Breakthrough In Current In Plane Metrology For Monitoring Large Scale MRAM Production

Alberto Cagliani, Frederik Westergaard Østerberg, Ole Hansen, Dirch Hjorth Petersen, Lior Shiv, Peter F. Nielsen

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingArticle in proceedingsResearchpeer-review

    Abstract

    The current-in-plane tunneling technique (CIPT) has been a crucial tool in the development of magnetic tunnel junction stacks suitable for Magnetic Random Access Memories (MRAM) for more than a decade. The MRAM development has now reached the maturity to make the transition from R&D to large-scale production. This will require a metrology to precisely monitor the properties of the MTJ stacks over 300 mm wafers with high performance in terms of reproducibility and repeatability. Here, we present a major breakthrough in the CIPT metrology that can deliver a substantial improvement on the precision of the Resistance Area product (RA) and the Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR) measurements, compared to state of the art CIPT metrology tools dedicated to R&D. On two test wafers, the repeatability of RA and MR was improved up to 350% and the measurement reproducibility up to 1700%. We believe that CIPT metrology now constitutes a very strong candidate for monitoring MRAM production, since it can guarantee the high metrology performance needed for the advent of the MRAM era.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publication2017 IEEE International Memory Workshop (IMW)
    Number of pages3
    PublisherIEEE
    Publication date2017
    Pages169-171
    ISBN (Electronic)978-1-5090-3274-7
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017
    Event2017 IEEE 9th International Memory Workshop - Hyatt Regency Hotel, Monterey, United States
    Duration: 14 May 201717 May 2017
    Conference number: 9
    https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/conhome/7938567/proceeding

    Conference

    Conference2017 IEEE 9th International Memory Workshop
    Number9
    LocationHyatt Regency Hotel
    Country/TerritoryUnited States
    CityMonterey
    Period14/05/201717/05/2017
    Internet address

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