Silicon Magnetic Systems

Helen L Chung

Witold Kula

Eugene Youjun Chen

Sam G Geha

Kamel Ounadjela

William Koutny

Chang Ju Choi

Benjamin C E Schwarz

Biju Parameshwaran

Methods for patterning a magnetic cell junction and a topography used for and/or resulting from such methods are provided. In particular, a method is provided which includes etching portions of a topography adjacent to a patterned photoresist layer to a level within a cap film of the topography, removing etch residues from the topography and subsequently etching the remaining portions of the cap film to expose an uppermost magnetic layer. Another method is provided which includes patterning a dielectric mask layer above a patterned upper portion of a magnetic cell junction and ion milling a lower portion of the magnetic cell junction in alignment with the mask layer. An exemplary topography which may result and/or may be used for such methods includes a stack of layers having a dual layer cap film arranged above at least two magnetic layers spaced apart by a tunneling layer.

Methods for fabricating magnetic cell junctions and a structure resulting and/or used for such methods

A method is provided which includes creating a plasma from a gas mixture including diatomic nitrogen gas and a gas comprising silicon. In addition, the method includes exposing a microelectronic topography to the plasma to form a silicon nitride layer thereon. In some cases, the method may include forming the silicon nitride layer at a temperature less than approximately 300&deg; C. Furthermore, the method may include subsequently processing the microelectronic topography at a temperature greater than or equal to approximately 250&deg; C. such that a stress change of less than approximately 1.0&times;10 dynes/cm occurs within the silicon nitride layer. In addition, a microelectronic topography is provided which has a silicon nitride layer with a concentration of diatomic hydrogen that is at least one order of magnitude lower than a concentration of diatomic hydrogen within a silicon nitride layer formed from a plasma generated from ammonia.

Method for depositing silicon nitride

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Helen L Chung