Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit including a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of metal layers that are stacked over one another in alternating fashion. The plurality of metal layers include a lower metal layer and an upper metal layer disposed over the lower metal layer. A bottom electrode is disposed over and in electrical contact with the lower metal layer. A dielectric layer is disposed over an upper surface of the bottom electrode. A top electrode is disposed over an upper surface of the dielectric layer and is in direct electrical contact with a lower surface of the upper metal layer.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor structure including a bond bump disposed on an upper surface of an upper conductive structure. The upper conductive structure overlies a substrate. A buffer layer is disposed along the upper surface of the upper conductive structure. The bond bump comprises a sidewall having a straight sidewall segment overlying a curved sidewall segment.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip (IC). The IC includes a first dielectric structure having first inner sidewalls over an interlayer dielectric (ILD) structure. A second dielectric structure is over the first dielectric structure, where the first inner sidewalls are between second inner sidewalls of the second dielectric structure. A sidewall barrier structure is over the first dielectric structure and extends vertically along the second inner sidewalls. A lower bumping structure is between the second inner sidewalls and extends vertically along the first inner sidewalls and vertically along third inner sidewalls of the sidewall barrier structure. An upper bumping structure is over both the lower bumping structure and the sidewall barrier structure and between the second inner sidewalls, where an uppermost point of the upper bumping structure is at or below an uppermost point of the second dielectric structure.

Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an integrated circuit including a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate. The interconnect structure includes a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of metal layers that are stacked over one another in alternating fashion. The plurality of metal layers include a lower metal layer and an upper metal layer disposed over the lower metal layer. A bottom electrode is disposed over and in electrical contact with the lower metal layer. A dielectric layer is disposed over an upper surface of the bottom electrode. A top electrode is disposed over an upper surface of the dielectric layer and is in direct electrical contact with a lower surface of the upper metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate disposed adjacent to the first conductive plate; a first insulating plate disposed over the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; a third conductive plate disposed over the first insulating plate; a second insulating plate disposed over the third conductive plate; a fourth conductive plate disposed over the second insulating plate; a first conductive via penetrating the fourth conductive plate, the second insulating plate, the first insulating plate, and the first conductive plate, wherein the first conductive via is electrically coupled to the fourth conductive plate and the first conductive plate; and a second conductive via penetrating the second insulating plate, the third conductive plate, the first insulating plate, and the second conductive plate, wherein the second conductive via is electrically coupled to the third conductive plate and the second conductive plate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of film comprising an anti-ferromagnetic layer, the pin layer, a barrier layer, a free layer and a bottom electrode layer. The method also includes forming a first patterned hard mask over the anti-ferromagnetic layer, etching the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pin layer by using the first patterned hard mask as a first etch mask, forming a first capping layer along sidewalls of the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pin layer, etching the barrier layer and the free layer by using first patterned hard mask and the first capping layer as a second etch mask, forming a second capping layer over the first capping layer and extending along sidewalls of the barrier layer and the free layer, exposing the anti-ferromagnetic layer and forming a top electrode layer over the exposed anti-ferromagnetic layer.

