US5658381A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method to form hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon by implant seeding followed by vacuum anneal
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 1995-05-11
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Granted: 1997-08-19
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Expires: 2015-05-11
Abstract
Abstract Hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon for a semiconductor device, is formed by: introducing a crystallization nucleus into a silicon material; and converting the silicon material into the HSG silicon by promoting the growth of the crystallization nucleus during a high vacuum anneal. An embodiment of the present invention is a semiconductor device having hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon, where the HSG silicon comprises a silicon material converted into the HSG silicon from the growth of at least one implanted crystallization nucleus.
Inventors
- 👤 Randhir P. S. Thakur
- 👤 Michael Nuttall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 01:36
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/711; C; C30; C30B; C30B1/00; C30B1/02; C30B1/023; C30B29/00; C30B29/02; C30B29/06; H10D1/712; H10D1/716; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/964
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
43 words
A process for forming hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon for fabrication of a semiconductor device, said process comprising the steps of: introducing crystallization nuclei into a silicon material; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
43 words
A process for forming hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon for fabrication of a semiconductor device, said process comprising the steps of: introducing crystallization nuclei into a silicon material; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said silicon material comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as recited in claim 3, wherein said step of converting further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to rapid thermal processing.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as recited in claim 4, wherein said rapid thermal processing performed at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said silicon material comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said crystallization nuclei are elements selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ca), indium (In), thallium (Tl), carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of introducing crystallization nuclei comprises implanting said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process as recited in claim 9, wherein said crystallization nuclei are implanted into an upper boundary surface of said silicon material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of converting further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to a vacuum anneal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process as recited in claim 11, wherein said vacuum anneal is performed at a pressure less than 100 mTorr and at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein said converting step further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to rapid thermal processing.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as recited in claim 13, wherein said rapid thermal processing performed at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process for forming a capacitor plate having hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon, said process comprising the steps of: introducing crystallization nuclei into a silicon material, said silicon material serving as said capacitor plate; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process for forming a capacitor plate having hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon, said process comprising the steps of: introducing crystallization nuclei into a silicon material, said silicon material serving as said capacitor plate; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said silicon material comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said silicon material comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
50 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said crystallization nuclei are elements selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), thallium (Tl), carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi).
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein the step of introducing crystallization nuclei comprises implanting said crystallization nuclei.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process as recited in claim 21, wherein said crystallization nuclei are implanted into an upper boundary surface of said silicon material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as recited in claim 15, wherein said step of converting further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to a vacuum anneal.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process as recited in claim 23, wherein said vacuum anneal is performed at a pressure less than 100 mTorr and at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process as recited in claim 15, wherein said capacitor plate is a storage capacitor plate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as recited in claim 25, wherein said storage capacitor plate is fabricated into an array of storage cells in dynamic random access device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
52 words
A process for forming hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon for fabrication of a semiconductor device, said process comprising the steps of: implanting crystallization nuclei into an upper boundary surface of a silicon material; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei during an anneal step.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
52 words
A process for forming hemispherical grain (HSG) silicon for fabrication of a semiconductor device, said process comprising the steps of: implanting crystallization nuclei into an upper boundary surface of a silicon material; and converting said silicon material into said HSG silicon by promoting growth of said crystallization nuclei during an anneal step.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said silicon material comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said silicon material comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
50 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said crystallization nuclei are elements selected from the group consisting of boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ca), indium (In), thallium (Tl), carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and bismuth (Bi).
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process as recited in claim 27, wherein said anneal step further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to a vacuum anneal.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
34 words
The process as recited in claim 33, wherein said vacuum anneal is performed at a pressure less than 100 mTorr and at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as recited in claim 27, wherein said step of converting further comprises subjecting said crystallization nuclei in said silicon material to rapid thermal processing.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process as recited in claim 35, wherein said rapid thermal processing performed at an anneal temperature of at least 350° C. ranging to 1050° C.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process as recited in claim 27, wherein said semiconductor device is a memory device.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process as recited in claim 37, wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device having hemispherical gain (HSG) silicon, said HSG silicon comprising: a silicon material converted into said HSG silicon from the growth of at least one implanted crystallization nucleus.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
30 words
A semiconductor device having hemispherical gain (HSG) silicon, said HSG silicon comprising: a silicon material converted into said HSG silicon from the growth of at least one implanted crystallization nucleus.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
15 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 39, wherein said silicon material comprises amorphous silicon.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 39, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped amorphous silicon.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
15 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 39, wherein said silicon material comprises polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
17 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 39, wherein said silicon material comprises conductively doped polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
19 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 39, wherein said HSG silicon is used to form a capacitor plate.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
18 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 44, wherein said capacitor plate is used in a memory device.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
19 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 45, wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory device.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
18 words
The HSG silicon as recited in claim 45, wherein said memory device is a floating gate memory device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-08-18 | 2001-02-17 | 2001-08-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-08-18 | 2005-02-17 | 2005-08-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-08-18 | 2009-02-17 | 2009-08-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |