Magnetic tunnel junction structure

1. A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction device, the method comprising:

forming a trench in a substrate, that comprises an inter-metal dielectric layer and a cap film layer;

depositing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure within the trench; and

planarizing the MTJ structure without performing a photo-etching process on the MTJ structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure comprises planarizing a plurality of layers of the MTJ structure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure comprises performing a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process to remove excess material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure comprises removing deposited material to define a substantially planar surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a magnetic annealing process to define an orientation of a magnetic field carried by a pinned layer of the MTJ structure.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trench is formed by:

depositing the cap film layer onto the inter-metal dielectric layer of the substrate;

performing a photo-etching process and a photo resist strip process on one or more of the cap film layer and the inter-metal dielectric layer to define a via;

depositing a conductive material within the via;

performing a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process to planarize the substrate; and

defining the trench in the substrate, the trench having dimensions that determine dimensions of the MTJ structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the trench has a substantially elliptical shape.

8. A method of forming a magnetic tunnel junction device, the method comprising:

defining a trench in a substrate that includes an inter-metal dielectric layer and a cap film layer;

depositing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure within the trench; and

planarizing the MTJ structure and the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing the MTJ structure comprises:

depositing a bottom electrode within the trench;

depositing an anti-ferromagnetic layer on the bottom electrode;

depositing a first magnetic layer on the anti-ferromagnetic layer;

depositing an oxide metal material on the first magnetic layer to form a tunnel barrier;

depositing a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier; and

depositing an electrode on the second magnetic layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising performing a magnetic annealing process on a selected layer of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer to fix an orientation of a magnetic field, the selected layer comprising a pinned layer.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising connecting at least two electrical connections to the MTJ structure.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure and the substrate comprises performing a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process without performing a photo-etching process on the MTJ structure.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure comprises performing a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process to remove excess material from the MTJ structure and stopping the CMP process at the cap film layer.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing excess material that is not directly over the trench using a low resolution photo etch process.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the trench has a substantially elliptical shape.

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

defining a trench in a substrate, the substrate comprising a semiconductor material having an inter-metal dielectric layer and a cap film layer, wherein the trench extends through the cap film layer and into the inter-metal dielectric layer;

depositing a first electrode within the trench;

depositing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure on the first electrode, the MTJ structure including a first ferromagnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer;

depositing a second electrode on the MTJ structure; and

performing a planarization process on the MTJ structure.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein planarizing the MTJ structure includes planarizing a plurality of layers of the MTJ structure.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming the MTJ structure without performing a photo-etching process on the MTJ structure.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein performing the planarization process comprises performing a Chemical-Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process on the MTJ structure.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the trench defines a shape of the MTJ structure.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the trench has a substantially elliptical shape.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the trench has a substantially rectangular shape.

23. The method of claim 16 , further comprising performing a reverse trench photo-etching process on the MTJ structure and the substrate.