SELF ALIGNED, MAGNETORESITIVE RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY (MRAM) STRUCTURE UTILIZING A SPACER CONTAINMENT SCHEME

摘要

The MRAM structure of the invention has a pinned lower magnetic layer (20) recessed within a trench with the upper magnetic layer (28) positioned over it. The method of MRAM fabrication utilizes a spacer processing technique, whereby the upper magnetic layer of the MRAM stack structure is formed between the region defined by the spacers (26), thereby allowing for self-alignment of the upper magnetic layer over the underlying pinned magnetic layer. The magnetic orientation of the bottom magnetic layer (20) is pinned by an underlying antiferromagnetic layer of e.g. iron manganese (FeMn). The upper and lower magnetic layers of e.g. nickel iron (NiFe) are separated by a non-magnetic layer (22) of e.g. Al2O3; and contacted by upper and lower electrodes (36, 16) of e.g. copper.