Intel Corporation

Satyarth Suri

Brian S Doyle

Kaan Oguz

Mark L Doczy

Charles C Kuo

Robert S Chau

David L Kencke

Kevin O'Brien

Uday Shah

Elijah V Karpov

Ravi Pillarisetty

Niloy Mukherjee

Swaminathan Sivakumar

Nick Lindert

Nadia M Rahhal-Orabi

Steven J Keating

Roksana Golizadeh Mojarad

Clair C Webb

Lana Jong

Lin Sha

Gilbert W Dewey

Marko Radosavljevic

Benjamin Chu-Kung

Prashant Majhi

Manish Chandhok

Sanaz Kabehie Gardner

Richard E Schenker

Tejaswi K Indukuri

Justin Brockman

Juan G Alzate Vinasco

Jack T Kavalieros

Tahir Ghani

Willy Rachmady

Matthew V Metz

Van H Le

Han Wui Then

Sansaptak W Dasgupta

Seung Hoon Sung

Kevin Lai Lin

Oleg Golonzka

Hui Jae Yoo

Christopher J Jezewski

Christopher J Wiegand

Niti Goel

Ramanan Chebiam

Tristan A Tronic

Jasmeet S Chawla

Stephanie A Bojarski

Md Tofizur Rahman

Jessica S Kachian

Sudipto Naskar

Colin T Carver

Dipanjan Basu

Marc C French

The present disclosure relates to the fabrication of spin transfer torque memory devices, wherein a magnetic tunnel junction of the spin transfer torque memory device is formed with Heusler alloys as the fixed and free magnetic layers and a tunnel barrier layer disposed between and abutting the fixed Heusler magnetic layer and the free Heusler magnetic layer, wherein the tunnel barrier layer is lattice matched to the free Heusler magnetic layer. In one embodiment, the tunnel barrier layer may be a strontium titanate layer.

Spin transfer torque memory devices having heusler magnetic tunnel junctions

In one embodiment, a trench may be formed in a dielectric surface, and the trenched may be lined with a liner. The trench may be filled with a metal, and the metal may be recessed below an opening of the trench. The liner may be converted into a dielectric, and a hard mask may be deposited into the trench.

Self-aligned hard masks with converted liners

An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: a substrate; a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), on the substrate, comprising a fixed layer, a free layer, and a dielectric layer between the fixed and free layers; and a first synthetic anti-ferromagnetic (SAF) layer, a second SAF layer, and an intermediate layer, which includes a non-magnetic metal, between the first and second SAF layers; wherein the first SAF layer includes a Heusler alloy. Other embodiments are described herein.

Low stray field magnetic memory

An embodiment includes an apparatus including: a substrate; a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ), on the substrate, including a first fixed layer, a second fixed layer, and a free layer between the first and second fixed layers; a first dielectric layer between the first fixed layer and the free layer; and a second layer between the second fixed layer and the free layer. Other embodiments are described herein.

Perpendicular magnetic memory with symmetric fixed layers

Techniques are disclosed for fabricating a self-aligned spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) device with a dot-contacted free magnetic layer. In some embodiments, the disclosed STTM device includes a first dielectric spacer covering sidewalls of an electrically conductive hardmask layer that is patterned to provide an electronic contact for the STTM's free magnetic layer. The hardmask contact can be narrower than the free magnetic layer. The first dielectric spacer can be utilized in patterning the STTM's fixed magnetic layer. In some embodiments, the STTM further includes an optional second dielectric spacer covering sidewalls of its free magnetic layer. The second dielectric spacer can be utilized in patterning the STTM's fixed magnetic layer and may serve, at least in part, to protect the sidewalls of the free magnetic layer from redepositing of etch byproducts during such patterning, thereby preventing electrical shorting between the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer.

Techniques for forming spin-transfer torque memory having a dot-contacted free magnetic layer

Technologies for manufacturing spin transfer torque memory (STTM) elements are disclosed. In some embodiments, the technologies include methods for removing a re-deposited layer and/or interrupting the electrical continuity of a re-deposited layer that may form on one or more sidewalls of an STTM element during its formation. Devices and systems including such STTM elements are also described.

