The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 24, 2025
Filed:
Jan. 31, 2022
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsin-Chu, TW;
Hsiang-Lun Kao, Taoyuan County, TW;
Chen-Chiu Huang, Taichung, TW;
Chien-Hua Huang, Miaoli County, TW;
Chung-Te Lin, Tainan, TW;
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
An exemplary method includes forming a multilayer interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer having a metal-containing dielectric layer (e.g., an aluminum oxide layer) between a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer and forming a bottom electrode via in the multilayer ILD layer. The method further includes forming a bottom electrode layer over the bottom electrode via, magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) layers over the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer over the MTJ layers. The bottom electrode layer, the MTJ layers, and the top electrode layer are etched to form a bottom electrode, an MTJ element, and a top electrode, respectively, of a magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM). The etching, such as an ion beam etch, forms a recess in the multilayer ILD layer that extends to the metal-containing dielectric layer of the multilayer ILD layer. In some embodiments, the etching extends the recess into and/or through the metal-containing dielectric layer.