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US4951175A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor memory device with stacked capacitor structure and the manufacturing method thereof

Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1989-05-18
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Granted: 1990-08-21
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Expires: 2009-05-18
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Abstract

Abstract A dynamic random access memory with a stacked capacitor cell structure is disclosed which has a memory cell provided on a silicon substrate and having a MOSFET and a capacitor. An insulative layer is formed on the substrate, and a first polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on this insulative layer. These layers are simultaneously subjected to etching and define a contact hole which penetrates them to come in contact with the surface of the source. A second polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the first polycrystalline silicon layer to uniformly cover the inner wall of the contact hole and that surface portion of the source which is exposed through the contact hole. The first and second silicon layers are simultaneously subjected to patterning to provide the lower electrode of the capacitor. After a capacitor insulation layer is formed on the second polycrystalline silicon layer, a third polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the capacitor insulation layer so as to bury a recess of the second polycrystalline silicon layer. The third silicon layer constitutes the upper electrode of the capacitor.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kei Kurosawa
  • 👤 Hidehiro Watanabe
  • 👤 Shizuo Sawada

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 10:47
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/30; H10B12/31; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/033; H10B12/036; H10B12/37; H10B12/377; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/01; H10D1/041; H10D1/042; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/696

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim 239 words
A semiconductor memory device with a stacked capacitor cell structure, comprising: a semiconductive substrate; a memory cell, provided on said substrate and having a transistor, a capacitor and an insulative layer formed on said substrate so as to have an opening, and positioned between said transistor and said capacitor, said transistor having first and second semiconductive active layers formed in said substrate and an electrode layer insulatively deposited above said substrate, the improvement where said capacitor comprises: (a) a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said opening, said first conductive layer having an opening formed continuous with said opening of said insulative layer to thereby define a contact hole coupled to one of said active layers; (b) a second conductive layer formed on said first conductive layer in such a way as to cover an inner wall of said contact hole and that surface portion of one of said active layers which is exposed through said contact hole, said second conductive layer having a recess corresponding to said contact hole, said first and second conductive layers constituting a first electrode of said capacitor; (c) an insulative thin film formed on said second conductive layer and serving as a capacitor insulative layer; and (d) a third conductive layer formed on said insulative thin film so as to cover said recess of said second conductive layer, said third conductive layer constituting a second electrode of said capacitor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 239 words
A semiconductor memory device with a stacked capacitor cell structure, comprising: a semiconductive substrate; a memory cell, provided on said substrate and having a transistor, a capacitor and an insulative layer formed on said substrate so as to have an opening, and positioned between said transistor and said capacitor, said transistor having first and second semiconductive active layers formed in said substrate and an electrode layer insulatively deposited above said substrate, the improvement where said capacitor comprises: (a) a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said opening, said first conductive layer having an opening formed continuous with said opening of said insulative layer to thereby define a contact hole coupled to one of said active layers; (b) a second conductive layer formed on said first conductive layer in such a way as to cover an inner wall of said contact hole and that surface portion of one of said active layers which is exposed through said contact hole, said second conductive layer having a recess corresponding to said contact hole, said first and second conductive layers constituting a first electrode of said capacitor; (c) an insulative thin film formed on said second conductive layer and serving as a capacitor insulative layer; and (d) a third conductive layer formed on said insulative thin film so as to cover said recess of said second conductive layer, said third conductive layer constituting a second electrode of said capacitor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
The device according to claim 1, wherein said substrate has a recess continuous with said contact hole and having a bottom portion and said second conductive layer is in direct contact with said bottom portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 43 words
The device according to claim 2, wherein said one of said active layers comprises: a first diffusion layer formed in a surface of said substrate; and a second diffusion layer overlapping said first diffusion layer, formed to surround said recess of said substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 37 words
The device according to claim 3, wherein said electrode layer of said transistor serves as a gate electrode and said active layers serve as a source and a drain thereof, thereby constituting a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 61 words
The device according to claim 4, further comprising: (e) a second insulative layer covering said capacitor, said insulative layers having a second opening serving as a contact hole for the other of said active layers; and (f) a fourth conductive layer formed on said second insulative layer and electrically coupled to the other of said active layers through said second opening.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 58 words
The device according to claim 5, wherein said gate electrode of said transistor and said fourth conductive layer extend thin and long so as to be intersect each other at substantially right angles, whereby said gate electrode serves as a word line of said device and said fourth conductive layer serves as a bit line of said device.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 239 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device having a stacked capacitor cell structure, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a transistor of a memory cell on a semiconductor substrate, said transistor having first and second semiconductive active layers formed in said substrate and an electrode layer insulatively disposed above said substrate; (b) forming an insulative layer so as to cover said transistor; (c) forming a first conductive layer on said insulative layer; (d) forming an opening in said insulative layer and said first conductive layer by an etching process in such a way as to partially expose a surface of one of said active layers; (e) forming a second conductive layer on said first conductive layer in such a way as to cover an inner wall of said opening and said exposed surface portion of said one of said active layers, said second conductive layer having a recess corresponding to a contact hole; (f) subjecting said first and second conductive layers to patterning to thereby define a first electrode of a capacitor; (g) forming an insulative thin film on said second conductive layer and serving as a capacitor insulative layer; and (h) forming a third conductive layer on said insulative thin film in such a way as to cover said recess of said second conductive layer, said third conductive layer constituting a second electrode of said capacitor to thereby provide a capacitor of said memory cell.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 239 words
