• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.76-79
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• 2005

Magnetic random access memory(MRAM) 소자재료로 사용되고 있는 NiFe, NiFeCo, Ta 등의 박막을 $Cl_2/Ar$ 유도 결합 플라즈마를 이용하여 식각하였다. NiFe와 NiFeCo의 식각 속도는 특정 ICP 공급 전력에서 최대값을 나타냈지만, Ta의 식각 속도는 ICP 공급 전력이 증가함에 따라 증가하였다. RF 하부전극 전력이 증가하면서 자성박막의 식각 속도는 증가하였지만, 공정압력과 $Cl_2$의 농도가 증가함에 따라 점진적으로 감소하였다. 식각 후에 염소에 의한 표면 부식을 방지하기 위해 이온수로 5분간 세척하였다. 식각 프로파일은 $Cl_2$ 농도가 50%일 경우에 식각 단면에 식각 잔유물들이 존재하지 않는 부드러운 단면을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.104-107
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• 2009

The effects of the magnetic property variation on current-induced magnetization switching in magnetic tunnel junction with perpendicular magnetic anistoropy (PMA) and the soft magnetic polarization-enhancement layers (PELs) inserted between the layers with PMA and the MgO layer was studied. A micromatnetic model was used to estimate the switching time of the free layer by different applied current densities, with changing saturation magnetization ($M_s$) of the PELs, interlayer exchange coupling between PMA layers and PELs. The switching time could be significantly reduced at low current densities, by increasing $M_s$ of PELs and decreasing interlayer exchange coupling.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2012년도 제42회 동계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.408-408
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• 2012

It is well known that magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is nonvolatile memory devices using ferromagnetic materials. MRAM has the merits such as fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance and nonvolatility. Although DRAM has many advantages containing high storage density, fast access time and low power consumption, it becomes volatile when the power is turned off. Owing to the attractive advantages of MRAM, MRAM is being spotlighted as an alternative device in the future. MRAM consists of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack and complementary metal- oxide semiconductor (CMOS). MTJ stacks are composed of various magnetic materials. FePt thin films are used as a pinned layer of MTJ stack. Up to date, an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICPRIE) method of MTJ stacks showed better results in terms of etch rate and etch profile than any other methods such as ion milling, chemical assisted ion etching (CAIE), reactive ion etching (RIE). In order to improve etch profiles without redepositon, a better etching process of MTJ stack needs to be developed by using different etch gases and etch parameters. In this research, influences of $O_2$ gas on the etching characteristics of FePt thin films were investigated. FePt thin films were etched using ICPRIE in $CH_4/O_2/Ar$ gas mix. The etch rate and the etch selectivity were investigated in various $O_2$ concentrations. The etch profiles were studied in varying etch parameters such as coil rf power, dc-bias voltage, and gas pressure. TiN was employed as a hard mask. For observation etch profiles, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used.

• 한국자기학회:학술대회 개요집
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• 한국자기학회 2015년도 임시총회 및 하계학술연구발표회
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• pp.78-79
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• 2015

We investigate the switching current for various cell diameters and DM interaction. We find that the current density for switching can depend strongly on the cell size when the switching is governed by the domain wall motion. Moreover the switching current density is also strongly influenced by DM interaction. In the presentation, we will discuss the effect of domain wall formation and more various DMI constant on the switching current desity in detail.

• 한국자기학회:학술대회 개요집
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• 한국자기학회 2004년도 하계학술연구발표회 논문개요집
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• pp.12-12
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• 2004

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2009년도 제38회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.448-448
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• 2010

