Method of manufacturing magnetoresistive element

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, the method includes forming a first magnetic layer, forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer, forming a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer, forming a hard mask layer on the second magnetic layer, and patterning the second magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the first magnetic layer, with a cluster ion beam using the hard mask layer as a mask, wherein the cluster ion beam comprises cluster ions, cluster sizes of the cluster ions are distributed, and a peak value of the distribution of the cluster sizes is 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, the method comprising:
 forming a first magnetic layer;   forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer;   forming a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer;   forming a hard mask layer on the second magnetic layer; and   patterning the second magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the first magnetic layer, with a cluster ion beam using the hard mask layer as a mask,   wherein the cluster ion beam comprises cluster ions, cluster sizes of the cluster ions are distributed, and a peak value of the distribution of the cluster sizes is 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein after the cluster ion beam is emitted, auxiliary emission is executed using cluster ions of which cluster sizes are more than 1000 pieces and of which energy per one atom or molecule is equal to or less than 1 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein 70% or more of all the cluster ions have cluster sizes of 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the energy per one atom or molecule of the cluster ion is equal to or less than 30 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the magnetoresistive element of which horizontal size is equal to or less than 30 nm is formed by the patterning.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cluster ion includes one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 O, and CH 3 OCH 3 , or one atom selected from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Sb, and Xe.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 ,
 wherein during emission of the cluster ion, a gas including one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 O, CH 3 OCH 3 , Hf, HNO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , H 2 O 2 , and CH 3 COOH. is provided to an emission surface of the cluster ion.   
     
     
         8 . A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, the method comprising:
 forming a first magnetic layer;   forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer;   forming a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer;   forming a hard mask layer on the second magnetic layer;   patterning the second magnetic layer, with a monomer ion beam using the hard mask layer as a mask; and   patterning the first magnetic layer, with a cluster ion beam,   wherein the cluster ion beam comprises cluster ions, cluster sizes of the cluster ions are distributed, and a peak value of the distribution of the cluster sizes is 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein after the cluster ion beam is emitted, auxiliary emission is executed using cluster ions of which cluster sizes are more than 1000 pieces and of which energy per one atom or molecule is equal to or less than 1 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein 70% or more of all the cluster ions have cluster sizes of 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the energy per one atom or molecule of the cluster ion is equal to or less than 30 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the magnetoresistive element of which horizontal size is equal to or less than 30 nm is formed by the patterning.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the cluster ion includes one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 O, and CH 3 OCH 3 , or one atom selected from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Sb, and Xe.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein during emission of the cluster ion, a gas including one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 O, CH 3 OCH 3 , HF, HNO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , H 2 O 2 , and CH 3 COOH is provided to an emission surface of the cluster ion.   
     
     
         15 . A method of manufacturing a magnetoresistive element, the method comprising:
 forming a first magnetic layer;   forming a tunnel barrier layer on the first magnetic layer;   forming a second magnetic layer on the tunnel barrier layer;   forming a hard mask layer on the second magnetic layer;   patterning the second magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the first magnetic layer, using the hard mask layer as a mask; and   emitting a cluster ion beam onto sidewall portions of the first magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic layer,   wherein the cluster ion beam comprises cluster ions, cluster sizes of the cluster ions are distributed, and a peak value of the distribution of the cluster sizes is 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein after the cluster ion beam is emitted, auxiliary emission is executed using cluster ions of which cluster sizes are more than 1000 pieces and of which energy per one atom or molecule is equal to or less than 1 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein 70% or more of all the cluster ions have cluster sizes of 2 pieces or more and 1000 pieces or less.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the energy per one atom or molecule of the cluster ion is equal to or less than 30 eV per atom or molecule.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the magnetoresistive element of which horizontal size is equal to or less than 30 nm is formed by the patterning.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the cluster ion includes one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 20 , and CH 3 OCH 3 , or one atom selected from He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Sb, and Xe.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 ,
 wherein during emission of the cluster ion, a gas including one molecule selected from F 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , C 2 F 6 , C 2 HF 5 , CHClF 2 , NF 3 , SF 6 , ClF 3 , Cl 2 , HCl, CClF 3 , CHCl 3 , CBrF 3 , Br 2 , CO 2 , CO, N 2 , O 2 , NH 3 , N 2 O, CH 3 OCH 3 , HF, HNO 3 , H 3 PO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , H 2 O 2 , and CH 3 COOH is provided to an emission surface of the cluster ion.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the patterning is executed using a monomer ion beam.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 ,
 wherein with the emission of the cluster ion beam, re-deposition layers of sidewall portions of the first magnetic layer, the tunnel barrier layer, and the second magnetic layer are removed or converted into insulating layers.