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US5340765A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for forming enhanced capacitance stacked capacitor structures using hemi-spherical grain polysilicon

Assignee: Round Rock Research LLC
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Filing: 1993-08-13
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Granted: 1994-08-23
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Expires: 2013-08-13
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention develops a container capacitor by forming a conductively doped polysilicon plug between a pair of neighboring parallel conductive word lines; forming a planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulating layer over the parallel conductive word lines and the plug; forming a planarized borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) insulating layer over the planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulative layer; forming an opening into both insulating layers to expose an upper surface of the plug, the opening thereby forming a container shape; forming first, second and third layers of conductively doped amorphous silicon into the container shape while simultaneously bleeding oxygen into the amorphous silicon; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing the BPSG insulating layer; removing the BPSG insulating layer thereby exposing the outer surface of the container structures; converting the exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting the structures to a high vacuum anneal; forming a nitride insulating layer adjacent and coextensive the conductive container structure; and forming a second conductively doped polysilicon layer superjacent and coextensive the nitride insulating layer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles H. Dennison
  • 👤 Randhir P. S. Thakur

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 18:39
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/711; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/30; H10B12/31; H10B12/318; H10D1/712; H10D1/716; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/138; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/964

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim 150 words
A process for fabricating a conductive container structure on a supporting substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming a planarized insulating layer; forming an opening into said planarized layer; forming multiple layers of silicon into said opening, wherein the first and last layers formed comprise amorphous silicon; forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries between each layer, thereby separating each said silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said planarized insulating layer; partially removing said planarized insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; covering said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said inner and outer surfaces to a high vacuum anneal; forming an insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a conductive layer superjacent and coextensive said insulating layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 150 words
A process for fabricating a conductive container structure on a supporting substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming a planarized insulating layer; forming an opening into said planarized layer; forming multiple layers of silicon into said opening, wherein the first and last layers formed comprise amorphous silicon; forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries between each layer, thereby separating each said silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said planarized insulating layer; partially removing said planarized insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; covering said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said inner and outer surfaces to a high vacuum anneal; forming an insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a conductive layer superjacent and coextensive said insulating layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 34 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said process further comprises forming a conductive plug between a pair of neighboring parallel conductive lines prior to said formation of said first planarized insulating layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said supporting substrate comprises a silicon substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 2, wherein said conductive plug comprises conductively doped polysilicon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said planarized insulating layer comprises tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 18 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said planarized insulating layer is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein additional first and second insulating layers are formed on said planarized insulating layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
The process as recited in claim 7, wherein said first insulating layer comprises nitride and second insulating layer comprises borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 57 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said converting the amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon further comprises subjecting said structure to rapid thermal processing, whereby silicon atoms from said first and last silicon layers are consumed while the silicon atoms of an inner silicon layer remain intact and do not penetrate said silicon interfacing layers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 58 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said converting the amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon further comprises subjecting said structure to a high vacuum anneal, whereby silicon atoms from said first and last silicon layers are consumed while the silicon atoms of an inner silicon layer remain intact and do not penetrate said silicon interfacing layers.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 20 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said multiple layers comprise a first, a second and a third layer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 16 words
The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said second layer comprises conductively doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said second layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 39 words
The process as recited in claim 12, wherein said first and third silicon layers are initially deposited undoped and are later doped by an out diffusion of dopant impurities present in said second silicon layer that is conductively doped.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process as recited in claim 12, wherein said first and third layers comprise silicon layers that are initially deposited as doped layers.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 30 words
