, and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni, or b) Al and Ni; forming amorphous magnetic electrode material comprising Co and Fe over the amorphous metal, the amorphous magnetic electrode material being devoid of B; forming non-magnetic tunnel insulator material comprising MgO directly against the amorphous magnetic electrode material, the tunnel insulator material being devoid of B; and after forming the tunnel insulator material, annealing the amorphous Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material at a temperature of at least 250° C. to form crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material from an MgO-comprising surface of the tunnel insulator material, the crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material being devoid of B. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 comprising forming a material comprising Co, Fe, and B over the conductive material; and forming the MgO-comprising material over the material comprising Co, Fe, and B. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the Co and Fe of the amorphous magnetic electrode material are formed directly against the amorphous metal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of 0° C. to 30° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of at least 20° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of −250° C. to less than 0° C. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of −250° C. to −20° C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal has a maximum thickness of 3 Angstroms to 5 Angstroms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material has a maximum thickness of 7 Angstroms to 15 Angstroms. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A magnetic tunnel junction incorporating the magnetic electrode produced using the method of claim 1. ### Claim 11 A method of forming a magnetic electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction, comprising: forming amorphous metal over a substrate, the amorphous metal comprising an alloy of a) at least one of Mo and Cr, and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni, or b) Al and Ni; forming amorphous magnetic electrode material comprising Co and Fe over the amorphous metal at a temperature of −250° C. to 30° C., the amorphous magnetic electrode material being devoid of B; forming non-magnetic tunnel insulator material comprising MgO directly against the amorphous magnetic electrode material, the tunnel insulator material being devoid of B; and after forming the tunnel insulator material, annealing the amorphous Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material at a temperature of at least 250° C. to form crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material from an MgO-comprising surface of the tunnel insulator material, the crystalline Co and Fe-comprising magnetic electrode material being devoid of B. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the Co and Fe of the amorphous magnetic electrode material are formed directly against the amorphous metal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal is formed directly against other physically and/or chemically different conductive material of the magnetic electrode being formed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein, the Co and Fe of the amorphous magnetic electrode material are formed directly against the amorphous metal; and the amorphous metal is formed directly against other physically and/or chemically different conductive material of the magnetic electrode being formed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal has a maximum thickness of 10 Angstroms to 100 Angstroms. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of 0° C. to 30° C. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous magnetic electrode material is formed at a temperature of −250° C. to less than 0° C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of transition metals. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 wherein the amorphous metal consists essentially of an alloy of transition metals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) A magnetic tunnel junction incorporating the magnetic electrode produced using the method of claim 11. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Al and Ni. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Mo and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Cr and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Fe. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Co. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Ni. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising Mo and Cr. ### Claim 28 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Al and Ni. ### Claim 29 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Mo and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni. ### Claim 30 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy of Cr and at least one of Fe, Co, and Ni. ### Claim 31 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Fe. ### Claim 32 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Co. ### Claim 33 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising at least one of Mo and Cr, and Ni. ### Claim 34 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the amorphous metal comprises an alloy comprising Mo and Cr.