Embodiment
In the following description, a large amount of concrete details have been provided so that more thorough understanding of the invention is provided.Yet, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention can need not one or more these details and implemented.In other example,, be not described for technical characterictics more well known in the art for fear of obscuring with the present invention.
In order thoroughly to understand the present invention, to in following description, detailed steps be proposed, how to utilize existing photoetching equipment and chip fabrication technique on production line, to make loop configuration so that the present invention is described, make it form less mtj structure, satisfy the needs of the power consumption that reduces MRAM.Obviously, execution of the present invention is not limited to the specific details that the technical staff had the knack of of semiconductor applications.Preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail as follows, yet except these were described in detail, the present invention can also have other execution modes.
Embodiment one
With reference to Fig. 2 A~Fig. 2 G, show cutaway view according to device that each step obtains in the technological process of one embodiment of the invention making loop configuration.
At first, shown in Fig. 2 A, provide substrate 200, substrate 200 can be monocrystalline silicon, polysilicon or amorphous silicon; Substrate 200 also can be silicon, germanium, GaAs or silicon Germanium compound; Substrate 200 can also be other semi-conducting material, enumerates no longer one by one here.In addition, substrate 200 can also have epitaxial loayer or epitaxial loayer silicon-on.
Form structure sheaf 201 on described substrate 200, structure sheaf 201 can adopt metal material to make, and preferred employing comprises the material that is selected from least a metallic element in magnesium, cobalt, platinum, iron, rubidium and the manganese and makes.Its thickness can be set according to the height of the loop configuration that will make.
The material that forms first mask layer, 202, the first mask layers 202 on described structure sheaf 201 can be adopted tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and make, and its thickness is about 75 nanometers.
Then, apply bottom anti-reflection layer 203 on first mask layer 202, coating has the photoresist layer 204 that diameter is about the circular hole pattern of 100 nanometers on bottom anti-reflection layer 203 again.
Then, shown in Fig. 2 B, with described circular hole pattern is that mask carries out etching to bottom anti-reflection layer 203, first mask layer 202, with circular hole design transfer to the first mask layer 202 on the photoresist layer 204, forms the circular hole 205 that a diameter is about 100 nanometers on first mask layer 202.Lithographic method can adopt dry etching, and etching gas can comprise fluorocarbon, for example C
4F
8
Next, shown in Fig. 2 C, form side wall layer 206 at the upper surface of bottom, inboard and first mask layer 202 of circular hole 205.The material of side wall layer 206 can be the mixture of titanium and titanium nitride, and wherein, the proportion of titanium and titanium nitride is between 1: 1 to 1: 5.Described deposition adopts physical vaporous deposition (Physical Vapor Deposition PVD).The thickness of side wall layer 206 is about 25 nanometers.In addition, the material of side wall layer 206 can also be the mixture of tantalum and tantalum nitride or the compound that contains tungsten etc.
Then, shown in Fig. 2 D, remove the side wall layer 206 that covers described circular hole 205 bottoms and first mask layer, 202 upper surfaces by etching, so that side wall layer 206 forms circular hole 207, the diameter that the diameter of circular hole 207 equals circular hole 205 deducts two times side wall layer 206 thickness.Described etching can adopt dry etching, etching gas can be for including the gas of chlorine, when the gas that includes chlorine when employing carried out dry etching, the selection of the material of side wall layer 206 and the material of first mask layer 202 was than greater than 5, and the selection of side wall layer 206 and structure sheaf 201 is than greater than 5.
Then, shown in Fig. 2 E, once more first mask layer 202 is carried out etching, remove first mask layer 202 that is centered around circular hole 207 peripheries, so that side wall layer 206 forms an annulus 208.Described etching can adopt dry etching, and etching gas can be for comprising the gas of fluorohydrocarbon, for example CH
3F; Described etching can also adopt wet etching, etching solution is the liquid that comprises hydrofluoric acid, when adopting wet etching, the material of first mask layer 202 compares greater than 5 with the selection of the material of side wall layer 206 with the material that the selection of the material of structure sheaf 201 is compared greater than 5, the first mask layers 202.
Then, shown in Fig. 2 F, 2G, be that mask carries out etching to structure sheaf 201 with annulus 208, so that structure sheaf 201 forms annulus 209, peel off annulus 208 again.Through simple computation as can be known, the diameter that the internal diameter of described annulus 209 equals described circular hole 205 deducts the thickness of two times side wall layer 206, i.e. 50 nanometers, and external diameter is the diameter of described circular hole 205, i.e. 100 nanometers.Described etching adopts dry etching, and etching gas can adopt the ethanol that has a hydroxyl at least, when hydroxyl quantity is one, can adopt for example methyl alcohol CH
3OH, ethanol C
2H
5OH or propyl alcohol C
3H
7Constituting of among the OH one or several.The side wall layer of peeling off on the annulus 209 206 can adopt the solution that includes phosphoric acid.
In the foregoing description, the material of described structure sheaf 201, first mask layer 202 and side wall layer 206 is not limited to the material of enumerating among the above embodiment, and their thickness can also be optimized as required.In addition, all selections are not played the qualification effect to the present invention than numerical value, and preferably, all select ratio greater than 10.