Spin transfer torque memory (STTM), methods of forming the same using volatile compound forming elements, and devices including the same

Techniques are disclosed for forming integrated circuit structures including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), such as spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) devices, having magnetic contacts. The techniques include incorporating an additional magnetic layer (e.g., a layer that is similar or identical to that of the magnetic contact layer) such that the additional magnetic layer is coupled antiferromagnetically (or in a substantially antiparallel manner). The additional magnetic layer can help balance the magnetic field of the magnetic contact layer to limit parasitic fringing fields that would otherwise be caused by the magnetic contact layer. The additional magnetic layer may be antiferromagnetically coupled to the magnetic contact layer by, for example, including a nonmagnetic spacer layer between the two magnetic layers, thereby creating a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF). The techniques can benefit, for example, magnetic contacts having magnetic directions that are substantially in-line or substantially in-plane with the layers of the MTJ stack.

Spin-transfer torque memory (STTM) devices having magnetic contacts

A plurality of interconnect features are formed in an interconnect layer on a first insulating layer on a substrate. An opening in the first insulating layer is formed through at least one of the interconnect features. A gap fill layer is deposited in the opening.

Self-aligned via below subtractively patterned interconnect

Approaches for an interconnect cladding process for integrating magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices, and the resulting structures, are described. In an example, a memory structure includes an interconnect disposed in a trench of a dielectric layer above a substrate, the interconnect including a diffusion barrier layer disposed at a bottom of and along sidewalls of the trench to an uppermost surface of the dielectric layer, a conductive fill layer disposed on the diffusion barrier layer and recessed below the uppermost surface of the dielectric layer and an uppermost surface of the diffusion barrier layer, and a conductive capping layer disposed on the conductive fill layer and between sidewall portions of the diffusion barrier layer. A memory element is disposed on the conductive capping layer of the interconnect.

Interconnect capping process for integration of MRAM devices and the resulting structures

A material layer stack for a magnetic tunneling junction, the material layer stack including a fixed magnetic layer; a dielectric layer; a free magnetic layer; and an amorphous electrically-conductive seed layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer is disposed between the dielectric layer and the seed layer. A non-volatile memory device including a material stack including an amorphous electrically-conductive seed layer; and a fixed magnetic layer juxtaposed and in contact with the seed layer. A method including forming an amorphous seed layer on a first electrode of a memory device; forming a material layer stack on the amorphous seed layer, the material stack including a dielectric layer disposed between a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer, wherein the fixed magnetic layer.

Amorphous seed layer for improved stability in perpendicular STTM stack

A method including forming a device stack including a dielectric layer between a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer on a fully-crystalline sacrificial film or substrate including a crystal lattice similar to the crystal lattice of the dielectric material; and transferring the device stack from the sacrificial film to a device substrate. An apparatus including a device stack including a dielectric layer between a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer on a device substrate wherein the fixed magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer each have a crystalline lattice conforming to a crystalline lattice of the sacrificial film or substrate on which they were formed prior to transfer to the device substrate.

Fabrication of crystalline magnetic films for PSTTM applications

Technologies for manufacturing spin transfer torque memory (STTM) elements are disclosed. In some embodiments, the technologies include methods for interrupting the electrical continuity of a re-deposited layer that may form on one or more sidewalls of an STTM element during its formation. Devices and systems including such STTM elements are also described.

Spin transfer torque memory (STTM), methods of forming the same using a non-conformal insulator, and devices including the same

Described is an apparatus which comprises: a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) device with out-of-plane magnetizations for its free and fixed magnetic layers, and configured to have a magnetization offset away from a center and closer to a switching threshold of the MTJ device; and logic for generating random numbers according to a resistive state of the MTJ device.

Random number generator

An embodiment includes an apparatus comprising: first and second electrodes on a substrate; a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (pMTJ), between the first and second electrodes, comprising a dielectric layer between a fixed layer and a free layer; and an additional dielectric layer directly contacting first and second metal layers; wherein (a) the first metal layer includes an active metal and the second metal includes an inert metal, and (b) the second metal layer directly contacts the free layer. Other embodiments are described herein.

Perpendicular magnetic memory with filament conduction path

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Hillsboro, OR, United States of America

Satyarth Suri