Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.v.

Hgst Netherlands, B.v.

Sandisk Technologies Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Western Digital Technologies, Inc.

Other

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Tsai-Wei Wu

Jordan Asher Katine

Lei Wan

Xing-Cai Guo

Zvonimir Z Bandic

Thomas Edward Karis

Thomas R Albrecht

Jeffrey Scott Lille

Bruno Jean Marchon

Huey-Ming Tzeng

Charles Mathew Mate

Margaret E Best

Dan Saylor Kercher

Jacey Robert Beaucage

Paul Arthur Goddu

Jeffrey P Gunder

Eduardo Padilla

Clayton Paul Henderson

Qing Dai

Robert Waltman

Chu-Chen Fu

Ichiroh Koyanagi

Kanaiyalal Patel

Zuwei Liu

Hitesh Arora

He Gao

Jean-Marc L Beaujour

Charles H Heino, Jr

A memory device includes a cross-point array of magnetoresistive memory cells. Each magnetoresistive memory cell includes a vertical stack of a selector-containing pillar structure and a magnetic tunnel junction pillar structure. The lateral spacing between neighboring pairs of magnetoresistive memory cells may be smaller along a first horizontal direction than along a second horizontal direction, and a dielectric spacer or a tapered etch process may be used to provide a pattern of an etch mask for patterning first electrically conductive lines underneath the magnetoresistive memory cells. Alternatively, a resist layer may be employed to pattern first electrically conductive lines underneath the cross-point array. Alternatively, a protective dielectric liner may be provided to protect selector-containing pillar structures during formation of the magnetic tunnel junction pillar structures.

Cross-point magnetoresistive random memory array and method of making thereof using self-aligned patterning

A memory array is provided that includes a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of memory cells each including a corresponding magnetic memory element coupled in series with a corresponding selector element. Each memory cell is coupled between one of the word lines and one of the bit lines. Each memory cell has a half-pitch F, and comprises an area between 2Fand 4F.

One selector one resistor MRAM crosspoint memory array fabrication methods

A memory device includes a cross-point array of spin-torque transfer MRAM cells. First rail structures laterally extend along a first horizontal direction. Each of the first rail structures includes a vertical stack including, from bottom to top, a first electrically conductive line, a reference layer having a fixed magnetization direction, and a tunnel barrier layer. Second rail structures laterally extend along a second horizontal direction. Each of the second rail structures includes a second electrically conductive line that overlies the first rail structures. A two-dimensional array of pillar structures is located between a respective one of the first rail structures and a respective one of the second rail structures. Each of the pillar structures includes a free layer having energetically stable magnetization orientations that are parallel or antiparallel to the fixed magnetization direction.

Cross-point spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive memory array and method of making the same

A memory array is provided that includes a first memory level having a plurality of memory cells each including a corresponding magnetic memory element coupled in series with a corresponding selector element, and a plurality of vias, each of the vias coupled in series with a corresponding one of the memory cells.

A method for making a bit-patterned media (BPM) magnetic recording disk by etching the recording layer using a patterned hard mask layer uses glancing angle deposition (GLAD) of additional hard mask material as a capping layer onto the tops of the patterned hard mask pillars while the disk is rotated about an axis orthogonal to the plane of the disk. In one embodiment the capping layer is deposited after the pillars have been only partially eroded during a partial ion-milling of the recording layer. Ion-milling is then again performed to remove the remaining recording layer material. In another embodiment, before ion-milling of the recording layer, the capping layer is deposited onto the tops of the un-eroded hard mask pillars. This increases the lateral dimension of the hard mask pillars so that after ion-milling of the recording layer, the magnetic islands have an increased lateral dimension.

Method for making a patterned perpendicular magnetic recording disk using glancing angle deposition of hard mask material

A system, method and apparatus for manufacturing high density magnetic media is disclosed. A flexible mold having a very low modulus of less than about 4 GPa is made on a rigid support. The mold nano-imprints a resist material on disks for hard disk drives. The flexible mold may comprise a perfluoropolyether with urethane acrylate end groups with a low surface adhesion from which the cured resist is easily released.