Abstract: A method includes providing a substrate having a conductive column, a dielectric layer over the conductive column, and a plurality of sacrificial blocks over the dielectric layer, the plurality of sacrificial blocks surrounding the conductive column from a top view; depositing a sacrificial layer covering the plurality of sacrificial blocks, the sacrificial layer having a dip directly above the conductive column; depositing a hard mask layer over the sacrificial layer; removing a portion of the hard mask layer from a bottom of the dip; etching the bottom of the dip using the hard mask layer as an etching mask, thereby exposing a top surface of the conductive column; and forming a conductive material inside the dip, the conductive material being in physical contact with the top surface of the conductive column.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: depositing a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate adjacent to the first conductive plate; depositing a first insulating plate on the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; depositing a third conductive plate on the first insulating plate; depositing a second insulating plate on the third conductive plate; forming a fourth conductive plate on the second insulating plate; forming a first conductive via penetrating the fourth conductive plate, the second insulating plate, the first insulating plate, and the first conductive plate; and forming a second conductive via penetrating the second insulating plate, the third conductive plate, the first insulating plate, and the second conductive plate.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a transistor layer, a memory region over the transistor layer, and a logic region adjacent to the memory region. The memory region includes a first Nth metal line, a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) over the first Nth metal line, a cap over the MTJ, a first stop layer on the cap, and a first (N+1)th metal via over the MTJ. The first (N+1)th metal via is laterally surrounded by the cap and the first stop layer. The logic region includes a second Nth metal line, a second stop layer over an (N+1)th metal line, and a second (N+1)th metal via over the (N+1)th metal line. N is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first electrode over the substrate, a second electrode over the first electrode, and a first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first insulating layer has a first portion and a second portion coupled to the first portion, the second portion of the first insulating layer is in contact with the second electrode, the first portion is separated from the second electrode by the second portion. A thickness of the second portion is greater than a thickness of the first portion.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure, including an Nth metal layer over a transistor region, where N is a natural number, and a bottom electrode over the Nth metal layer. The bottom electrode comprises a bottom portion having a first width, disposed in a bottom electrode via (BEVA), the first width being measured at a top surface of the BEVA, and an upper portion having a second width, disposed over the bottom portion. The semiconductor structure also includes a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) layer having a third width, disposed over the upper portion, a top electrode over the MTJ layer and an (N+1)th metal layer over the top electrode. The first width is greater than the third width.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method to form an integrated chip. The method may be performed by forming magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) layers over a bottom electrode layer, and forming a sacrificial dielectric layer over the MTJ layers. The sacrificial dielectric layer is patterned to define a cavity, and a top electrode material is formed within the cavity. The sacrificial dielectric layer is removed and the MTJ layers are patterned according to the top electrode material to define an MTJ stack, after removing the sacrificial dielectric layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes the following operations. A metal layer is formed. An adhesion-enhancing layer is formed over the metal layer. A dielectric stack is formed over the adhesion-enhancing layer. A trench is formed in the dielectric stack. A barrier layer is formed conforming to the sidewall of the trench. A high-k dielectric layer is formed conforming to the barrier layer. A sacrificial layer is formed conforming to the high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A memory device with hard mask insulator and its manufacturing methods are provided. In some embodiments, the memory device includes a memory cell stack disposed over a substrate. The memory cell stack includes a bottom electrode layer, a resistance switching dielectric layer over the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer over the resistance switching dielectric layer. A first insulating layer is disposed over the top electrode layer, and a first metal hard masking layer disposed over the first insulating layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a stack of film comprising an anti-ferromagnetic layer, the pin layer, a barrier layer, a free layer and a bottom electrode layer. The method also includes forming a first patterned hard mask over the anti-ferromagnetic layer, etching the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pin layer by using the first patterned hard mask as a first etch mask, forming a first capping layer along sidewalls of the anti-ferromagnetic layer and the pin layer, etching the barrier layer and the free layer by using first patterned hard mask and the first capping layer as a second etch mask, forming a second capping layer over the first capping layer and extending along sidewalls of the barrier layer and the free layer, exposing the anti-ferromagnetic layer and forming a top electrode layer over the exposed anti-ferromagnetic layer.

Abstract: A memory cell with hard mask insulator and its manufacturing methods are provided. In some embodiments, a memory cell stack is formed over a substrate having a bottom electrode layer, a resistance switching dielectric layer over the bottom electrode layer, and a top electrode layer over the resistance switching dielectric layer. A first insulating layer is formed over the top electrode layer. A first metal hard masking layer is formed over the first insulating layer. Then, a series of etch is performed to pattern the first metal hard masking layer, the first insulating layer, the top electrode layer and the resistance switching dielectric layer to form a first metal hard mask, a hard mask insulator, a top electrode, and a resistance switching dielectric.

Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip (IC), including a bottom electrode overlying an interconnect structure disposed within a lower inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer, a top electrode over the bottom electrode, a data storage structure between the top electrode from the bottom electrode, a conductive barrier layer directly overlying the interconnect structure, and a bottom electrode via (BEVA) vertically separating and contacting a bottom surface of the bottom electrode and a top surface of the conductive barrier layer. A maximum width of the BEVA is less than a width of the data storage structure.

Abstract: A method includes providing a substrate having a conductive column, a dielectric layer over the conductive column, and a plurality of sacrificial blocks over the dielectric layer, the plurality of sacrificial blocks surrounding the conductive column from a top view; depositing a sacrificial layer covering the plurality of sacrificial blocks, the sacrificial layer having a dip directly above the conductive column; depositing a hard mask layer over the sacrificial layer; removing a portion of the hard mask layer from a bottom of the dip; etching the bottom of the dip using the hard mask layer as an etching mask, thereby exposing a top surface of the conductive column; and forming a conductive material inside the dip, the conductive material being in physical contact with the top surface of the conductive column.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes one or more lower interconnect layers arranged within one or more stacked inter-level dielectric (ILD) layers over a substrate. An etch stop structure is disposed over the one or more lower interconnect layers and a bottom electrode is disposed over the etch stop structure. The bottom electrode electrically contacts the one or more lower interconnect layers. A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack is disposed over the bottom electrode. The MTJ stack has sidewalls arranged at a first angle with respect to a bottom surface of the MTJ stack. A top electrode is disposed over the MTJ stack. The top electrode has sidewalls arranged at a second angle with respect to a bottom surface of the top electrode. The second angle is greater than the first angle.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a first electrode, a second electrode over the first electrode, a third electrode over the second electrode, a first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a second insulating layer between the second electrode and the third electrode. The third electrode includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface. The first bottom surface and the second bottom surface are at different levels. A width of the first bottom surface is greater than a width of the second bottom surface.