Imec, Canon Anelva team up on STT-MRAM

Imec and Canon Anelva Corp. have announced their research partnership on spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM). The collaboration will run in the framework of Imec's R&D program on advanced emerging memory technologies.

Imec's research program aims at exploring the full technology potential of STT-MRAM including performance beyond 1ns and scalability beyond 10nm for embedded and stand-alone applications. Research will be performed on Canon Anelva's deposition tool that has been installed in Imec's modern 300mm clean room. The tool complements Imec's STT-MRAM equipment cluster. Combined with Imec's litho-cluster and its material engineering capabilities, Imec's industrial partners now have access to a complete 300mm STT-MRAM-dedicated processing capability. The collaboration between Imec and Canon Anelva will also include the establishment of the baseline process for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), joint R&D on thin film deposition and stack engineering for high-density STT-MRAM, and the development of integrated STT-MRAM devices.

Imec also announced extended collaboration with Tokyo Electron (TEL), a supplier of semiconductor production equipment. The agreement comprises joint R&D on STT-MRAM within Imec's R&D program on emerging memory technologies.

As part of the collaboration, TEL's Tactras etch tool has been installed in Imec's 300mm clean room, complementing Imec's 300mm dedicated STT-MRAM tool set. The Tactras tool enables Imec and TEL to jointly develop the patterning processes for high-density STT-MRAM technology. The tool is designed for in-situ cluster patterning of the MTJ stack, which is key for advanced memory technology nodes, added the companies.