US 12,356,865 B2
Multilayer structure for reducing film roughness in magnetic devices
Jian Zhu, San Jose, CA (US); Guenole Jan, San Jose, CA (US); Yuan-Jen Lee, Fremont, CA (US); Huanlong Liu, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Ru-Ying Tong, Los Gatos, CA (US); Jodi Mari Iwata, San Carlos, CA (US); Vignesh Sundar, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Luc Thomas, San Jose, CA (US); Yu-Jen Wang, San Jose, CA (US); and Sahil Patel, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/221,868.
Application 16/173,201 is a division of application No. 15/599,755, filed on May 19, 2017, granted, now 10,115,892, issued on Oct. 30, 2018.
Application 16/221,868 is a continuation of application No. 16/173,201, filed on Oct. 29, 2018, abandoned.
Application 15/599,755 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/949,232, filed on Nov. 23, 2015, granted, now 9,780,299, issued on Oct. 3, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2019/0140168 A1, May 9, 2019
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01F 10/30 (2006.01); G11C 11/16 (2006.01); H01F 10/16 (2006.01); H01F 10/32 (2006.01); H01F 41/30 (2006.01); H10N 50/01 (2023.01); H10N 50/10 (2023.01); H10N 50/85 (2023.01)
CPC H10N 50/01 (2023.02) [G11C 11/161 (2013.01); H01F 10/16 (2013.01); H01F 10/30 (2013.01); H01F 10/32 (2013.01); H01F 10/3286 (2013.01); H01F 41/303 (2013.01); H10N 50/10 (2023.02); H10N 50/85 (2023.02); H01F 10/3254 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multilayer structure for reducing film roughness in a magnetic device, comprising:
a buffer layer that includes a material selected from one of Zr, ZrN, Nb, NbN, Mo, MON, TiN, W, WN, Ru, Ta and TaN;
a first smoothing layer made of a material with a first bond energy, and having a first surface with an “as deposited” first peak to peak roughness, the first smoothing layer is formed on the buffer layer;
a second smoothing layer that is non-crystalline or nano-crystalline and is made of a material with a second bond energy that is greater than the first bond energy such that deposition of the second smoothing layer results in resputtering of the first smoothing layer to give the first smoothing layer a second surface having a second peak to peak roughness less than the “as deposited” first peak to peak roughness, and the second smoothing layer formed on the second surface, the second smoothing layer has a third surface with the second peak to peak roughness; and
a template layer disposed over the second smoothing layer, the template layer has a (111) crystal orientation.