US5079191A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Process for producing a semiconductor device
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1990-05-01
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Granted: 1992-01-07
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Expires: 2010-05-01
Abstract
Abstract A semiconductor device having a large-capacitance capacitor in which an insulator film is formed underneath a film made of a material having a high dielectric constant, such as tantalum oxide, in such a manner that a portion of the insulator film underneath a defect region which is undesirably thin is thicker than other portions of the insulator film, thereby preventing occurrence of a failure in terms of dielectric strength and deterioration of the lifetime of the capacitor which would otherwise be caused by the existence of the defect region. Also disclosed is a process for producing such semiconductor device. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent occurrence of problems which would otherwise be caused when a material having a high dielectric constant, such as tantalum oxide, is employed as a dielectric film of a capacitor, so that the reliability of a semiconductor having a large-capacitance capacitor is greatly improved.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroshi Shinriki
- 👤 Yasushiro Nishioka
- 👤 Noriyuki Sakuma
- 👤 Kiichiro Mukai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 12:15
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/68; H10D64/689; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/30; H10B12/31; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/62; H10D1/66; H10D1/68; H10D62/00; H10D62/80; H10D62/83; H10D64/62; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/014; Y10S148/116; Y10S148/163; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/981
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
100 words
A process for producing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming a first dielectric film on a first electrode; carrying out a heat treatment in a dry oxidizing atmosphere having a water vapor content of 1,000 ppm or less, to form a second dielectric film between said first electrode and said first dielectric film in such a manner that said second dielectric film is relatively thick underneath a relatively thin portion of said first dielectric film and is relatively thin underneath a relatively thick portion of said first dielectric film; and forming a second electrode on said first dielectric
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
100 words
A process for producing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: forming a first dielectric film on a first electrode; carrying out a heat treatment in a dry oxidizing atmosphere having a water vapor content of 1,000 ppm or less, to form a second dielectric film between said first electrode and said first dielectric film in such a manner that said second dielectric film is relatively thick underneath a relatively thin portion of said first dielectric film and is relatively thin underneath a relatively thick portion of said first dielectric film; and forming a second electrode on said first dielectric
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first dielectric film is formed by sputtering.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode is defined by either a single crystal silicon substrate or a polycrytalline silicon film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1,000° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode is a silicide, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1,000° C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein said silicide is selected from the group consisting of tantalum silicide, tungsten silicide, molybdenum silicide and titanium silicide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode is defined by any one of a titanium nitride film, a neodymium nitride film and a tantalum nitride film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 500° C. to 800° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode is defined by either an aluminum film or an aluminum-based alloy film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 300° C. to 500° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said first dielectric film is made of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, neodymium oxide and zirconium oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the relatively thin portions of the second dielectric film are formed to have a thickness of 40 Å at most.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process according to claim 9, wherein said first dielectric film is made of a material selected from the group consisting of tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, neodymium oxide and zirconium oxide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein said first electrode is defined by either a single crystal silicon substrate or a polycrystalline silicon film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 600° C. to 1,000° C.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein said first electrode is a silicide, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of rom 600° C. to 1,000° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 12, wherein said silicide is selected from the group consisting of tantalum silicide, tungsten silicide, molybdenum silicide and titanium silicide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein said first electrode is defined by any one of a titanium nitride film, a neodymium nitride film and a tantalum nitride film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 500° to 800° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 10, wherein said first electrode is defined by either an aluminum film or an aluminum-based alloy film, said heat treatment being carried out at a temperature of from 300° C. to 500° C.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process according to claim 9, wherein the relatively thick portions of the second dielectric film are formed to have a thickness of at least 40 Å.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
51 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the first dielectric film is provided on a step, with portions of the first dielectric film provided on a vertical part of the step being relatively thin as compared to portions of the first dielectric film provided on a horizontal part of the step.
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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) | 1995-01-06 | 1995-07-08 | 1996-01-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-01-06 | 1999-07-08 | 2000-01-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-01-06 | 2003-07-08 | 2004-01-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |