Magnetic Memory Mask Structure with Sacrificial Etch Selectivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current magnetic memory devices face challenges in mass production due to difficulties in achieving higher integration density and lower power consumption, which are essential for next-generation memory devices.
Innovation Solution
The development of a magnetic memory device with a magnetic tunnel junction pattern and a mask structure comprising alternating stacks of conductive and sacrificial patterns, where the sacrificial patterns have etch selectivity, allowing for improved fabrication and reduced conductive etch residues, thus preventing short circuits and facilitating easier formation of peripheral contact plugs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional fabrication processes are used for magnetic memory devices, then manufacturing complexity is high and conductive etch residues cause short circuits, but integration density and power consumption requirements cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sacrificial pattern as an intermediary layer between the conductive pattern and the magnetic tunnel junction pattern. This sacrificial pattern serves as a mediator that enables selective etching processes, allowing conductive etch residues to be removed without damaging surrounding structures. The sacrificial pattern is temporarily added to the fabrication process, facilitates precise etching, and then removed, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabrication process is segmented into distinct stages: forming the conductive pattern, adding the sacrificial pattern, performing selective etching to remove conductive residues, and finally removing the sacrificial pattern. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently, achieving high manufacturing precision for conductive etch residues removal while managing overall process complexity through systematic breakdown of fabrication steps.
2Productivity
If higher integration density is achieved, then device performance improves, but fabrication difficulty increases due to conductive etch residues and short circuit risks
Solution Approach 1:
The sacrificial pattern acts as a temporary intermediary structure that enables precise fabrication at high integration densities. By introducing this mediator layer, the process achieves the necessary precision for high-density device placement without increasing overall fabrication difficulty, as the sacrificial pattern provides a controlled mechanism for residue removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial pattern is designed as a temporary, disposable structure that is added during fabrication, serves its purpose of enabling precise etching, and then removed. This disposable intermediary allows high integration density to be achieved without permanently increasing fabrication complexity, as the sacrificial material is discarded after use.
3Use of energy by moving object
If lower power consumption is achieved through improved device structure, then energy efficiency increases, but fabrication process becomes more complex requiring etch selective materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the sacrificial pattern to have specific etch selectivity relative to the conductive pattern. By adjusting material composition and etch response parameters, the process enables selective removal of conductive residues without requiring overly complex fabrication sequences. This parameter optimization allows energy-efficient device structures to be fabricated with manageable process complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sacrificial pattern serves as a mediator that decouples the relationship between conductive pattern formation and final device structure. This intermediary allows the fabrication process to achieve low power consumption device characteristics while managing complexity through the temporary addition and removal of the sacrificial material, rather than requiring permanently complex processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the easy fabrication of magnetic memory devices with improved electric characteristics by reducing conductive etch residues and preventing short circuits, while also simplifying the process of forming peripheral contact plugs, thereby enhancing integration density and reducing power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
the sacrificial pattern including a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the conductive pattern
Data Source
AI summary
A device that includes a magnetic memory device, includes a magnetic tunnel junction pattern on a substrate and a mask structure on the magnetic tunnel junction pattern. The mask structure includes a conductive pattern and a sacrificial pattern, where the conductive pattern is between the magnetic tunnel junction pattern and the sacrificial pattern, and the sacrificial pattern includes a material having an etch selectivity with respect to the conductive pattern. The device includes an upper contact plug in contact with a surface of the conductive pattern of the mask structure. The device includes a lower interlayered insulating layer covering a cell region and a peripheral circuit region of the substrate, where the lower interlayered insulating layer on the cell region has a recessed top surface between adjacent magnetic tunnel junction patterns.