Method to integrate MRAM devices to the interconnects of 30nm and beyond CMOS technologies

1. A method for fabricating a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure comprising:

providing a plurality of first metal lines;

forming a plurality of first metal vias on said first metal lines;

depositing a MTJ stack on one of said first metal vias wherein said first metal via acts as a bottom electrode for said MTJ stack, wherein no additional bottom electrode is formed, and wherein said MTJ stack comprises at least a pinned layer, a barrier layer, and a free layer;

etching said MTJ stack not covered by a photoresist pattern to form an MTJ structure wherein said MTJ structure has a horizontal width equal to or greater than a horizontal width of said first metal via;

forming a plurality of second metal lines on other of said first metal vias;

depositing a dielectric layer encapsulating said MTJ structure and said second metal lines; and

forming a plurality of second metal vias on said MTJ structure and on said second metal lines;

forming a plurality of third metal lines contacting said second metal vias wherein a first height of said MTJ structure measured from a top surface of an underlying said first metal via to a bottom surface of an overlying said second metal via is equal to a second height of a second metal line measured from an underlying said first metal via to an overlying said second metal via.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second metal vias comprise Co, Cu, Mo, Rh, Ni, Ir, Ru, Al, TiN, TaN, or their alloys or Cu cladded with Co.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first and second metal vias have a width of about 10 to 50 nm and a height of about 10 to 75 nm.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising over-etching said MTJ structure to remove any conductive metal re-deposition on sidewalls of said MTJ structure.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising forming a top electrode layer on said MTJ structure and wherein a third height of said MTJ structure plus said top electrode measured from a top surface of an underlying said first metal via to a bottom surface of an overlying said second metal via is equal to said second height of said second metal line.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said second metal via acts as a top electrode for said MTJ structure and no additional top electrode is formed and wherein said first height of said MTJ structure is equal to said second height of said second metal line.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first height of said MTJ structure is between about 20 and 30 nm.

8. A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device comprising:

a plurality of first metal lines;

a plurality of first metal vias on said first metal lines;

a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure on one of said first metal vias wherein said first metal via acts as a bottom electrode for said MTJ structure and there is no additional bottom electrode and wherein said MTJ structure has a horizontal width equal to or greater than a horizontal width of said first metal via;

a plurality of second metal lines on other of said first metal vias;

a plurality of second metal vias on said MTJ structure and on said second metal lines wherein a first height of said MTJ structure measured from a top surface of an underlying said first metal via to a bottom surface of an overlying said second metal via is equal to a second height of said second metal line measured from an underlying said first metal via to an overlying said second metal via; and

a plurality of third metal lines on said second metal vias.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein said first and second metal vias comprise Co, Cu, Mo, Rh, Ni, Ir, Ru, Al, TiN, TaN, or their alloys or Cu cladded with Co.

10. The device according to claim 8 wherein said first and second metal vias have a width of about 10 to 50 nm and a height of about 10 to 75 nm.

11. The device according to claim 8 further comprising a top electrode on said MTJ structure wherein said second metal via contacts said top electrode and wherein a third height of said MTJ structure plus said top electrode measured from a top surface of an underlying said first metal via to a bottom surface of an overlying said second metal via is equal to said second height of said second metal line.

12. The device according to claim 8 wherein said second metal via acts as a top electrode for said MTJ structure and there is no additional top electrode and wherein said first height of said MTJ structure is equal to said second height of said second metal line.

13. The device according to claim 8 wherein said first height of said MTJ structure is between about 20 and 30 nm.