In the foregoing description, owing on the structure sheaf 201 one deck mask layer is only arranged, i.e. first mask layer 202, and the composition of side wall layer 206 and structure sheaf is metal, therefore when offside parietal layer 206 carried out etching, etching gas was with loss structure sheaf 201, and influence forms the performance of device.
In order to solve structure sheaf 201 produces loss in technical process problem, further set forth with two pairs of methods of the present invention of embodiment below.
With reference to Fig. 3 A~Fig. 3 G; show the cutaway view of device that each step obtains in the technological process of making loop configuration according to another embodiment of the present invention; in embodiment two; be formed with protective layer on the structure sheaf; protective layer on the structure sheaf plays a protective role to structure sheaf; therefore when mask layer and side wall layer are carried out etching, can protect structure sheaf not to be subjected to the influence of etching gas.
At first, as shown in Figure 3A, provide substrate 300, the material of substrate 300 can be monocrystalline silicon, polysilicon or amorphous silicon; Substrate 300 also can be silicon, germanium, GaAs or silicon Germanium compound; Substrate 300 can also be other semi-conducting material, enumerates no longer one by one here.In addition, substrate 300 can also have epitaxial loayer or epitaxial loayer silicon-on.
Form structure sheaf 301 on described substrate 300, structure sheaf 301 can adopt metal material to make, and preferred employing comprises the material that is selected from least a metallic element in magnesium, cobalt, platinum, iron, rubidium and the manganese and makes.Its thickness can be set according to the height of the loop configuration that will make.
Form protective layer 302 on described structure sheaf 301, the material of protective layer 302 can adopt silicon nitride (Si
3N
4), silicon oxynitride (SiON) or other low temperature oxide, its thickness is about 30 nanometers.
Form mask layer 303 on protective layer 302, the material of mask layer 303 can adopt tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and its thickness is about 75 nanometers.
Then, apply bottom anti-reflection layer 304 on mask layer 303, coating has the photoresist layer 305 that diameter is about the circular hole pattern of 100 nanometers on bottom anti-reflection layer 304 again.
Then, shown in Fig. 3 B, be that mask carries out etching to bottom anti-reflection layer 304, mask layer 303 with described circular hole pattern, the circular hole design transfer on the photoresist layer 305 to mask layer 303, is formed the circular hole 306 that a diameter is about 100 nanometers on mask layer 303.Lithographic method can adopt dry etching, and etching gas can adopt the gas that includes fluorine ion, for example C
4F
8
Next, shown in Fig. 3 C, form side wall layer 307 at the upper surface of bottom, inboard and the mask layer 303 of circular hole 306.The material of side wall layer 307 can be the mixture of titanium and titanium nitride, and usually, the proportion of titanium and titanium nitride can be between 1: 1 to 1: 5.Described deposition adopts physical gas-phase deposite method (Physical Vapor Deposition PVD), and deposit thickness is about 25 nanometers.In addition, the material of side wall layer 307 can also be the mixture of tantalum and tantalum nitride or the compound that contains tungsten etc.
Then, shown in Fig. 3 D, offside parietal layer 307 carries out etching, removes the part that covers described circular hole 306 bottoms and mask layer 303 upper surfaces, so that side wall layer 307 forms circular hole 308, the diameter that the diameter of circular hole 308 equals circular hole 306 deducts two times side wall layer 307 thickness.Described etching can adopt dry etching; etching gas can be for including the gas of chlorine; when the gas that includes chlorine when employing carried out dry etching, the selection of side wall layer 307 and mask layer 303 was than greater than 5, and the selection of the material of side wall layer 307 and the material of protective layer 302 is than greater than 5.
Then, shown in Fig. 3 E, once more mask layer 303 is carried out etching, remove the mask layer 303 that is centered around circular hole 308 peripheries, etching rear side parietal layer 307 forms an annulus 309.Described etching can adopt dry etching, and etching gas can comprise fluorocarbon, for example C
4F
8, this moment, the material of mask layer 303 compared greater than 5 with the selection of protective layer 302, and the material of mask layer 303 compares greater than 5 with the selection of side wall layer 307.
Shown in Fig. 3 F, be that mask carries out etching to protective layer 302 with described annulus 309, so that side wall layer 307 forms an annulus 310 with protective layer 302.Described etching adopts dry etching, and etching gas can be for comprising the gas of fluorohydrocarbon, for example CH
3F.
Then, shown in Fig. 3 G, 3H, be that mask carries out etching to structure sheaf 301 with annulus 310, so that structure sheaf 301 forms annulus 311, peel off annulus 310 again.Through simple computation as can be known, the diameter that the internal diameter of described annulus 311 equals described circular hole 306 deducts two times side wall layer 307 thickness, i.e. 50 nanometers, and its external diameter is the diameter of described circular hole 306, i.e. 100 nanometers.Structure sheaf 301 is adopted dry etching, and etching gas can adopt the ethanol that has a hydroxyl at least, when hydroxyl quantity is one, can adopt for example methyl alcohol (CH
3OH), ethanol (C
2H
5OH) or propyl alcohol (C
3H
7OH) combining of one or several in.Peel off annulus 310 and can adopt the solution that includes phosphoric acid.
