公开(公告)号：US20190027169A1

公开(公告)日：2019-01-24

申请号：US15862301

申请日：2018-01-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Jaesoo AHN ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: G11B5/39 ,  G11C11/15 ,  G11B5/31

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide film stacks utilized to form a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure on a substrate, comprising: a buffer layer; a seed layer disposed over the buffer layer; a first pinning layer disposed over the seed layer; a synthetic ferrimagnet (SyF) coupling layer disposed over the first pinning layer; a second pinning layer disposed over the SyF coupling layer; a structure blocking layer disposed over the second pinning layer; a magnetic reference layer disposed over the structure blocking layer; a tunnel barrier layer disposed over the magnetic reference layer; a magnetic storage layer disposed over the tunnel barrier layer; a capping layer disposed over the magnetic storage layer, wherein the capping layer comprises one or more layers; and a hard mask disposed over the capping layer, wherein at least one of the capping layer, the buffer layer, and the SyF coupling layer is not fabricated from Ru.

公开(公告)号：US20170170393A1

公开(公告)日：2017-06-15

申请号：US15438420

申请日：2017-02-21

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Jaesoo AHN ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01F10/14 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10

CPC classification number: H01L43/12 ,  H01F10/14 ,  H01F10/3222 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate in for spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM) applications. In one example, a film stack utilized to form a magnetic tunnel junction structure on a substrate includes a pinned layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the pinned layer comprises multiple layers including at least one or more of a Co containing layer, Pt containing layer, Ta containing layer, an Ru containing layer, an optional structure decoupling layer disposed on the pinned magnetic layer, a magnetic reference layer disposed on the optional structure decoupling layer, a tunneling barrier layer disposed on the magnetic reference layer, a magnetic storage layer disposed on the tunneling barrier layer, and a capping layer disposed on the magnetic storage layer.

公开(公告)号：US20240371654A1

公开(公告)日：2024-11-07

申请号：US18142940

申请日：2023-05-03

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Qihao ZHU ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Liqi WU ,  Tsungjui LIU ,  Gaurav THAREJA ,  Xinke WANG ,  Feng Q. LIU ,  Xi CEN ,  Kai WU ,  Yixiong YANG ,  Yuanhung LIU ,  Jiang LU ,  Rongjun WANG ,  Xianmin TANG

IPC: H01L21/3213 ,  H01L21/02 ,  H01L21/768

Abstract: A method of filling a feature in a semiconductor structure with metal includes depositing a metal cap layer on a bottom surface of a feature formed within a dielectric layer and top surfaces of the dielectric layer, partially filling the feature from the bottom surface with a flowable polymer layer, performing a metal pullback process to remove the metal cap layer on the top surfaces of the dielectric layer selectively to the dielectric layer, wherein the metal pullback process includes a first etch process including a chemical etch process using molybdenum hexafluoride (MoF6) to remove the metal cap layer selectively to the dielectric layer, and a second etch process to remove residues on etched surfaces of the dielectric layer, removing the flowable polymer layer, pre-cleaning a surface of the metal cap layer, and filling the feature from the surface of the metal cap layer with metal fill material.

公开(公告)号：US20210193914A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-24

申请号：US17193966

申请日：2021-03-05

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Rongjun WANG ,  Mahendra PAKALA

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  H01L27/22

Abstract: Embodiments of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures discussed herein employ seed layers of one or more layer of chromium (Cr), NiCr, NiFeCr, RuCr, IrCr, or CoCr, or combinations thereof. These seed layers are used in combination with one or more pinning layers, a first pinning layer in contact with the seed layer can contain a single layer of cobalt, or can contain cobalt in combination with bilayers of cobalt and platinum (Pt), iridium (Ir), nickel (Ni), or palladium (Pd), The second pinning layer can be the same composition and configuration as the first, or can be of a different composition or configuration. The MTJ stacks discussed herein maintain desirable magnetic properties subsequent to high temperature annealing.

公开(公告)号：US20230343644A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-26

申请号：US18070383

申请日：2022-11-28

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Chih-Hsun HSU ,  Shiyu YUE ,  Jiang LU ,  Rongjun WANG ,  Xianmin TANG ,  Zhenjiang CUI ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Meng-Shan WU ,  Chun-chieh WANG ,  Wei LEI ,  Yu LEI

IPC: H01L21/768 ,  H01L21/67 ,  H01L23/532

CPC classification number: H01L21/76877 ,  H01L21/67063 ,  H01L21/6719 ,  H01L21/76843 ,  H01L21/76871 ,  H01L23/53266

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a gap-fill in semiconductor devices are provided. The method includes forming a metal seed layer on an exposed surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate has features in the form of trenches or vias formed in a top surface of the substrate, the features having sidewalls and a bottom surface extending between the sidewalls. A gradient oxidation process is performed in a first process chamber to oxidize exposed portions of the metal seed layer to form a metal oxide, wherein the gradient oxidation process preferentially oxidizes a field region of the substrate over the bottom surface of the features. An etch back process is performed in the first process chamber removes or reduces the oxidized portion of the seed layer. A metal gap-fill process fills or partially fills the features with a gap fill material.

