US 12,290,001 B2
Method of manufacturing integrated circuit using encapsulation during an etch process
Sanjeev Aggarwal, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Sarin A. Deshpande, San Jose, CA (US); and Kerry Joseph Nagel, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Assigned to Everspin Technologies, Inc., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed by Everspin Technologies, Inc., Chandler, AZ (US)
Filed on Dec. 1, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/526,636.
Application 18/526,636 is a continuation of application No. 16/989,155, filed on Aug. 10, 2020, granted, now 12,063,865.
Application 16/989,155 is a continuation of application No. 16/576,039, filed on Sep. 19, 2019, granted, now 10,777,738, issued on Sep. 15, 2020.
Application 16/576,039 is a continuation of application No. 16/107,543, filed on Aug. 21, 2018, granted, now 10,461,251, issued on Oct. 29, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/549,131, filed on Aug. 23, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0107891 A1, Mar. 28, 2024
Int. Cl. H10N 50/01 (2023.01); H10B 61/00 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 50/01 (2023.02) [H10B 61/00 (2023.02); H10B 61/22 (2023.02)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a magnetoresistive bit from a magnetoresistive stack including (i) a free magnetic region, (ii) a fixed magnetic region, and (iii) an intermediate region disposed between the free magnetic region and the fixed magnetic region, the method comprising:
(a) etching through a first portion of the magnetoresistive stack to form one or more first sidewalls of the free magnetic region, the fixed magnetic region, and/or the intermediate region, the one or more first sidewalls including a first redeposited material, wherein etching through the first portion of the magnetoresistive stack to form the one or more first sidewalls includes terminating the etching within the intermediate region;
(b) removing a portion but not all of the first redeposited material and then rendering at least a portion of remaining first redeposited material electrically nonconductive;
(c) depositing an encapsulation metal on the one or more first sidewalls of the free magnetic region, the fixed magnetic region, and/or the intermediate region;
(d) treating the encapsulation metal to form a first encapsulation material; and
(e) etching through a second portion of the magnetoresistive stack.