| US 7,541,199 B2 | ||
| Methods of forming magnetic memory devices including oxidizing and etching magnetic layers | ||
| Jun-Soo Bae, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of); and Jong-Bong Park, Gyeonggi-do (Korea, Republic of) | ||
| Assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., (Korea, Republic of) | ||
| Filed on Feb. 09, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/350,545. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 10-2005-0032001 (KR), filed on Apr. 18, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0246604 A1, Nov. 02, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. H01L 21/00 (2006.01); H01L 21/302 (2006.01); H01L 21/461 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 438—3 [438/705; 257/E21.665] | 16 Claims |
| 1. A method of forming a magnetic memory device, comprising:
sequentially forming a first magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer, and a second magnetic layer on a semiconductor substrate,
the first magnetic layer having a fixed magnetization orientation and the second magnetic layer having a changeable magnetization
orientation;
forming a conductive capping pattern on the second magnetic layer;
oxidizing the second magnetic layer, using the conductive capping pattern as a mask, to form an unoxidized second magnetic
pattern below the conductive capping pattern; and
removing an oxidized portion of the second magnetic layer to expose at least a portion of an upper surface of the tunnel barrier
layer opposite the substrate and to expose opposing sidewalls of the second magnetic pattern;
wherein the upper surface of the tunnel barrier layer is wider than the second magnetic pattern.
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