公开(公告)号：US20190305217A1

公开(公告)日：2019-10-03

申请号：US16276128

申请日：2019-02-14

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Xiaodong WANG ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L27/22

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for forming MTJ structures from a film stack disposed on a substrate for MRAM applications and associated MTJ devices. The methods described herein include forming the film properties of material layers from the film stack to create a film stack with a sufficiently high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). An iron containing oxide capping layer is utilized to generate the desirable PMA. By utilizing an iron containing oxide capping layer, thickness of the capping layer can be more finely controlled and reliance on boron at the interface of the magnetic storage layer and the capping layer is reduced.

公开(公告)号：US20170125215A1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-04

申请号：US14986168

申请日：2015-12-31

Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.

Inventor： Yana CHENG ,  Zhefeng LI ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Yong CAO ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: H01J37/32 ,  C23C14/34

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for depositing a thin film of compound material on a substrate. In some embodiments, a method of depositing a layer of compound material on a substrate include: flowing a reactive gas into a plasma processing chamber having a substrate to be sputter deposited disposed therein in opposition to a sputter target comprising a metal; exciting the reactive gas into a reactive gas plasma to react with the sputter target and to form a first layer of compound material thereon; flowing an inert gas into the plasma processing chamber; and exciting the inert gas into a plasma to sputter a second layer of the compound material onto the substrate directly from the first layer of compound material. The cycles of target poisoning and sputtering may be repeated until a compound material layer of appropriate thickness has been formed on the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20220013716A1

公开(公告)日：2022-01-13

申请号：US17486649

申请日：2021-09-27

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Jaesoo AHN ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/10 ,  H01F10/14 ,  H01F10/32

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods and apparatus for fabricating magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structures on a substrate in for spin-transfer-torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM) applications. In one example, a film stack utilized to form a magnetic tunnel junction structure on a substrate includes a pinned layer disposed on a substrate, wherein the pinned layer comprises multiple layers including at least one or more of a Co containing layer, Pt containing layer, Ta containing layer, an Ru containing layer, an optional structure decoupling layer disposed on the pinned magnetic layer, a magnetic reference layer disposed on the optional structure decoupling layer, a tunneling barrier layer disposed on the magnetic reference layer, a magnetic storage layer disposed on the tunneling barrier layer, and a capping layer disposed on the magnetic storage layer.

公开(公告)号：US20210320247A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：US17307783

申请日：2021-05-04

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Xiaodong WANG ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: H01L43/12 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L27/22 ,  H01L27/12

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide methods for forming MTJ structures from a film stack disposed on a substrate for MRAM applications and associated MTJ devices. The methods described herein include forming the film properties of material layers from the film stack to create a film stack with a sufficiently high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). An iron containing oxide capping layer is utilized to generate the desirable PMA. By utilizing an iron containing oxide capping layer, thickness of the capping layer can be more finely controlled and reliance on boron at the interface of the magnetic storage layer and the capping layer is reduced.

公开(公告)号：US20190172485A1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-06

申请号：US16272183

申请日：2019-02-11

Applicant: Applied Materials, Inc.

Inventor： Lin XUE ,  Chi Hong CHING ,  Jaesoo AHN ,  Mahendra PAKALA ,  Rongjun WANG

IPC: G11B5/39 ,  H01L21/768 ,  G11B5/31 ,  G11C11/15

Abstract: Embodiments herein provide methods of forming a magnetic tunnel junction structure. The method includes forming a film stack that includes: a buffer layer; a seed layer disposed over the buffer layer; a first pinning layer disposed over the seed layer; a synthetic ferrimagnet (SyF) coupling layer disposed over the first pinning layer; a second pinning layer disposed over the SyF coupling layer; a structure blocking layer disposed over the second pinning layer; a magnetic reference layer disposed over the structure blocking layer; a tunnel barrier layer disposed over the magnetic reference layer; a magnetic storage layer disposed over the tunnel barrier layer; a capping layer disposed over the magnetic storage layer; and a hard mask disposed over the capping layer, wherein at least one of the capping layer, the buffer layer, and the SyF coupling layer is not fabricated from Ru; and forming a magnetic tunnel junction structure.