Method of manufacturing magnetic tunnel junction memory element

1. A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate including a bottom electrode layer, an etch stop layer, an MTJ layer stack, and a top electrode layer sequentially formed thereon;

forming a first mask feature on top of said top electrode layer;

etching said top electrode layer with said first mask feature thereon to form a top electrode;

etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon to form a patterned MTJ;

encapsulating said patterned MTJ and said top electrode with a passivation layer;

depositing a dielectric layer on top of said passivation layer;

planarizing said dielectric layer without exposing said passivation layer therebeneath;

forming a second mask feature on top of said dielectric layer, said second mask feature being aligned to said patterned MTJ and having a substantially larger lateral dimension than said patterned MTJ; and

etching said bottom electrode layer, said etch stop layer, said passivation layer, and said dielectric layer with said second mask feature thereon to form a bottom electrode without exposing the patterned MTJ.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said MTJ layer stack comprises a magnetic reference layer and a magnetic free layer with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said MTJ layer stack comprises:

a perpendicular magnetic free layer;

a perpendicular magnetic reference layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic free layer by an insulating tunnel junction layer; and

a perpendicular magnetic fixed layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic reference layer by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said top electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said etch stop layer is formed of tantalum or ruthenium.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising methanol.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

10. A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate including a bottom contact embedded therein and a first dielectric layer formed on top of said substrate and having an opening above said bottom contact;

depositing a bottom electrode layer on top of said first dielectric layer and into the opening;

planarizing said bottom electrode layer without exposing said first dielectric layer therebeneath;

sequentially depositing an etch stop layer, an MTJ layer stack, and a top electrode layer on top of said bottom electrode layer;

forming a first mask feature on top of said top electrode layer;

etching said top electrode layer with said first mask feature thereon to form a top electrode;

etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon to form a patterned MTJ;

encapsulating said patterned MTJ and said top electrode with a passivation layer;

depositing a second dielectric layer on top of said passivation layer;

planarizing said second dielectric layer without exposing said passivation layer therebeneath;

forming a second mask feature on top of said second dielectric layer, said second mask feature being aligned to said patterned MTJ and having a substantially larger lateral dimension than said patterned MTJ; and

etching said bottom electrode layer, said etch stop layer, said passivation layer, and said second dielectric layer with said second mask feature thereon to form a bottom electrode without exposing the patterned MTJ.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said MTJ layer stack comprises a magnetic reference layer and a magnetic free layer with an insulating tunnel junction layer interposed therebetween.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein said MTJ layer stack comprises:

a perpendicular magnetic free layer;

a perpendicular magnetic reference layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic free layer by an insulating tunnel junction layer; and

a perpendicular magnetic fixed layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic reference layer by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said bottom electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and any combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein said top electrode is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, and any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said etch stop layer is formed of tantalum or ruthenium.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising methanol.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of etching said MTJ layer stack with said top electrode thereon is carried out with a reactive plasma etching process that utilizes a gas chemistry comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

19. A method of manufacturing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) memory element comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate including a copper contact embedded therein and a silicon nitride layer formed on top of said substrate and having an opening above said copper contact;

depositing a tantalum nitride bottom electrode layer on top of said silicon nitride layer and into the opening;

planarizing said tantalum nitride bottom electrode layer without exposing said silicon nitride layer therebeneath;

sequentially depositing a tantalum etch stop layer, an MTJ layer stack, and a tantalum top electrode layer on top of said tantalum nitride bottom electrode layer;

forming a first mask feature on top of said tantalum top electrode layer;

etching said tantalum top electrode layer with said first mask feature thereon to form a tantalum top electrode;

etching said MTJ layer stack with said tantalum top electrode thereon to form a patterned MTJ;

encapsulating said patterned MTJ and said tantalum top electrode with a silicon nitride passivation layer;

depositing a second dielectric layer on top of said silicon nitride passivation layer;

planarizing said second dielectric layer without exposing said silicon nitride passivation layer therebeneath;

forming a second mask feature on top of said second dielectric layer, said second mask feature being aligned to said patterned MTJ and having a substantially larger lateral dimension than said patterned MTJ; and

etching said tantalum nitride bottom electrode layer, said tantalum etch stop layer, said silicon nitride passivation layer, and said second dielectric layer with said second mask feature thereon to form a tantalum nitride bottom electrode without exposing the patterned MTJ.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said MTJ layer stack comprises:

a perpendicular magnetic free layer;

a perpendicular magnetic reference layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic free layer by an insulating tunnel junction layer; and

a perpendicular magnetic fixed layer separated from said perpendicular magnetic reference layer by an anti-ferromagnetic coupling layer.