Method for fabricating a magnetoresistive element comprising discontinuous interconnect segments

Abstract

The present disclosure concerns a method for fabricating a magnetoresistive element comprising a magnetic tunnel junction including a tunnel barrier layer, a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer; a writing current layer; and an interconnect layer configured for supplying the writing current to the writing current layer. A gap is provided in the interconnect layer such that the latter comprises two discontinuous interconnect segments extending along a layer plane and connecting the writing current layer in series. The method comprises: depositing the interconnect layer, writing current layer, second ferromagnetic layer, tunnel barrier layer and first ferromagnetic layer; forming the gap in the interconnect layer; filling the gap with the gap material; and forming the pillar by performing a single etch step until the interconnect layer, acting as a stop layer, is reached.