Light element doped low magnetic moment material spin torque transfer MRAM
View Patent ↗Techniques relate to forming a semiconductor device. A magnetic pinned layer is formed adjacent to a tunnel barrier layer. A magnetic free layer is formed adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, such that the tunnel barrier layer is sandwiched between the magnetic pinned layer and the magnetic free layer. The magnetic free layer includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed on top of the first magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer disposed on top of the second magnetic layer. The second magnetic layer of the magnetic free layer includes an additional material, and the additional material is a selection of at least one of Be, Mg, Al, Ca, B, C, Si, V, Cr, Ti, and Mn.
1. A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a magnetic pinned layer adjacent to a tunnel barrier layer; and
forming a magnetic free layer adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, such that the tunnel barrier layer is sandwiched between the magnetic pinned layer and the magnetic free layer;
wherein the magnetic free layer includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed directly on top of the first magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer disposed directly on top of the second magnetic layer; and
wherein the second magnetic layer of the magnetic free layer includes an additional material, the additional material being selected from the group consisting of Be, Ca, V, and Cr.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic layer has a thickness ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 nanometers.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer has a thickness ranging from 0.15 to 1.5 nanometers.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second magnetic layer is a single layer.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the additional material constitutes 10-80% of the second magnetic layer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer is a multilayered structure.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic layer includes a combination of a thin magnetic layer and a thin non-magnetic layer to form a multilayered structure.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thin magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thin magnetic layer has a thickness from 0.05 to 0.5 nanometers; and
wherein the non-magnetic layer has a thickness from 0.05 to 0.5 nanometers.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the non-magnetic layer includes the additional material.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the combination of the magnetic layer and the non-magnetic layer repeats for 0-5 occurrences.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the non-magnetic layer is repeated with one or more different kinds of the additional material.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB; and
wherein the third magnetic layer has a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 nanometers.
16. A semiconductor device comprising:
a magnetic pinned layer adjacent to a tunnel barrier layer; and
a magnetic free layer adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, such that the tunnel barrier layer is sandwiched between the magnetic pinned layer and the magnetic free layer;
wherein the magnetic free layer includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed directly on top of the first magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer disposed directly on top of the second magnetic layer; and
wherein the second magnetic layer of the magnetic free layer includes an additional material, the additional material being selected from the group consisting of Be and V.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the first magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB.
18. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the first magnetic layer has a thickness ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 nanometers.
19. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the second magnetic layer includes at least one of Co, Fe, and CoFeB.
20. A semiconductor device comprising:
a magnetic pinned layer adjacent to a tunnel barrier layer; and
a magnetic free layer adjacent to the tunnel barrier layer, such that the tunnel barrier layer is sandwiched between the magnetic pinned layer and the magnetic free layer;
wherein the magnetic free layer includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer disposed on top of the first magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer disposed on top of the second magnetic layer;
wherein the second magnetic layer of the magnetic free layer includes an additional material, the additional material including Cr; and
wherein the second magnetic layer is a single layer and the additional material constitutes 10-80% of the second magnetic layer.