International Business Machines Corporation
MAGNETORESISTIVE RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY DEVICE

Abstract:

A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction device is provided. The method includes forming an MTJ stack including a reference layer, a tunnel barrier layer formed on the reference layer, a free layer formed on the barrier layer, and a cap layer formed on the free layer. The method also includes performing ion beam etching (IBE) through each layer of the MTJ stack to form at least one MTJ pillar. The method also includes forming an isolation layer on sidewalls of at least the tunnel barrier layer, the isolation layer comprising a same material as that of the tunnel barrier layer. A combined width of the isolation layer and the tunnel barrier layer is equal to or greater than a width of at least one of the reference layer and the free layer.