Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
123 words
A capacitor structure, comprising: a first capacitor including a first conductor on top of a substrate, the first conductor having a first opening formed therein, a non-conductive sidewall spacer formed in the first opening, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein, a second conductor formed in the second opening, the second conductor having a bottom portion filling the second opening and a top portion extending at least over the non-conductive sidewall spacer; a second capacitor including the second conductor, a first non-conductor disposed over the top portion of the second conductor, a third conductor disposed over the first non-conductor, the third conductor electrically connected to the first conductor; and a second non-conductor isolating the first conductor from the second conductor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
123 words
A capacitor structure, comprising: a first capacitor including a first conductor on top of a substrate, the first conductor having a first opening formed therein, a non-conductive sidewall spacer formed in the first opening, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein, a second conductor formed in the second opening, the second conductor having a bottom portion filling the second opening and a top portion extending at least over the non-conductive sidewall spacer; a second capacitor including the second conductor, a first non-conductor disposed over the top portion of the second conductor, a third conductor disposed over the first non-conductor, the third conductor electrically connected to the first conductor; and a second non-conductor isolating the first conductor from the second conductor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the non-conductive sidewall spacer and the first non-conductor are made of a high dielectric constant material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The capacitor structure of claim 2 wherein the high dielectric constant material is a material with a dielectric constant greater than approximately 20.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The capacitor structure of claim 2 wherein the high dielectric constant material is a material selected from the group consisting of ferroelectrics, paraelectrics, relaxors, perovskites, layered perovskites, and pyrochlores.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The capacitor structure of claim 3 wherein the high dielectric constant material is (Ba,Sr)TiO 3 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the second non-conductor is made of a low dielectric constant material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The capacitor structure of claim 6 wherein the low dielectric constant material is a material selected from the group consisting of SiO 2 , SiN x Al 2 O 3 , flowable oxides, spin-on-glasses, BSG, and BPSG.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third conductors are made of materials selected from the group consisting of noble metals, alloys of noble metals with noble or non-noble metals, metals whose oxides are conducting, electrically conducting oxides, and electrically conducting nitrides.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the first conductor is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Au, Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, Mo, RuO 2 , IrO 2 , Re 2 O 3 , TiN, TaN, TaSiN, and WN.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the second conductor is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Au, Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, Mo, RuO 2 , IrO 2 , Re 2 O 3 , TiN, TaN, TaSiN, and WN.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the third conductor is made of a material selected from the group consisting of Au, Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, Mo, RuO 2 , IrO 2 , Re 2 O 3 , TiN, TaN, TaSiN, WN, and conducting materials having oxides which are non-conducting.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 further comprising a third non-conductor below the first conductor and the non-conductive sidewall spacer, the third non-conductor having a third opening formed therein, at least part of the third opening positioned underneath the second opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
The capacitor structure of claim 12 further comprising a conductive plug formed in the third opening, the conductive plug providing electrical contact between the second conductor and circuit elements in the substrate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The capacitor structure of claim 13 further comprising a diffusion barrier layer between the conductive plug and the second conductor, the diffusion barrier substantially in register with the conductive plug.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The capacitor structure of claim 1 wherein the second non-conductor has a horizontal portion extending underneath the top portion of the second conductor to contact the non-conductive sidewall spacer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
The capacitor structure of claim 15 wherein the second non-conductor has a vertical portion laterally surrounding the top portion of the second conductor.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The capacitor structure of claim 16 wherein the vertical portion of the second non-conductor also laterally surrounds the first non-conductor.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for making a capacitor structure, comprising the steps of: forming a first capacitor including a first conductor on top of a substrate, the first conductor having a first opening formed therein, a non-conductive sidewall spacer formed in the first opening, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein, a second conductor formed in the second opening, the second conductor having a bottom portion filling the second opening and a top portion extending at least over the non-conductive sidewall spacer; forming a second capacitor including the second conductor, a first non-conductor disposed over the top portion of the second conductor, a third conductor disposed over the first non-conductor, the third conductor electrically connected to the first conductor; and forming a second non-conductor isolating the first conductor from the second conductor.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
133 words
A method for making a capacitor structure, comprising the steps of: forming a first capacitor including a first conductor on top of a substrate, the first conductor having a first opening formed therein, a non-conductive sidewall spacer formed in the first opening, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein, a second conductor formed in the second opening, the second conductor having a bottom portion filling the second opening and a top portion extending at least over the non-conductive sidewall spacer; forming a second capacitor including the second conductor, a first non-conductor disposed over the top portion of the second conductor, a third conductor disposed over the first non-conductor, the third conductor electrically connected to the first conductor; and forming a second non-conductor isolating the first conductor from the second conductor.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of forming a third non-conductor below the first conductor and the non-conductive sidewall spacer, the third non-conductor having a third opening formed therein, at least part of the third opening positioned underneath the second opening.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of forming a conductive plug in the third opening, the conductive plug providing electrical contact between the second conductor and circuit elements in the substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of forming a diffusion barrier layer between the conductive plug and the second conductor, the diffusion barrier substantially in register with the conductive plug.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the second non-conductor has a horizontal portion extending underneath the top portion of the second conductor to contact the non-conductive sidewall spacer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 22 wherein the second non-conductor has a vertical portion laterally surrounding the top portion of the second conductor.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 23 wherein the vertical portion of the second non-conductor also laterally surrounds the first non-conductor.