A semiconductor structure includes: a Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) cell, including a bottom electrode, a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) stack and a top electrode; an insulating layer covering a sidewall partially and a top surface of the MRAM cell; a first dielectric layer, a stop layer and a second dielectric layer sequentially stacked on the insulating layer; and a top electrode contact hole penetrating through the second dielectric layer, the stop layer, the first dielectric layer and the insulating layer, and extending to the top electrode, where the top electrode contact hole includes a first portion and a second portion connected with each other in the stop layer, and a radial width of the second portion in contact with the top electrode is gradually decreased with an increase in a depth of the top electrode contact hole. Method for manufacturing the structure and semiconductor memory are also provided.

A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) device includes forming an insulating interlayer on a substrate, forming a contact plug extending through the insulating interlayer, forming a first blocking layer covering an upper surface of the contact plug, the first blocking layer including an amorphous material, forming a lower electrode layer on the first blocking layer, and forming a magnetic tunnel junction structure layer on the lower electrode layer.

A method for cleaning a plasma processing chamber comprising one or more cycles is provided. Each cycle comprises performing an oxygen containing plasma cleaning phase, performing a volatile chemistry type residue cleaning phase, and performing a fluorine containing plasma cleaning phase.

A laminated seed layer stack with a smooth top surface having a peak to peak roughness of 0.5 nm is formed by sequentially sputter depositing a first seed layer, a first amorphous layer, a second seed layer, and a second amorphous layer where each seed layer may be Mg and has a resputtering rate 2 to 30X that of the amorphous layers that are TaN, SiN, or a CoFeM alloy. A template layer that is NiCr or NiFeCr is formed on the second amorphous layer. As a result, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in an overlying magnetic layer that is a reference layer, free layer, or dipole layer is substantially maintained during high temperature processing up to 400° C. and is advantageous for magnetic tunnel junctions in embedded MRAMs, spintronic devices, or in read head sensors. The laminated seed layer stack may include a bottommost Ta or TaN buffer layer.

A magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode layer, a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack disposed on the bottom electrode layer, a dielectric cap layer disposed on the MTJ stack, and a metal cap layer disposed on the dielectric cap layer, wherein the metal cap layer comprises a plurality of first metal layers and second metal layers alternately stacked on the dielectric cap layer.

A magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode layer, a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack disposed on the bottom electrode layer, a dielectric cap layer disposed on the MTJ stack, and a metal cap layer disposed on the dielectric cap layer, wherein the metal cap layer comprises a plurality of first metal layers and second metal layers alternately stacked on the dielectric cap layer.

A magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) structure comprises a pinned layer on a bottom electrode. a barrier layer on the pinned layer, wherein a second metal re-deposition layer is on sidewalls of the barrier layer and the pinned layer, a free layer on the barrier layer wherein the free layer has a first width smaller than a second width of the pinned layer, a top electrode on the free layer having a same first width as the free layer wherein a first metal re-deposition layer is on sidewalls of the free layer and top electrode, and dielectric spacers on sidewalls of the free layer and top electrode covering the first metal re-deposition layer wherein the free layer and the top electrode together with the dielectric spacers have a same the second width as the pinned layer wherein the dielectric spacers prevent shorting between the first and second metal re-deposition layers.

A memory element and methods of constructing the memory element are described. The memory element may include a bottom electrode structure having an uppermost portion of a first dimension. The memory element may further include a MTJ pillar having a bottommost portion forming an interface with the uppermost portion of the bottom electrode structure. The bottommost portion of the MTJ pillar may have a second dimension that is less than the first dimension. The memory element may further include oxidized metal particles located on an outermost sidewall of the MTJ pillar. The memory element may further include a top electrode structure located in the MTJ pillar.

A magnetic memory device includes a magnetoresistance effect element including a first, second, and third ferromagnetic layer, a first non-magnetic layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layer, and a second non-magnetic layer between the second and third ferromagnetic layer. The second ferromagnetic layer is between the first and third ferromagnetic layer. The third ferromagnetic layer includes a fourth ferromagnetic layer in contact with the second non-magnetic layer, a third non-magnetic layer, and a fourth non-magnetic layer between the fourth ferromagnetic layer and the third non-magnetic layer. The first non-magnetic layer includes an oxide including magnesium (Mg). A melting point of the fourth non-magnetic layer is higher than the third non-magnetic layer.

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.