IP Library Granted Patent US 10,347,689
Granted Patent B2
US 10,347,689 · App. 15/660,417 · Granted Jul 9, 2019

Magnetic devices with magnetic and getter regions and methods of formation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,347,689
App. No.
15/660,417
Granted
Jul 9, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A magnetic cell includes magnetic, secondary oxide, and getter seed regions. During formation, a diffusive species is transferred from a precursor magnetic material to the getter seed region, due to a chemical affinity elicited by a getter species. The depletion of the magnetic material enables crystallization of the depleted magnetic material through crystal structure propagation from a neighboring crystalline material, without interference from the now-enriched getter seed region. This promotes high tunnel magnetoresistance and high magnetic anisotropy strength. Also during formation, another diffusive species is transferred from a precursor oxide material to the getter seed region, due to a chemical affinity elicited by another getter species. The depletion of the oxide material enables lower electrical resistance and low damping in the cell structure. Methods of fabrication and semiconductor devices are also disclosed.

Claims (54)

1. A magnetic device, comprising:

a structure extending vertically from a substrate, the structure comprising:

a magnetic region between nonmagnetic oxide regions, the magnetic region exhibiting a switchable magnetic orientation; and

an amorphous getter region proximate one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions, the amorphous getter region comprising:

a first getter species bonded to a species diffused from the one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions; and

a second getter species bonded to a species diffused from the magnetic region.

2. The magnetic device of claim 1 , further comprising another magnetic region exhibiting a fixed magnetic orientation, the another magnetic region spaced from the one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions.

3. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the species diffused from the one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions comprises oxygen; and

the species diffused from the magnetic region comprises boron.

4. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous getter region defines a thickness between about 7.5 Angstroms (about 0.75 nm) and about 30Angstroms (about 3.0 nm).

5. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein the switchable magnetic orientation exhibited by the magnetic region is a vertical switchable magnetic orientation.

6. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein the second getter species is nonreactive with the first getter species.

7. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein the amorphous getter region is not in physical contact with the magnetic region of the structure.

8. The magnetic device of claim 1 , wherein:

the magnetic region is above the one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions; and

the amorphous getter region is below the one of the nonmagnetic oxide regions.

9. A magnetic device, comprising:

a magnetic tunnel junction sub-structure comprising:

a free region exhibiting a switchable magnetic orientation; and

a fixed region exhibiting a fixed magnetic orientation;

an oxide region adjacent the free region; and

a getter region in physical contact with the oxide region and comprising:

an oxygen-getter species bonded to oxygen diffused from the oxide region; and

at least one other getter species bonded to a species diffused from the free region,

wherein the getter region is spaced from the magnetic tunnel junction sub-structure by the oxide region.

10. The magnetic device of claim 9 , wherein:

the oxide region is external to the magnetic tunnel junction sub-structure; and

the magnetic tunnel junction sub-structure further comprises a nonmagnetic oxide region between the free region and the fixed region.

11. The magnetic device of claim 9 , wherein the oxide region comprises another getter species bonded to the species diffused from the free region.

12. The magnetic device of claim 11 , wherein:

the species diffused from the free region comprises boron;

the getter region comprises the at least one other getter species bonded to the boron; and

the oxide region comprises the another getter species bonded to the boron.

13. The magnetic device of claim 11 , wherein the another getter species of the oxide region comprises at least one of tantalum (Ta), ruthenium (Ru), tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), nitrogen (N), hafnium (Hf), or nickel (Ni).

14. The magnetic device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one other getter species comprises tungsten (W) and at least one of nitrogen (N) or ruthenium (Ru).

15. The magnetic device of claim 9 , wherein the oxygen-getter species comprises at least one of calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), beryllium (Be), lanthanum (La), barium (Ba), aluminum (Al), or magnesium (Mg).

16. A method of forming a magnetic device, the method comprising:

forming a precursor structure on a substrate, comprising:

forming a precursor getter material over the substrate, the precursor getter material comprising a first getter species and a second getter species;

forming a precursor oxide material over the precursor getter material;

forming a precursor magnetic material over the precursor oxide material; and

forming another oxide material over the precursor magnetic material;

annealing at least a portion of the precursor structure to diffuse a species from the precursor oxide material to bond with the first getter species and to diffuse a species from the precursor magnetic material to bond with the second getter species; and

patterning the precursor structure to form at least one structure of the magnetic device, the at least one structure comprising a magnetic region formed from the precursor magnetic material and exhibiting a switchable magnetic orientation.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein forming a precursor getter material comprises, simultaneously:

sputtering from a sputter target comprising the first getter species; and

sputtering from another sputter target comprising the second getter species.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the annealing comprises diffusing the species from the precursor magnetic material through the precursor oxide material to bond with the second getter species of the precursor getter material.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein:

forming a precursor oxide material over the precursor getter material comprises forming an oxide material comprising a third getter species; and

annealing at least a portion of the precursor structure comprises:

diffusing a portion of the species from the precursor magnetic material to bond with the second getter species of the precursor getter material; and

diffusing another portion of the species from the precursor magnetic material to bond with the third getter species of the precursor oxide material.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050709/0838 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046597/0333 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 6 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 1, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044348/0253 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 6 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 1, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044653/0333 →