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US5108943A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Mushroom double stacked capacitor

Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1991-09-23
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Granted: 1992-04-28
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Expires: 2011-09-23
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Abstract

Abstract A mushroom double stacked capacitor (mushroom cell) using a modified stacked capacitor storage cell fabrication process. The mushroom cell is made up of polysilicon structure, having a mushroom extended V-shaped cross-section. The storage node plate of the mushroom cell is overlaid by polysilicon with a dielectric sandwiched in between and connects to an access device's active area via a buried contact. The plate extends to an adjacent storage node but is isolated from the adjacent node by less than the critical resolution dimension of a given lithographic technology. The shape of the polysilicon structure increases storage capability 200% or more without enlarging the surface area defined for a normal buried digit line stacked capacitor cell.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • 👤 Pierre C. Fazan
  • 👤 Yauh-Ching Liu
  • 👤 Hiang C. Chan

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 06:15
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/30; H10B12/31; H10B12/318

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 475 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM array on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the following sequence of steps: creating a plurality of separately isolated active areas arranged in parallel interdigitated rows and parallel non-interdigitated columns; creating a gate dielectric layer on top of each active area; depositing a first conductive layer superjacent surface of said array; depositing a first dielectric layer superjacent said first conductive layer; masking and etching said first conductive and said first dielectric layers to form a plurality of parallel conductive word lines aligned along said rows such that each said word line passes over a inner portion of each said active area being separated therefrom by a remanent of said gate dielectric layer; creating of a conductively-doped digit line junction and storage node junction within each said active area on opposite sides of each said word line; depositing a second dielectric layer superjacent said array surface; creating a first aligned buried contact location at each said digit line junction in each said active area; depositing a second conductive layer superjacent said array surface, said second conductive layer making direct contact to said digit line junctions at said first buried contact locations; depositing a third dielectric layer superjacent to said second conductive layer; masking and etching said second conductive layer and said third dielectric layer to form a plurality of parallel conductive digit lines aligned along said columns such that a digit line makes electrical contact at each digit line junction within a column, said digit lines running perpendicular to and over said word lines forming a 3-dimensional, waveform-like topology; depositing a first oxide layer superjacent said array surface of said waveform-like topology; creating a second aligned buried contact location at each said storage node junction in each said active area; depositing a third conductive layer superjacent said array surface assuming said waveform-like topology in response to existing topology, said third conductive layer making contact to said storage node junctions at said second buried contact locations; patterning said third conductive layer to form a portion of a storage node plate at each said storage node junction, said storage node plate having a V-shaped cross-section; depositing a fourth dielectric layer; masking and etching said fourth dielectric layer thereby creating a via-hole extending through said fourth dielectric layer and stopping at inner V-shaped base portion of said storage node plate; depositing a fourth conductive layer, said fourth conductive layer attaching to said third conductive layer by way of said via-hole thereby forming a completed storage node plate having a mushroom extended V-shaped cross-section; isotropically etching said fourth dielectric layer; depositing a cell dielectric layer adjacent and coextensive with said storage node plate and adjacent said array surface; and depositing a fifth conductive layer adjacent to and coextensive with said cell dielectric layer to form a cell plate common to the entire memory array.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 475 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM array on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the following sequence of steps: creating a plurality of separately isolated active areas arranged in parallel interdigitated rows and parallel non-interdigitated columns; creating a gate dielectric layer on top of each active area; depositing a first conductive layer superjacent surface of said array; depositing a first dielectric layer superjacent said first conductive layer; masking and etching said first conductive and said first dielectric layers to form a plurality of parallel conductive word lines aligned along said rows such that each said word line passes over a inner portion of each said active area being separated therefrom by a remanent of said gate dielectric layer; creating of a conductively-doped digit line junction and storage node junction within each said active area on opposite sides of each said word line; depositing a second dielectric layer superjacent said array surface; creating a first aligned buried contact location at each said digit line junction in each said active area; depositing a second conductive layer superjacent said array surface, said second conductive layer making direct contact to said digit line junctions at said first buried contact locations; depositing a third dielectric layer superjacent to said second conductive layer; masking and etching said second conductive layer and said third dielectric layer to form a plurality of parallel conductive digit lines aligned along said columns such that a digit line makes electrical contact at each digit line junction within a column, said digit lines running perpendicular to and over said word lines forming a 3-dimensional, waveform-like topology; depositing a first oxide layer superjacent said array surface of said waveform-like topology; creating a second aligned buried contact location at each said storage node junction in each said active area; depositing a third conductive layer superjacent said array surface assuming said waveform-like topology in response to existing topology, said third conductive layer making contact to said storage node junctions at said second buried contact locations; patterning said third conductive layer to form a portion of a storage node plate at each said storage node junction, said storage node plate having a V-shaped cross-section; depositing a fourth dielectric layer; masking and etching said fourth dielectric layer thereby creating a via-hole extending through said fourth dielectric layer and stopping at inner V-shaped base portion of said storage node plate; depositing a fourth conductive layer, said fourth conductive layer attaching to said third conductive layer by way of said via-hole thereby forming a completed storage node plate having a mushroom extended V-shaped cross-section; isotropically etching said fourth dielectric layer; depositing a cell dielectric layer adjacent and coextensive with said storage node plate and adjacent said array surface; and depositing a fifth conductive layer adjacent to and coextensive with said cell dielectric layer to form a cell plate common to the entire memory array.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said gate dielectric layer is oxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 24 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and said second conductive layers comprise a layer of tungsten silicide and doped polysilicon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and said second dielectric layers are selected from the group consisting essentially of oxide or nitride.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said third dielectric layer is oxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said fourth dielectric layer comprises a layer of nitride covered with a layer of oxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and said second buried contacts are self aligned.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 20 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said third, said fourth and said fifth conductive layers are doped polysilicon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
A process as recited in claim 7, wherein said third and said fourth conductive layers are deposited by low temperature deposition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said second, said third, and said fourth dielectric layers are deposited by chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said cell dielectric layer is nitride.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPH0219264A Cited
US4896293A Cited
US5010379A Cited
JPH0294558A Cited
DE3929129A1 Cited
JPH035470A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-04-28 1995-10-28 1996-04-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-04-28 1999-10-28 2000-04-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-04-28 2003-10-28 2004-04-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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