Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chern-Yow Hsu

Shih-Chang Liu

Chia-Shiung Tsai

Fu-Ting Sung

Xiaomeng Chen

Wei-Hang Huang

Ching-Pei Hsieh

Yuan-Tai Tseng

Chen-Jong Wang

Ching-Sheng Chu

Harry-Hak-Lay Chuang

Ming Chyi Liu

Chung-Chiang Min

Yao-Wen Chang

Cheng-Yuan Tsai

Kong-Beng Thei

Chih-Ming Chen

Chung-Yi Yu

Chang-Ming Wu

Feng-Jia Shiu

Szu-Yu Wang

Kuei-Hung Shen

Yu-Hsing Chang

Wei-Chieh Huang

Jieh-Jang Chen

Tzu-Hsuan Yeh

Yeur-Luen Tu

Yu-Jen Wang

Hsing-Lien Lin

Sheng-Huang Huang

Chi-Hsin Lo

Yuan-Hung Liu

Chih-Ta Wu

Chung Chien Wang

Yi Jen Tsai

Gung-Pei Chang

Min-Yung Ko

Jason Lee

Chia-Lin Chen

Po-ken Lin

Ming-Chih Tsai

Cheng-Jong Wang

Sheng-Haung Haung

Lucy Chang

The present disclosure relates to a method of forming an integrated chip. The method includes forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack over a bottom electrode layer. A sacrificial dielectric is formed over the MTJ stack. The sacrificial dielectric is patterned to form a cavity. A top electrode material is formed within the cavity and a mask is formed over the top electrode material. The top electrode material extends from directly below the mask to laterally past an outermost sidewall of the mask. The sacrificial dielectric is removed. The MTJ stack is patterned according to the top electrode material and the mask to form an MTJ after removing the sacrificial dielectric. An etchant that is used to pattern the MTJ stack etches the top electrode material with the mask in place.

Hard mask for MTJ patterning

A memory device with hard mask insulator and its manufacturing methods are provided. In some embodiments, the memory device includes a memory cell stack disposed over a substrate. The memory cell stack includes a bottom electrode layer, a resistance switching dielectric layer over the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer over the resistance switching dielectric layer. A first insulating layer is disposed over the top electrode layer, and a first metal hard masking layer disposed over the first insulating layer.

Non-volatile memory device and manufacturing technology

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip (IC), including a bottom electrode overlying an interconnect structure disposed within a lower inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer, a top electrode over the bottom electrode, a data storage structure between the top electrode from the bottom electrode, a conductive barrier layer directly overlying the interconnect structure, and a bottom electrode via (BEVA) vertically separating and contacting a bottom surface of the bottom electrode and a top surface of the conductive barrier layer. A maximum width of the BEVA is less than a width of the data storage structure.

Bottom electrode via and conductive barrier design to eliminate electrical short in memory devices

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip (IC), including a bottom electrode overlying an interconnect structure disposed within a lower inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer, a top electrode over the bottom electrode, a data storage structure between the top electrode from the bottom electrode, a conductive barrier layer overlying the interconnect structure, and a bottom electrode via (BEVA) vertically separating and contacting a bottom surface of the bottom electrode and a top surface of the conductive barrier layer. A maximum width of the BEVA is less than a width of the data storage structure.

Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit including a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of metal layers that are stacked over one another in alternating fashion. The plurality of metal layers include a lower metal layer and an upper metal layer disposed over the lower metal layer. A bottom electrode is disposed over and in electrical contact with the lower metal layer. A dielectric layer is disposed over an upper surface of the bottom electrode. A top electrode is disposed over an upper surface of the dielectric layer and is in direct electrical contact with a lower surface of the upper metal layer.

Techniques for MRAM MTJ top electrode connection

A memory device includes a first metal structure, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure, a second metal structure, a first spacer, and a second spacer. The MTJ structure is over the first metal structure. The second metal structure is over the MTJ structure. The first spacer is over a first sidewall of the second metal structure. The second spacer is over a second sidewall of the second metal structure. The second spacer has a top surface higher than a top surface of the first spacer.

Memory device with composite spacer

The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a plurality of interconnects disposed within a dielectric structure over a substrate. A conductor is disposed over at least one of the plurality of interconnects. A protective layer is disposed on the conductor and a mask layer is disposed on the protective layer. One or more passivation layers are disposed on the mask layer. The protective layer, the mask layer, and the one or more passivation layers respectively have one or more sidewalls directly over the conductor.

Bond pad with enhanced reliability

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip (IC). The IC includes a first dielectric structure having first inner sidewalls over an interlayer dielectric (ILD) structure. A second dielectric structure is over the first dielectric structure, where the first inner sidewalls are between second inner sidewalls of the second dielectric structure. A sidewall barrier structure is over the first dielectric structure and extends vertically along the second inner sidewalls. A lower bumping structure is between the second inner sidewalls and extends vertically along the first inner sidewalls and vertically along third inner sidewalls of the sidewall barrier structure. An upper bumping structure is over both the lower bumping structure and the sidewall barrier structure and between the second inner sidewalls, where an uppermost point of the upper bumping structure is at or below an uppermost point of the second dielectric structure.

Mask transfer method (and related apparatus) for a bumping process

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for forming a memory cell. In some embodiments, a memory film is deposited over a substrate and comprises a bottom electrode layer, a top electrode layer, and a data storage film between the top and bottom electrode layers. A hard mask film is deposited over the memory film and comprises a conductive hard mask layer. The top electrode layer and the hard mask film are patterned to respectively form a top electrode and a hard mask over the top electrode. A trimming process is performed to decrease a sidewall angle between a sidewall of the hard mask and a bottom surface of the hard mask. An etch is performed into the data storage film with the hard mask in place after the trimming process to form a data storage structure underlying the top electrode.

Method for forming a hard mask with a tapered profile

The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes one or more lower interconnect layers arranged within one or more stacked inter-level dielectric (ILD) layers over a substrate. An etch stop structure is disposed over the one or more lower interconnect layers and a bottom electrode is disposed over the etch stop structure. The bottom electrode electrically contacts the one or more lower interconnect layers. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack is disposed over the bottom electrode. The MTJ stack has sidewalls arranged at a first angle with respect to a bottom surface of the MTJ stack. A top electrode is disposed over the MTJ stack. The top electrode has sidewalls arranged at a second angle with respect to a bottom surface of the top electrode. The second angle is greater than the first angle.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, and a method for fabricating a semiconductor structure, the method includes forming a bottom electrode, forming a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) layer over the bottom electrode, wherein the MTJ layer includes a first material, forming a top electrode over the MTJ layer, forming a first dielectric layer over the top electrode and the MTJ layer, and patterning the MTJ layer to form an MTJ, thereby generating residue over an outer sidewall of the first dielectric layer, wherein the residue comprises the first material, and the residue is apart from the bottom electrode, forming a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer to encapsulate the residue, and forming an insulation layer surrounding the second dielectric layer.

Magnetic tunnel junction device with residue-protection sidewall spacer and the method for forming a magnetic tunnel junction device with residue-protection sidewall spacer

A semiconductor arrangement includes a logic region and a memory region. The memory region has an active region that includes a semiconductor device. The memory region also has a capacitor within one or more dielectric layers over the active region, where the capacitor is over the semiconductor device. The semiconductor arrangement also includes a protective ring within at least one of the logic region or the memory region and that separates the logic region from the memory region. The capacitor has a first electrode, a second electrode and an insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, where the first electrode is substantially larger than other portions of the capacitor.

Semiconductor arrangement with capacitor

A semiconductor structure includes a first electrode, a second electrode over the first electrode, a third electrode over the second electrode, a first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating layer between the second electrode and the third electrode. The third electrode includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface. The first bottom surface and the second bottom surface are at different levels. A width of the first bottom surface is greater than a width of the second bottom surface.

Semiconductor structure and method for forming the same

A memory cell structure including a dielectric cap layer disposed over a substrate and a first dielectric layer disposed over the dielectric cap layer. The memory cell structure may further include a buffer layer disposed over the first dielectric layer, a connection via structure embedded in the buffer layer, the first dielectric layer, and the dielectric cap layer. The memory cell structure may further include may further include a bottom electrode disposed on the connection via structure and the buffer layer, and a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory cell including one or more MTJ layers disposed on the bottom electrode.

Magnetic tunnel junction memory cell with a buffer-layer and methods for forming the same

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure including a first electrode via, a first electrode on the first electrode via, a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) over the first electrode, a second electrode over the MTJ, a first dielectric layer on the first electrode via, a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is a planar layer. A sidewall of the MTJ is in contact with the second dielectric layer, and a bottom surface of the second dielectric layer is higher than a bottom surface of the first electrode.

Growing community of inventors

Chu-Bei, Taiwan

Chern-Yow Hsu