Fast static field CIPT mapping of unpatterned MRAM film stacks

Daniel Kjær, Ole Hansen, Henrik Hartmann Henrichsen, Jacob Wang Chenchen, Kristian Petersen Nørgaard, Peter Folmer Nielsen, Dirch Hjorth Petersen

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Abstract

While investigating uniformity of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stacks we find experimentally and analytically that variation in the resistance area product (RA) is more important to monitor as compared to the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), which is less sensitive to MTJ variability. The standard Current In-Plane Tunneling (CIPT) method measures both RA and TMR, but the usefulness for uniformity mapping, e.g. for tool optimization, is limited by excessive measurement time. Thus, we develop and demonstrate a fast complementary static magnetic field method focused only on measurement of RA. We compare the static field method to the standard CIPT method and find perfect agreement between the extracted RA values and measurement repeatability while the static field method is several times faster. The static field CIPT method is demonstrated for 200 mm wafer mapping showing radial as well as asymmetrical variations related to the MTJ deposition conditions.
Original languageEnglish
JournalMeasurement Science and Technology
Volume26
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)045602
Number of pages7
ISSN0957-0233
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Keywords

  • Four-point measurement
  • Four-point probe
  • Sheet resistance
  • Magnetoresistance
  • Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)
  • Current in-plane tunneling (CIPT)
  • Magnetic ram (MRAM)

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