The process as recited in claim 12, wherein said first layer is initially deposited as an undoped silicon layer and said third layer is initially deposited as doped silicon layer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process as recited in claim 12, wherein said first layer is initially deposited as a doped layer and said third layer is initially deposited as an undoped layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 43 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries comprises introducing an impurity at said grain boundaries, wherein said impurity is selected from the group consisting of oxygen, carbon, and N 2 O.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries comprises exposing each silicon layer to an oxidizing ambient material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 195 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM container storage capacitor on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming parallel conductive lines on said substrate; forming a conductive plug between said pair of neighboring parallel conductive lines; forming a first planarized insulating layer over said parallel conductive lines and said conductive plug; forming a planarized second insulating layer over said first planarized insulative layer; forming an opening into said second insulating layer and said first insulating layer to expose an upper surface of said conductive plug; forming multiple layers of amorphous silicon into said opening and forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries, thereby separating each said silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said second insulating layer; removing said second insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; converting said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said structures to a high vacuum anneal; forming a third insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a second conductive layer superjacent and coextensive said third insulating layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 195 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM container storage capacitor on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming parallel conductive lines on said substrate; forming a conductive plug between said pair of neighboring parallel conductive lines; forming a first planarized insulating layer over said parallel conductive lines and said conductive plug; forming a planarized second insulating layer over said first planarized insulative layer; forming an opening into said second insulating layer and said first insulating layer to expose an upper surface of said conductive plug; forming multiple layers of amorphous silicon into said opening and forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries, thereby separating each said silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said second insulating layer; removing said second insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; converting said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said structures to a high vacuum anneal; forming a third insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a second conductive layer superjacent and coextensive said third insulating layer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said conductive plug comprises conductively doped polysilicon.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said first insulating layer comprises tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS).
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process as recited in claim 20, wherein said second insulating layer comprises borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG).
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process as recited in claim 20, wherein said first and second insulating layers are planarized.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 24, wherein said planarization comprises chemical mechanical polishing.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 21 words
A process as recited in claim 20, wherein an additional insulating layer is formed between said first and second insulating layers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 14 words
A process as recited in claim 20, wherein said additional insulating layer comprises nitride.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 22 words
A process as recited in claim 20, wherein said converting the amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon further comprises rapid thermal processing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 14 words
The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said third insulating layer comprises nitride.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 16 words
The process as recited in claim 20, wherein said second conductive layer comprises conductively doped silicon.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 205 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM container storage capacitor on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming parallel conductive lines on said substrate; forming a conductively doped polysilicon plug between said pair of neighboring parallel conductive word lines; forming a planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulating layer over said parallel conductive word lines and said plug; forming a planarized borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) insulating layer over said planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulative layer; forming an opening into both insulating layers to expose an upper surface of said plug; forming first, second and third layers of conductively doped amorphous silicon in said opening and forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries, thereby separating each said conductively doped amorphous silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said BPSG insulating layer; removing said BPSG insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; converting said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said structures to a high vacuum anneal; forming a nitride insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a second conductively doped polysilicon layer superjacent and coextensive said nitride insulating layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 205 words
A process for fabricating a DRAM container storage capacitor on a silicon substrate, said process comprising the steps of: forming parallel conductive lines on said substrate; forming a conductively doped polysilicon plug between said pair of neighboring parallel conductive word lines; forming a planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulating layer over said parallel conductive word lines and said plug; forming a planarized borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) insulating layer over said planarized tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS) insulative layer; forming an opening into both insulating layers to expose an upper surface of said plug; forming first, second and third layers of conductively doped amorphous silicon in said opening and forming multiple silicon interfacing layers at the silicon grain boundaries, thereby separating each said conductively doped amorphous silicon layer with an oxide layer; forming individual container structures having inner and outer surfaces and thereby exposing said BPSG insulating layer; removing said BPSG insulating layer thereby exposing said outer surface of said container structures; converting said exposed inner and outer surfaces of amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon by subjecting said structures to a high vacuum anneal; forming a nitride insulating layer adjacent and coextensive said conductive container structure; and forming a second conductively doped polysilicon layer superjacent and coextensive said nitride insulating layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 13 words
A process as recited in claim 31, wherein planarization comprises chemical mechanical polishing.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 22 words
A process as recited in claim 32, wherein an additional nitride insulating layer is formed between said TEOS and BPSG insulating layers.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 22 words
The process as recited in claim 31, wherein said converting the amorphous silicon into hemispherical grained polysilicon further comprises rapid thermal processing.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPH01257365A Cited
US5061650A Cited
US5162248A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-08-22 1998-02-21 1998-08-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-08-22 2002-02-21 2002-08-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
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