Large area nanorings fabricated using an atomic layer deposition Al(2)O(3) spacer for magnetic random access memory application.

We have designed a novel atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al(2)O(3) spacer mask technique for fabricating large area high density nanoscale magnetic rings by photolithography for magnetic random access memory applications. A simple mask design and a low temperature ALD process were utilized to simplify the process. Dry etching of Al(2)O(3) and cobalt was investigated for optimizing the nanostructure dimension control. A ring array with density and dimensions below the limits for photolithography tools has been achieved. The magnetic behavior of the ring array was characterized using a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device). The switching distribution and effects of interaction among ring arrays were studied by correlating simulation with experimental results.