公开(公告)号：US11930716B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-12

申请号：US17340780

申请日：2021-06-07

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Guenole Jan ,  Ru-Ying Tong

IPC分类号： H01L43/12 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01F41/30 ,  H10N50/01 ,  H10N50/10 ,  G11C11/16

CPC分类号： H10N50/01 ,  H01F10/3286 ,  H01F41/308 ,  H10N50/10 ,  G11C11/161 ,  H01F10/329

摘要： A ferromagnetic layer is capped with a metallic oxide (or nitride) layer that provides a perpendicular-to-plane magnetic anisotropy to the layer. The surface of the ferromagnetic layer is treated with a plasma to prevent diffusion of oxygen (or nitrogen) into the layer interior. An exemplary metallic oxide layer is formed as a layer of metallic Mg that is plasma treated to reduce its grain size and enhance the diffusivity of oxygen into its interior. Then the plasma treated Mg layer is naturally oxidized and, optionally, is again plasma treated to reduce its thickness and remove the oxygen rich upper surface.

公开(公告)号：US11609296B2

公开(公告)日：2023-03-21

申请号：US17035153

申请日：2020-09-28

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Santiago Serrano Guisan ,  Luc Thomas ,  Guenole Jan ,  Son Le

IPC分类号： G01R33/60

摘要： A ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement method is disclosed wherein a magnetic film or stack of layers is patterned into elongated structures having a length along a long axis. A magnetic field (H) is applied in two different orientations with respect to the long axis (in-plane parallel and perpendicular to the long axis) or one orientation may be perpendicular-to-plane. In another embodiment, H is applied parallel to a first set of elongated structures with a long axis in the x-axis direction, and perpendicular to a second set of elongated structures with a long axis in the y-axis direction. From the difference in measured resonance frequency (Δfr) (for a fixed magnetic field and sweeping through a range of frequencies) or the difference in measured resonance field (ΔHr) (for a fixed microwave frequency and sweeping through a range of magnetic field amplitudes), magnetic saturation Ms is determined using formulas of demagnetizing factors.

公开(公告)号：US20220246841A1

公开(公告)日：2022-08-04

申请号：US17728058

申请日：2022-04-25

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Guenole Jan ,  Jodi Mari Iwata ,  Ru-Ying Tong ,  Huanlong Liu ,  Yuan-Jen Lee ,  Jian Zhu

IPC分类号： H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/12 ,  H01L43/10

摘要： A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is disclosed wherein a free layer (FL) interfaces with a metal oxide (Mox) layer and a tunnel barrier layer to produce interfacial perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). The Mox layer has a non-stoichiometric oxidation state to minimize parasitic resistance, and comprises a dopant to fill vacant lattice sites thereby blocking oxygen diffusion through the Mox layer to preserve interfacial PMA and high thermal stability at process temperatures up to 400° C. Various methods of forming the doped Mox layer include deposition of the M layer in a reactive environment of 02 and dopant species in gas form, exposing a metal oxide layer to dopant species in gas form, and ion implanting the dopant. In another embodiment, where the dopant is N, a metal nitride layer is formed on a metal oxide layer, and then an anneal step drives nitrogen into vacant sites in the metal oxide lattice.

公开(公告)号：US11237240B2

公开(公告)日：2022-02-01

申请号：US17001476

申请日：2020-08-24

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Santiago Serrano Guisan ,  Luc Thomas ,  Son Le ,  Guenole Jan

IPC分类号： G01R33/60 ,  G01R33/24 ,  G01R33/345

摘要： A ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement system is disclosed with a plurality of “m” RF probes and one or more magnetic assemblies to enable a perpendicular-to-plane or in-plane magnetic field (Hap) to be applied simultaneously with a sequence of microwave frequencies (fR) at a plurality of “m” test locations on a magnetic film formed on a whole wafer under test (WUT). A FMR condition occurs in the magnetic film (stack of unpatterned layers or patterned structure) for each pair of (Hap, fR) values. RF input signals are distributed to the RF probes using RF power distribution or routing devices. RF output signals are transmitted through or reflected from the magnetic film to a plurality of “n” RF diodes where 1≤n≤m, and converted to voltage signals which a controller uses to determine effective anisotropy field, linewidth, damping coefficient, and/or inhomogeneous broadening at the predetermined test locations.

公开(公告)号：US20210391533A1

公开(公告)日：2021-12-16

申请号：US17460457

申请日：2021-08-30

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Guenole Jan ,  Ru-Ying Tong

IPC分类号： H01L43/08 ,  H01F10/32 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L43/12 ,  H01L43/10 ,  H01F41/30 ,  H01F10/30 ,  H01L27/22

摘要： A magnetic element is disclosed wherein a composite seed layer such as TaN/Mg enhances perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in an overlying magnetic layer that may be a reference layer, free layer, or dipole layer. The first seed layer is selected from one or more of Ta, Zr, Nb, TaN, ZrN, NbN, and Ru. The second seed layer is selected from one or more of Mg, Sr, Ti, Al, V, Hf, B, and Si. A growth promoting layer made of NiCr or an alloy thereof is inserted between the seed layer and magnetic layer. In some embodiments, a first composite seed layer/NiCr stack is formed below the reference layer, and a second composite seed layer/NiCr stack is formed between the free layer and a dipole layer. The magnetic element has thermal stability to at least 400° C.