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device having a stacked capacitor cell structure, said method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a transistor of a memory cell on a semiconductor substrate, said transistor having first and second semiconductive active layers formed in said substrate and an electrode layer insulatively disposed above said substrate; (b) forming an insulative layer so as to cover said transistor; (c) forming a first conductive layer on said insulative layer; (d) forming an opening in said insulative layer and said first conductive layer by an etching process in such a way as to partially expose a surface of one of said active layers; (e) forming a second conductive layer on said first conductive layer in such a way as to cover an inner wall of said opening and said exposed surface portion of said one of said active layers, said second conductive layer having a recess corresponding to a contact hole; (f) subjecting said first and second conductive layers to patterning to thereby define a first electrode of a capacitor; (g) forming an insulative thin film on said second conductive layer and serving as a capacitor insulative layer; and (h) forming a third conductive layer on said insulative thin film in such a way as to cover said recess of said second conductive layer, said third conductive layer constituting a second electrode of said capacitor to thereby provide a capacitor of said memory cell.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 37 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein said etching process continues until said substrate is etched to thereby have a recess continuous with said opening at said exposed surface portion of said one of said active layers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 71 words
The method according to claim 8, wherein sad one of said active layers is partially removed by formation of said recess of said substrate, and wherein after forming said second conductive layer, an impurity is doped in said substrate to thereby form in said substrate a semiconductive layer which surrounds said recess of said substrate and is in contact with the remaining layer portion of said one of said active layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 51 words
The method according to claim 7, wherein a second insulative layer is formed on said insulative layer prior to forming said first conductive layer, said first conductive layer is formed on said second insulative layer, and said insulative layers and said first conductive layer are simultaneously subjected to said etching process.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 137 words
A capacitor structure comprising: a semiconductor base layer; an insulative layer formed on said base layer and having a first opening; a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said first opening, said first conductive layer having a second opening; a second conductive layer formed on said first conductive layer so as to cover an inner wall of said first and second openings and to cover a surface portion of said base layer which is exposed through said first and second openings, said second conductive layer having a recessed surface in said second opening; and a third conductive layer insulatively disposed above said second conductive layer and having a layer portion which is positioned in said first and second openings and which has a surface facing said recessed surface of said second conductive layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 137 words
A capacitor structure comprising: a semiconductor base layer; an insulative layer formed on said base layer and having a first opening; a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said first opening, said first conductive layer having a second opening; a second conductive layer formed on said first conductive layer so as to cover an inner wall of said first and second openings and to cover a surface portion of said base layer which is exposed through said first and second openings, said second conductive layer having a recessed surface in said second opening; and a third conductive layer insulatively disposed above said second conductive layer and having a layer portion which is positioned in said first and second openings and which has a surface facing said recessed surface of said second conductive layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 22 words
The structure according to claim 11, wherein said first and second openings are continuous with each other to define a contact hole.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 29 words
The structure according to claim 12, further comprising: an insulative thin film sandwiched between said second conductive layer and said third conductive layer and having a substantially uniform thickness.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 13 words
The structure according to claim 12, wherein said base layer includes a substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 35 words
The structure according to claim 14, wherein said first and second conductive layers serve as one electrode of said capacitor structure whereas said third conductive layer serves as the other electrode of said capacitor structure.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 35 words
The structure according to claim 15, wherein said substrate has a recess continuous with said contact hole and having a bottom portion and said second conductive layer is in direct contact with said bottom portion.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 20 words
The structure according to claim 16, wherein said first to third conductive layers are made of a polycrystalline semiconductive material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 46 words
The structure according to claim 17, wherein said first and second conductive layers have edge portions self-aligned on said insulative layer, and wherein said third conductive layer extends over said insulative layer so as to cover said edge portions of said first and second conductive layers.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 20 words
The structure according to claim 18, wherein said first to third conductive layers are made of a polycrystalline semiconductive material.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 33 words
The structure according to claim 19, wherein said first and second conductive layers have a rectangular plane shape and said contact hole is located substantially at a center of said rectangular plane shape.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 15 words
The structure according to claim 20, wherein said contact hole has a rectangular plane shape.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 133 words
A capacitor structure comprising: a semiconductor base layer; an insulative layer formed on said base layer and having an opening; a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said opening, said first layer having an opening; a second conductive layer formed on said first layer so as to cover an inner wall of the openings and that surface porton of said base layer which is exposed through said openings, said second layer having a recessed surface in said openings, said first and second layers having peripheral edges; and an insulative thin film formed on said second layers; a third conductive layer formed on said thin film and having a layer portion which is positioned in said openings and which has a surface facing said recessed surface of said second layer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 133 words
A capacitor structure comprising: a semiconductor base layer; an insulative layer formed on said base layer and having an opening; a first conductive layer formed on said insulative layer and around said opening, said first layer having an opening; a second conductive layer formed on said first layer so as to cover an inner wall of the openings and that surface porton of said base layer which is exposed through said openings, said second layer having a recessed surface in said openings, said first and second layers having peripheral edges; and an insulative thin film formed on said second layers; a third conductive layer formed on said thin film and having a layer portion which is positioned in said openings and which has a surface facing said recessed surface of said second layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 22 words
The structure according to claim 22, wherein said peripheral edges of said first and second layers are substantially self-aligned with each other.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 22 words
The structure according to claim 23, wherein said first and second openings are continuous with each other to define a contact hole.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 18 words
The structure according to claim 24, wherein said first and second layers serves as the other capacitor electrode.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 14 words
The structure according to claim 24, wherein said base layer includes a semiconductor substrate.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US4649406A Cited
US4721987A Cited
US4683486A Cited
EP0223616A2 Cited
US4794563A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-08-20 1994-02-19 1994-08-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-08-20 1998-02-19 1998-08-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-08-20 2002-02-19 2002-08-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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