In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming a bottom electrode layer over the first IMD layer; forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) film stack over the bottom electrode layer; forming a first top electrode layer over the MTJ film stack; forming a protective mask covering a first region of the first top electrode layer, a second region of the first top electrode layer being uncovered by the protective mask; forming a second top electrode layer over the protective mask and the first top electrode layer; and patterning the second top electrode layer, the first top electrode layer, the MTJ film stack, the bottom electrode layer, and the first IMD layer with an ion beam etching (IBE) process to form a MRAM cell, where the protective mask is etched during the IBE process.

The present invention is directed to a perpendicular magnetic structure including a seed layer structure that includes a first seed layer comprising a metal element and oxygen, and a second seed layer formed on top of the first seed layer and comprising chromium. The metal element is one of titanium, tantalum, or magnesium. The perpendicular magnetic structure further includes a magnetic fixed layer structure formed on top of the seed layer structure and having an invariable magnetization direction substantially perpendicular to a layer plane of the magnetic fixed layer structure. The magnetic fixed layer structure includes layers of a magnetic material interleaved with layers of a transition metal. The magnetic material includes cobalt. The transition metal is one of nickel, platinum, palladium, or iridium.

A memory device includes a plurality of circuit layers, a plurality of first conductive through via structures and a plurality of bitlines. The circuit layers are disposed one above another, and each circuit layer includes one or more memory cell arrays. The first conductive through via structures penetrates though the circuit layers. Each of the bitlines includes a plurality of bitline segments disposed on the circuit layers respectively. The bitline segments are electrically connected through one of the first conductive through via structures. Each bitline segment is coupled to a plurality of memory cells of a memory cell array of a circuit layer where the bitline segment is disposed.

Approaches for embedding spin hall MTJ devices into a logic processor, and the resulting structures, are described. In an example, a logic processor includes a logic region including fin-FET transistors disposed in a dielectric layer disposed above a substrate. The logic processor also includes a memory array including a plurality of two-transistor one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) spin hall electrode (2T1MTJ SHE) bit cells. The transistors of the 2T1MTJ SHE bit cells are fin-FET transistors disposed in the dielectric layer.

A variable resistance memory device is provided including a plurality of lower electrodes disposed on a substrate. A plurality of variable resistors are disposed on the plurality of lower electrodes. A plurality of upper electrodes are disposed on the plurality of variable resistors. An interlayer insulating layer fills a space in the plurality of variable resistors. An anti-oxidation layer is disposed between the plurality of variable resistors and the interlayer insulating layer. The anti-oxidation layer covers side surfaces of the plurality of variable resistors, and the anti-oxidation layer comprises silicon and/or carbon.

A memory device includes a plurality of layers forming a stack. The plurality of layers include a spin polarization layer having a magnetic anisotropy approximately perpendicular to a plane of the spin polarization layer, an antiferromagnetic layer having an antiferromagnetic material, a ferromagnetic layer that is exchange coupled to the antiferromagnetic layer, where the antiferromagnetic layer is between the ferromagnetic layer and the spin polarization layer, and a storage layer having a magnetization direction that indicates a memory state of the storage layer. The memory state is switched by an amount of current through the stack. The spin polarization layer, the ferromagnetic layer, and the antiferromagnetic layer are configured to reduce the amount of current through the stack for switching the magnetization direction of the storage layer relative to an amount of current through a memory device without the spin polarization layer, the ferromagnetic layer, and the antiferromagnetic layer.

A semiconductor memory cell having an electrically floating body having two stable states is disclosed. A method of operating the memory cell is disclosed.

A semiconductor device that can perform product-sum operation with low power consumption is provided. The semiconductor device includes first and second circuits; the first circuit includes a first holding node and the second circuit includes a second holding node. The first circuit is electrically connected to first and second input wirings and first and second wirings, the second circuit is electrically connected to the first and second input wirings and the first and second wirings, and the first and second circuits each have a function of holding first and second potentials corresponding to first data at the first and second holding nodes. When a potential corresponding to second data is input to each of the first and second input wirings, the first circuit outputs a current to one of the first wiring and the second wiring and the second circuit outputs a current to the other of the first wiring and the second wiring. The currents output from the first and second circuits to the first wiring or the second wiring are determined in accordance with the first and second potentials held at the first and second holding nodes.

A magnetoresistive memory device includes a plurality of bottom conductive lines, a plurality of top conductive lines, a first memory cell, and a second memory cell. The top conductive lines are over the bottom conductive lines. The first memory cell is between the bottom conductive lines and the top conductive lines and includes a first magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack. The second memory cell is adjacent the first memory cell and between the bottom conductive lines and the top conductive lines. The second memory cell includes a second MTJ stack, and a top surface of the second MTJ stack is higher than a top surface of the first MTJ stack.

In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a first inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layer over a semiconductor substrate; forming a bottom electrode layer over the first IMD layer; forming a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) film stack over the bottom electrode layer; forming a first top electrode layer over the MTJ film stack; forming a protective mask covering a first region of the first top electrode layer, a second region of the first top electrode layer being uncovered by the protective mask; forming a second top electrode layer over the protective mask and the first top electrode layer; and patterning the second top electrode layer, the first top electrode layer, the MTJ film stack, the bottom electrode layer, and the first IMD layer with an ion beam etching (IBE) process to form a MRAM cell, where the protective mask is etched during the IBE process.