International Business Machines Corporation

Thitima Suwannasiri

Bruce Bennett Doris

Pouya Hashemi

Nathan P Marchack

Robert L Bruce

Sebastian Ulrich Engelmann

Lynne Marie Gignac

Luxherta Buzi

A process of improving a profile and repairing sidewall damage for phase change memory devices. The process includes applying inert ion beam etching to trim a sidewall of a layer of phase change memory material in a phase change memory device, where the sidewall has been damaged in reactive ion etching using halogens. In the process, the inert ion beam etching is with low energy. In the process, applying the inert ion beam etching to trim the sidewall is at a predetermined low temperature. In the process, applying the inert ion beam etching to trim the sidewall is at a predetermined small angle between an inert ion beam and a surface tangent of the sidewall.

Applying inert ion beam etching for improving a profile and repairing sidewall damage for phase change memory devices

A multilayered bottom electrode for a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) containing device is provided that includes, from bottom to top, a base segment having a first diameter and composed of a remaining portion of a first bottom electrode metal-containing layer, a middle segment having a second diameter and composed of a remaining portion of a second bottom electrode metal-containing layer, and an upper segment having a third diameter and composed of a remaining portion of a third bottom electrode metal-containing layer, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter, and the third diameter is equal to, or less than, the second diameter. The wider base segment of each multilayered bottom electrode prevents tilting and/or bowing of the resultant bottom electrode. Thus, a stable bottom electrode is provided.

Multilayered bottom electrode for MTJ-containing devices

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Oak Ridge, NJ, United States of America

Thitima Suwannasiri