Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate (10, 80) having a primary surface; a first region at a location selected from a group consisting of: a location (11) lying within the substrate adjacent to the primary surface; and a location (132, 41, 101, 122, 134, 135, 132, 41, 101, 122, 135, 141, 144, 145) overlying the substrate; and a first layer (21, 161, 61, 81, 111, 121, 125, 133, and 137) overlying the first region, characterized in that: the first layer includes an elemental metal and its conductive metal oxide; the elemental metal is capable of being oxidized to the conductive metal oxide in an oxidation; the conductive metal oxide is capable of being reduced to the elemental metal in a reduction; the oxidation and the reduction are reversible reactions; and the first layer reacts in one of the reversible reactions preferentially to the first region reacting in a first reaction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
37 words
The device of claim 1, further characterized in that the elemental metal and its conductive metal oxide are: ruthenium and ruthenium dioxide; rhenium and any of its oxides; iridium and iridium dioxide; or osmium and osmium tetraoxide.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The device of claim 1, further characterized in that: the first region is a region within the substrate (11), a silicon-containing layer overlying the substrate (132), a dielectric layer (41, 101,122, 134), an electrode (135), a barrier layer (141 and 144), a contact plug (13, 142, 34, and 132), a via plug, or an interconnect (145); and the elemental metal is capable of being oxidized to the conductive metal oxide preferentially to the first region being oxidized.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The device of claim 1, further characterized in that: the first region is a ferroelectric layer (41, 101, 122, and 134); and the conductive metal oxide is capable of being reduced to the element metal preferentially to the ferroelectric layer being reduced.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
119 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate having a primary surface; a first region that is selected from a group consisting of a region within the substrate (11), a silicon-containing layer overlying the substrate (132), an electrode (135), a barrier layer overlying the substrate (141 and 144), a contact plug overlying the substrate (13, 142, 34, and 132), a via plug overlying the substrate, and an interconnect overlying the substrate (145); a first layer (21, 161, 121, 133, and 137) overlying the first region, characterized in that the first layer includes an elemental metal and its conductive metal oxide, wherein the elemental metal is capable of being oxidized to its conductive metal oxide preferentially to the first region being oxidized.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
47 words
The device of claim 5, further characterized in that: the first layer has a plurality of first atoms; the conductive metal oxide has a plurality of first atoms; and at least 5 atomic percent of the first atoms within the first layer are in the elemental metal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The device of claim 5, further characterized in that: the first region is an interconnect (145) that includes copper; and the elemental metal is rhenium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
61 words
A ferroelectric capacitor comprising: a ferroelectric layer (41, 101, 122, and 134); and a first layer (61, 111, 125, and 137) overlying the ferroelectric layer, characterized in that: the first layer includes an elemental metal and its conductive metal oxide; and the conductive metal oxide is capable of being reduced to the elemental metal preferentially to the ferroelectric layer being reduced.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
54 words
The ferroelectric capacitor of claim 8, further characterized in that: the first layer (61, 111, 125, and 137) has a plurality of first atoms; the conductive metal oxide has a plurality of first atoms; and at least 5 atomic percent of the first atoms within the first layer are in the conductive metal oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The ferroelectric capacitor of claim 8, further characterized in that: the ferroelectric layer (61, 111, 125, and 137) includes lead; and the elemental metal includes ruthenium.