System, method and apparatus for manufacturing magnetic recording media

A method for patterning a substrate is disclosed. Depressions are patterned into a resist layer over a substrate. A mask layer is deposited over the resist layer at least partially filling the depressions. The mask layer is etched to expose a top surface of the resist layer and leaving at least a portion of the mask layer in the depressions of the resist layer, wherein the mask layer over said top surface of the resist layer is etched at a faster rate than said mask layer in the depressions of the resist layer. Exposed portions of the resist layer are removed to expose portions of the substrate. Exposed portions of the substrate are etched.

Pattern tone reversal

A batch vapor deposition process for applying adhesion promoter during manufacturing of nanoimprinted discrete track media and bit-patterned media, and mono-molecular layer lubricant on magnetic recording media are disclosed. The adhesion promoter is simultaneously coated on both sides of numerous disk substrates, and minimal solution is wasted. In another step, the lubricant is applied at a uniform thickness that is on the order of a single molecular layer. The lubricant is also applied on the entire disk surfaces while processing multiple disks at a time. Batch processing increases throughput, and vapor lubricant reduces costs compared to conventional techniques. Limited air exposure controls bonding and monolayer adsorption guarantees uniformity.

System, method and apparatus for batch vapor deposition of adhesion promoter for manufacturing discrete track media and bit-patterned media, and mono-molecular layer lubricant on magnetic recording media

Nanoimprint lithography using resist material with the addition of a surfactant is described. A template release layer is formed on a pattern of a template. A non-ionic surfactant is added to a resist material to form a mixed resist material. The resist material may comprise a hydrocarbon material having an unsaturated bond, such as an acrylate material. The surfactant may comprise polyalkylene glycol or an organically modified polysiloxane. A resist layer is then formed on a substrate from the mixed resist material. The surfactant added to the resist material forms a resist release layer on the surface of the resist layer. The template is then pressed into the resist layer, where the template release layer and the resist release layer are between the pattern of the template and the resist layer.

Self-releasing resist material for nano-imprint processes

The true roughness of highly granular perpendicular media is measured by forming an inverse replica of the surface of the media. The invention enables AFM measurements of granular media valley depth to more consistently predict the corrosion performance of the media. A liquid resist is used to first replicate the media topography and form the inverse replica. The narrow valleys in the original media are precisely modeled as sharp peaks on the replica. The height of the peaks are readily measured with an AFM tip. The resulting image is a negative of the original surface.

System, method and apparatus for obtaining true roughness of granular media

A nanoimprinting configuration includes a UV light diffuser that randomizes a collimated UV light beam so as to diffuse the shadowing effect from any defect object that resides in the UV optical path. In addition, a combination center circular pad and outer ring-shaped pad form a donut-shaped 'non-contact' area between the two pad pieces. The size and shape of the two pad combination are designed to avoid direct gel pad contact above the patterned imprint zone on the disk substrate. The purpose of the gel pad, non-contact configuration is to eliminate any possible surface deformation incurred along the loading column and thereby avoid the elastic propagation of any deformations to the stamper resist surface.

Method for non-contact and diffuse curing exposure for making photopolymer nanoimprinting stamper

A method and apparatus are disclosed for separating a stamper from a patterned substrate. The method includes providing a substrate having a top and a bottom with an opening therein, providing a support mechanism configured to retain the substrate, providing a stamper having a formed pattern and configured to come in contact with the top of the substrate, wherein a chamber is formed within the opening of the substrate when the stamper is in contact with the substrate, providing a channel directed toward the chamber to introduce pressurized air into the chamber, and directing pressured air through the channel to the chamber to initiate separation of the stamper from the substrate. In certain embodiments, the pressurized air may be directed toward an opening in the substrate, such as a central ID hole in a disk. The disk may be incorporated within a storage device as pattered magnetic media.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Tsai-Wei Wu