公开(公告)号：US10658577B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-19

申请号：US16587927

申请日：2019-09-30

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Huanlong Liu ,  Yuan-Jen Lee ,  Jian Zhu ,  Guenole Jan ,  Luc Thomas ,  Po-Kang Wang ,  Ru-Ying Tong ,  Jodi Iwata

IPC分类号： H01L43/10 ,  H01L43/12 ,  H01F10/14 ,  H01F10/32 ,  H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/02 ,  H01F41/14

摘要： A magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA MTJ) is disclosed wherein a free layer interfaces with a tunnel barrier and has a second interface with an oxide layer. A lattice-matching layer adjoins an opposite side of the oxide layer with respect to the free layer and is comprised of CoXFeYNiZLWMV or an oxide or nitride of Ru, Ta, Ti, or Si, wherein L is one of B, Zr, Nb, Hf, Mo, Cu, Cr, Mg, Ta, Ti, Au, Ag, or P, and M is one of Mo, Mg, Ta, Cr, W, or V, (x+y+z+w+v)=100 atomic %, x+y>0, and each of v and w are >0. The lattice-matching layer grows a BCC structure during annealing thereby promoting BCC structure growth in the oxide layer that results in enhanced free layer PMA and improved thermal stability.

公开(公告)号：US20200116811A1

公开(公告)日：2020-04-16

申请号：US16161166

申请日：2018-10-16

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Santiago Serrano Guisan ,  Luc Thomas ,  Guenole Jan ,  Son Le

IPC分类号： G01R33/60

摘要： A ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement method is disclosed wherein a magnetic film or stack of layers is patterned into elongated structures having a length along a long axis. A magnetic field (H) is applied in two different orientations with respect to the long axis (in-plane parallel and perpendicular to the long axis) or one orientation may be perpendicular-to-plane. In another embodiment, H is applied parallel to a first set of elongated structures with a long axis in the x-axis direction, and perpendicular to a second set of elongated structures with a long axis in the y-axis direction. From the difference in measured resonance frequency (Δfr) (for a fixed magnetic field and sweeping through a range of frequencies) or the difference in measured resonance field (ΔHr) (for a fixed microwave frequency and sweeping through a range of magnetic field amplitudes), magnetic saturation Ms is determined using formulas of demagnetizing factors.

公开(公告)号：US20200091408A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-19

申请号：US16133964

申请日：2018-09-18

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Vignesh Sundar ,  Yu-Jen Wang ,  Luc Thomas ,  Guenole Jan ,  Sahil Patel ,  Ru-Ying Tong

IPC分类号： H01L43/02 ,  H01F10/32 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01F41/34

摘要： A dual magnetic tunnel junction (DMTJ) is disclosed with a PL1/TB1/free layer/TB2/PL2/capping layer configuration wherein a first tunnel barrier (TB1) has a substantially lower resistance×area (RA1) product than RA2 for an overlying second tunnel barrier (TB2) to provide an acceptable net magnetoresistive ratio (DRR). Moreover, magnetizations in first and second pinned layers, PL1 and PL2, respectively, are aligned antiparallel to enable a lower critical switching current than when in a parallel alignment. An oxide capping layer having a RACAP is formed on PL2 to provide higher PL2 stability. The condition RA1

公开(公告)号：US20200075213A1

公开(公告)日：2020-03-05

申请号：US16679472

申请日：2019-11-11

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Luc Thomas ,  Guenole Jan ,  Ru-Ying Tong

IPC分类号： H01F10/12 ,  G03F7/16 ,  B24B37/20 ,  H01L43/10 ,  G11C11/16 ,  H01L43/08

摘要： An improved magnetic tunnel junction with two oxide interfaces on each side of a ferromagnetic layer (FML) leads to higher PMA in the FML. The novel stack structure allows improved control during oxidation of the top oxide layer. This is achieved by the use of a FML with a multiplicity of ferromagnetic sub-layers deposited in alternating sequence with one or more non-magnetic layers. The use of non-magnetic layers each with a thickness of 0.5 to 10 Angstroms and with a high resputtering rate provides a smoother FML top surface, inhibits crystallization of the FML sub-layers, and reacts with oxygen to prevent detrimental oxidation of the adjoining ferromagnetic sub-layers. The FML can function as a free or reference layer in an MTJ. In an alternative embodiment, the non-magnetic material such as Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sr, Ba, and B is embedded by co-deposition or doped in the FML layer.

公开(公告)号：US20200035912A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-30

申请号：US16594339

申请日：2019-10-07

申请人： Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

发明人： Jodi Mari Iwata ,  Guenole Jan ,  Ru-Ying Tong

IPC分类号： H01L43/08 ,  H01L43/02 ,  H01L43/12 ,  H01L27/22 ,  H03B15/00

摘要： A magnetic device for magnetic random access memory (MRAM), spin torque MRAM, or spin torque oscillator technology is disclosed wherein a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) with a sidewall is formed between a bottom electrode and a top electrode. A passivation layer that is a single layer or multilayer comprising one of B, C, or Ge, or an alloy thereof wherein the B, C, and Ge content, respectively, is at least 10 atomic % is formed on the MTJ sidewall to protect the MTJ from reactive species during subsequent processing including deposition of a dielectric layer that electrically isolates the MTJ from adjacent MTJs, and during annealing steps around 400° C. in CMOS fabrication. The single layer is about 3 to 10 Angstroms thick and may be an oxide or nitride of B, C, or Ge. The passivation layer is preferably amorphous to prevent diffusion of reactive oxygen or nitrogen species.