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) has made a prominent progress in memory performance and has brought a bright prospect for the next generation nonvolatile memory technologies due to its excellent advantages. Dry etching process of magnetic thin films is one of the important issues for the magnetic devices such as magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) based MRAM. CoFeB is a well-known soft ferromagnetic material, of particular interest for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and other devices based on tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR), such as spin-transfer-torque MRAM. One particular example is the CoFeB - MgO - CoFeB system, which has already been integrated in MRAM. In all of these applications, knowledge of control over the etching properties of CoFeB is crucial. Recently, transferring the pattern by using milling is a commonly used, although the redeposition of back-sputtered etch products on the sidewalls and the low etch rate of this method are main disadvantages. So the other method which has reported about much higher etch rates of >$50{\AA}/s$ for magnetic multi-layer structures using $Cl_2$/Ar plasmas is proposed. However, the chlorinated etch residues on the sidewalls of the etched features tend to severely corrode the magnetic material. Besides avoiding corrosion, during etching facets format the sidewalls of the mask due to physical sputtering of the mask material. Therefore, in this work, magnetic material such as CoFeB was etched in an ICP etching system using the gases which can be expected to form volatile metallo-organic compounds. As the gases, carbon monoxide (CO) and ammonia ($NH_3$) were used as etching gases to form carbonyl volatiles, and the etched features of CoFeB thin films under by Ta masking material were observed with electron microscopy to confirm etched resolution. And the etch conditions such as bias power, gas combination flow, process pressure, and source power were varied to find out and control the properties of magnetic layer during the process.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.170-181
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• 2006

Spin dependent tunneling has enormously activated the field of magnetism in general, and in particular spin transport studies, in the past ten years. Thousands of articles related to the subject have appeared with many fundamental results. Importantly, there is great interest in their potential for application. There was another surge of activity in this field since the past five years - created by the theoretical prediction of a large tunnel magnetoresistance that arises due to band symmetry matched coherent tunneling in epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions with (001) MgO barrier and experimentally well demonstrated. This further development in the field has boosted the excitement in both fundamental science as well as the possibility of application in such as magnetic random access memory, ultra sensitive read heads, biosensors and spin torque diodes. This review is a brief coverage of the field highlighting the literature that deals with magnetic tunnel junctions having epitaxial MgO tunnel barriers.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2009년도 제38회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.233-233
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• 2010

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM), based on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and CMOS, is a prominent candidate among prospective semiconductor memories because it can provide nonvolatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage and high storage density. The etching of MTJ stack with good properties is one of a key process for the realization of high density MRAM. In order to achieve high quality MTJ stack, the use of CoFeB and IrMn magnetic films as free layers was proposed. In this study, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching of CoFeB and IrMn thin films masked with Ti hard mask was investigated in a $Cl_2$/Ar gas mix. The etch rate of CoFeB and IrMn films were examined on varying $Cl_2$ gas concentration. As the $Cl_2$ gas increased, the etch rate monotonously decreased. The effective of etch parameters including coil rf power, dc-bais voltage, and gas pressure on the etch profile of CoFeB and IrMn thin film was explored, At high coil rf power, high dc-bais voltage, low gas pressure, the etching of CoFeB and IrMn displayed better etch profiles. Finally, the clean and vertical etch sidewall of CoFeB and IrMn free layers can be achieved by means of thin Ti hard mask in a $Cl_2$/Ar plasma at the optimized condition.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2009년도 제38회 동계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.213-213
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• 2010

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM), based on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) and CMOS, is one of the best semiconductor memories because it can provide nonvolatility, fast access time, unlimited read/write endurance, low operating voltage and high storage density. For the realization of high density MRAM, the etching of MTJ stack with good properties is one of a key process. Recently, there has been great interest in the MTJ stack using MgO as barrier layer for its huge room temperature MR ratio. The use of MgO barrier layer will undoubtedly accelerate the development of MTJ stack for MRAM. In this study, high-density plasma reactive ion etching of MgO films was investigated in an inductively coupled plasma of $Cl_2$/Ar gas mixes. The etch rate, etch selectivity and etch profile of this magnetic film were examined on vary gas concentration. As the $Cl_2$ gas concentration increased, the etch rate of MgO monotonously decreased and etch slop was slanted. The effective of etch parameters including coil rf power, dc-bais voltage, and gas pressure on the etch profile of MgO thin film was explored, At high coil rf power, high dc-bais voltage, low gas pressure, the etching of MgO displayed better etch profiles. Finally, the clean and vertical etch sidewall of MgO films was achieved using $Cl_2$/Ar plasma at the optimized etch conditions.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.110-116
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• 2004

We propose a novel sensing scheme, which operates by sensing the difference in voltage between a memory cell and a reference cell for a magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM). A new midpoint-reference generation circuit is adopted for the reference cell to improve the sensing margin and to guarantee correct operation of sensing circuit for wide range of tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) voltages. In this scheme, the output voltage of the reference cell becomes nearly the midpoint between the cell voltages of high and low states even if the voltage across the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) varies.