A semiconductor device includes: a substrate comprising a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) region and a logic region; a first MTJ on the MTJ region; a first metal interconnection on the logic region; and a cap layer extending from a sidewall of the first MTJ to a sidewall of the first metal interconnection. Preferably, the cap layer on the MTJ region and the cap layer on the logic region comprise different thicknesses.

A method for fabricating semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a first magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) on a substrate; forming a first ultra low-k (ULK) dielectric layer on the first MTJ; performing a first etching process to remove part of the first ULK dielectric layer and forming a damaged layer on the first ULK dielectric layer; and forming a second ULK dielectric layer on the damaged layer.

In one embodiment, the magnetic memory device includes a free layer structure having a variable magnetization direction. The free layer structure includes a first free layer, the first free layer being a first Heusler alloy; a coupling layer on the first free layer, the coupling layer including a metal oxide layer; and a second free layer on the metal oxide layer, the second free layer being a second Heusler alloy, the second Heusler alloy being different from the first Heusler alloy.

Disclosed is an electric field-controlled magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) including memory cells. The memory cell has a heterogenous double tunnel junction structure including a first tunnel junction and a second tunnel junction. The first tunnel junction includes a magnetic tunnel junction layer having a magnetization direction that changes according to spin transfer torque when an external voltage is applied, and the second tunnel junction includes an electric-field control layer that controls an electric field applied to the magnetic tunnel junction layer to induce a change in magnetic anisotropy within the magnetic tunnel junction layer. The heterogeneous tunnel junction structure combines electric field-controlled magnetic anisotropy and spin transfer torque to enable low power driving of memory cells, thereby enabling a high energy-efficient electric field-controlled MRAM.

An electronic device may include a semiconductor memory, and the semiconductor memory may include a substrate; a variable resistance element formed over the substrate and exhibiting different resistance values representing different digital information, the variable resistance element including a free layer having a variable magnetization direction, a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction and a tunnel barrier layer interposed between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a blocking layer disposed on at least sidewalls of the variable resistance element, wherein the blocking layer may include a layer that is substantially free of nitrogen, oxygen or a combination thereof.

An electronic device may include a semiconductor memory, and the semiconductor memory may include a substrate; a variable resistance element formed over the substrate and exhibiting different resistance values representing different digital information, the variable resistance element including a free layer having a variable magnetization direction, a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction and a tunnel barrier layer interposed between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a blocking layer disposed on at least sidewalls of the variable resistance element, wherein the blocking layer may include a layer that is substantially free of nitrogen, oxygen or a combination thereof.

A variable resistance memory device including a substrate; horizontal structures spaced apart from each other in a first direction perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate; variable resistance patterns on the horizontal structures, respectively; and conductive lines on the variable resistance patterns, respectively, wherein each of the horizontal structures includes a first electrode pattern, a semiconductor pattern, and a second electrode pattern arranged along a second direction parallel to the top surface of the substrate, and each of the variable resistance patterns is between one of the second electrode patterns and a corresponding one of the conductive lines.

A semiconductor device includes an array region defined on a substrate, a ring of dummy pattern surrounding the array region, and a gap between the array region and the ring of dummy pattern. Preferably, the ring of dummy pattern further includes a ring of magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) pattern surrounding the array region and a ring of metal interconnect pattern overlapping the ring of MTJ and surrounding the array region.

A semiconductor device includes an array region defined on a substrate, a ring of dummy pattern surrounding the array region, and a gap between the array region and the ring of dummy pattern. Preferably, the ring of dummy pattern further includes a ring of magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) pattern surrounding the array region and a ring of metal interconnect pattern overlapping the ring of MTJ and surrounding the array region.

Provided are a magnetic tunneling junction device having more stable perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and/or increased operating speed, and/or a memory device including the magnetic tunneling junction device. The magnetic tunneling junction device includes a free layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a pinned layer facing the first surface of the free layer; a first oxide layer between the pinned layer and the free layer; and a second oxide layer on the second surface of the free layer. The free layer includes a magnetic material X doped with a non-magnetic metal/ The second oxide layer includes ZO.sub.x which is an oxide of a metal Z. An oxygen affinity of the metal Z is greater than an oxygen affinity of the non-magnetic metal X.