Field
Embodiments of the inventive concepts disclosed herein relate to magnetic resistive random access memory (MRAM) devices including magneto resistive cells and transistors or diodes, along with a method of fabricating MRAM devices having magneto resistive cells and a processing apparatus for performing the fabrication process.
Description of Related Art
A magnetic resistive random access memory (MRAM) device is suggested as a next-generation memory device for replacing existing dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices. MRAM devices are promising because of their low power consumption, high-speed operation, and non-volatile characteristics. A magneto resistive cell of an MRAM device can have higher data reliability as tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) is increased, and can operate in a lower power mode as resistance of a tunneling barrier layer is decreased. Accordingly, obtaining a high TMR and a low RA (i.e., resistance×area of the tunneling barrier layer) are very important considerations for MRAM devices.
Currently, magnesium (Mg) used in a source of the tunneling barrier layer is a very highly oxidative material and is therefore very easily over-oxidized. Accordingly, it is desirable to prevent over-oxidation of the magnesium (Mg) to form an oxidized magnesium layer having a magnesium (Mg) to oxygen (O) ratio of 1:1.