IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,389,807
Granted Patent B2
US 12,389,807 · App. 18/611,753 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same

Inventors: Jin-Yan Chiou (Tainan, TW); Wei-Chuan Tsai (Changhua County, TW); Hsin-Fu Huang (Tainan, TW); Yen-Tsai Yi (Tainan, TW); Hsiang-Wen Ke (Kaohsiung, TW)
Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
H10N50/80G11C11/161H10N50/01H10N50/85H01F10/3254H01F41/32
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,389,807
App. No.
18/611,753
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer on a substrate; forming a contact hole in the first IMD layer; forming a bottom electrode layer in the contact hole; forming a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack on the bottom electrode layer; and removing the MTJ stack and the bottom electrode layer to form a MTJ on a bottom electrode. Preferably, the bottom electrode protrudes above a top surface of the first IMD layer.

Claims (21)

1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer on a substrate;

forming a contact hole in the first IMD layer;

forming a liner in the contact hole;

forming a bottom electrode layer on the liner in the contact hole;

forming a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack on the bottom electrode layer; and

removing the MTJ stack, the bottom electrode layer, and the liner to form a MTJ on a bottom electrode, wherein the liner comprises a vertical portion, a sidewall of the MTJ is aligned with a sidewall of the vertical portion, and a top surface of the vertical portion is higher than a top surface of the first IMD layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a second IMD layer on the substrate;

forming a metal interconnection in the second IMD layer;

forming the first IMD layer on the second IMD layer; and

forming the contact hole in the first IMD layer for exposing the metal interconnection.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming the liner in the contact hole before forming the bottom electrode layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liner and the bottom electrode comprise different materials.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liner comprises titanium (Ti).

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

forming a top electrode layer on the MTJ stack; and

removing the top electrode layer, the MTJ stack, the bottom electrode layer, and the liner to form a top electrode and the MTJ on the bottom electrode.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bottom electrode protrudes a top surface of the first IMD layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bottom electrode comprises titanium nitride (TiN).

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising planarizing the bottom electrode layer before forming the MTJ stack.

Priority Claims (1)
CN 202010354013.4 · Apr 29, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 16882552 · May 25, 2020
Related Publication 20240237550A1 · Jul 11, 2024
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