In embodiment two, the material that described protective layer 302, mask layer 303 and side wall layer 307 are adopted is not limited to the material of enumerating among the above embodiment, and their thickness can also be optimized as required.In addition, above-mentioned selection is not all played the qualification effect to the present invention than numerical value, and preferably, all select ratio all greater than 10.
In embodiment two, form protective layer successively and mask layer is an example, the method for making loop configuration is illustrated with the upper surface of structure sheaf.Apparently; the present invention does not all limit the structure of described protective layer and described mask layer; be to comprise some film layer structures in the protective layer; described mask layer also can comprise some film layer structures; as long as on structure sheaf, form loop configuration; can be the mask etching structure sheaf just, thereby make structure sheaf form loop configuration with this loop configuration.
Among above-mentioned two embodiment, be that example describes all, it is evident that with the loop configuration of making internal diameter 50 nanometers, external diameter 100 nanometers, can be as required and make the loop configuration of the various sizes that meets the demands in conjunction with method of the present invention.
Fig. 4 shows the method flow schematic diagram according to making loop configuration of the present invention.
To form mask layer on the described structure sheaf is example:
Step 401, the front end device layer at first is provided, on described front end device layer, forms structure sheaf, on described structure sheaf, form mask layer again, on described mask layer, form bottom anti-reflection layer, on bottom anti-reflection layer, form the photoresist layer that has the circular hole pattern again;
Step 402 is a mask with the described photoresist layer that has the circular hole pattern, described bottom anti-reflection layer and described mask layer is carried out etching, to form circular hole in mask layer;
Step 403, the inboard annular side parietal layer that forms of the circular hole in described mask layer;
Step 404 is removed remaining described mask layer by etching, keeps described annular side parietal layer;
Step 405 is a mask with described annular side parietal layer, and structure sheaf is carried out etching, so that described structure sheaf becomes loop configuration, peels off the annular side parietal layer.
To be formed with protective layer successively on the described structure sheaf and mask layer is an example, then step 401 also comprises: before forming mask layer on the described structure sheaf, form protective layer on described structure sheaf; And described step 405 is: with described annular side parietal layer is mask, successively described protective layer and described structure sheaf is carried out etching, so that described structure sheaf becomes described loop configuration, and peels off described protective layer and described annular side parietal layer.
In the above-mentioned steps 403, the method that forms the annular side parietal layer can be: the upper surface of the bottom surface of the circular hole in mask layer, inboard and described mask layer forms side wall layer; Remove the side wall layer that covers described bottom surface and described upper surface by etching again.
When utilizing the method making nano-rings magnetic channel knot of above-mentioned making loop configuration, adopt following method:
At first with the magnetic channel knot layer of structure sheaf described in the step 401 as MRAM, promptly structure sheaf is used to form magnetic channel knot (MTJ) array.For example, structure sheaf adopts and to comprise the material that is selected from least a metallic element in magnesium, cobalt, platinum, iron, rubidium and the manganese and form; In addition, the material of structure sheaf is not limited thereto, and can also adopt other metallic element to be made as required.The thickness range of structure sheaf is in 30~150 nanometers.Execution in step 402 again.In step 403, the preferred adopting process temperature of described side wall layer is less than the materials of 350 degree, otherwise surpasses 350 when spending when technological temperature, the pole orientation of structure sheaf overturn, the destruction magnetic field structure.Technological temperature has less than the materials of 350 degree: the mixture of the mixture of titanium and titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride and the compound etc. that contains tungsten.Sequential steps 404~step 405 can be produced the less nano-rings magnetic channel knot of inside and outside footpath size then, and then obtains the less nano-rings magnetic channel knot of power consumption.
The present invention is by forming certain thickness side wall layer on round-meshed mask layer, etch away the upper surface side parietal layer of circular hole bottom surface and mask layer again, to form the annular side parietal layer, the internal diameter of described annular side parietal layer deducts two times side wall layer thickness for the circular hole internal diameter, can obtain the less circular hole internal diameter of internal diameter like this.Be the downward etching of mask with this annular side parietal layer then, until on structure sheaf, forming the less annulus in inside and outside footpath.
To utilize method of the present invention can produce internal diameter only be that tens nanometers, external diameter are the cirque structure about 100 nanometers, reduced the internal diameter and the external diameter of the cirque structure of the minimum gauge that prior art can produce greatly.When utilizing method of the present invention to make the nano-rings magnetic channel knot of MRAM, can obtain the less nano-rings magnetic channel knot of size, the bigger problem of power consumption when having solved to MRAM execution write operation.
The present invention is illustrated by the foregoing description, but should be understood that, the foregoing description just is used for for example and illustrative purposes, but not is intended to the present invention is limited in the described scope of embodiments.It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that in addition the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description, can also make more kinds of variants and modifications according to instruction of the present invention, these variants and modifications all drop in the present invention's scope required for protection.Protection scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalent scope thereof.