Patent US5780338A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5780338A
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Method for manufacturing crown-shaped capacitors for dynamic random access memory integrated circuits
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
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Filing: 1997-04-11
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Granted: 1998-07-14
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Expires: 2017-04-11
Abstract
Abstract A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors on dynamic random access memory using a single photoresist mask to make the node contacts and capacitor bottom electrodes was achieved. After forming the FET gate electrodes from a first polysilicon layer and the bit lines from a second polysilicon layer, a thick planar BPSG and a hard mask composed of polysilicon or silicon nitride is deposited. Openings are etched in the hard mask and partially into the BPSG. Sidewall spacers, composed of Si 3 N 4 or TEOS oxide, are formed in the openings and a special selective high density plasma etch and the etchant gas mixture of O 2 , CHF 3 , CF 4 , CO, C 4 F 8 , and Ar is used to form the node contact openings in the BPSG to the FETs. A conformal third polysilicon layer is then deposited and a second masking material is used to define the bottom electrodes having a crown-shape in the BPSG openings. After removing the hard mask, the second masking material, and the BPSG between electrodes, an interelectrode dielectric layer is formed on the bottom electrodes. An N + doped fourth polysilicon layer is deposited to form the top electrodes and to complete the crown-shaped stacked capacitors.
Inventors
- 👤 Erik S. Jeng
- 👤 Tzu-Shih Yen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:42
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/033; H10B12/30; H10B12/31; H10B12/318; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/01; H10D1/041; H10D1/042; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/692; H10D1/711; H10D1/716
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 34
Claim 1
Independent Claim
447 words
A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors for an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells on a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas; providing field effect transistors (FETs) in said device areas, each of said transistors having a gate electrode formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer, and having first and second source/drain contact areas in said device areas, and electrically insulated by depositing a conformal first insulating layer thereon; forming a planarized second insulating layer on said first insulating layer; photoresist masking and anisotropically etching contact openings to said first source/drain contact areas of each said FET, thereby forming bit line contact openings for bit lines; depositing a conformal second polysilicon layer on said substrate having a refractory metal silicide layer thereon; depositing a third insulating layer on said silicide layer; patterning said third insulating layer and said second polysilicon layer using photoresist masking and anisotropic plasma etching leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer over and in said first source/drain contact areas thereby forming bit lines for said DRAM cells; depositing a fourth insulating layer over said bit lines and planarizing said fourth insulating layer; depositing a hard masking layer on said planar fourth insulating layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said hard masking layer having openings over said second source/drain contact areas; anisotropic etching through said hard masking layer and partially recessing into said fourth insulating layer in said photoresist openings; removing said photoresist masking layer; depositing a conformal fifth insulating layer and blanket anisotropically etching back to form sidewall spacers in said recessed areas and exposing said fourth insulating layer between said sidewall spacers in said openings; anisotropically and selectively etching said fourth and second insulating layers in said openings to said second source/drain contact areas thereby forming contact openings that exceed the resolution limit of said patterned photoresist layer while providing wider openings that reduce the aspect ratio in said fourth insulating layer; depositing a conformal third polysilicon layer in said second source/drain contact openings and elsewhere on said substrate; depositing a second masking layer and blanket etching back leaving portions in said second source/drain contact openings while exposing said third polysilicon layer elsewhere on said substrate; etching back said third polysilicon layer and said hard masking layer to said fourth insulating layer; selectively remove by etching said second masking layer and said fourth insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for said crown-shaped stacked capacitors; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer thereby forming top electrodes and completing said crown-shaped stacked capacitors.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
447 words
A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors for an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells on a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas; providing field effect transistors (FETs) in said device areas, each of said transistors having a gate electrode formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer, and having first and second source/drain contact areas in said device areas, and electrically insulated by depositing a conformal first insulating layer thereon; forming a planarized second insulating layer on said first insulating layer; photoresist masking and anisotropically etching contact openings to said first source/drain contact areas of each said FET, thereby forming bit line contact openings for bit lines; depositing a conformal second polysilicon layer on said substrate having a refractory metal silicide layer thereon; depositing a third insulating layer on said silicide layer; patterning said third insulating layer and said second polysilicon layer using photoresist masking and anisotropic plasma etching leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer over and in said first source/drain contact areas thereby forming bit lines for said DRAM cells; depositing a fourth insulating layer over said bit lines and planarizing said fourth insulating layer; depositing a hard masking layer on said planar fourth insulating layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said hard masking layer having openings over said second source/drain contact areas; anisotropic etching through said hard masking layer and partially recessing into said fourth insulating layer in said photoresist openings; removing said photoresist masking layer; depositing a conformal fifth insulating layer and blanket anisotropically etching back to form sidewall spacers in said recessed areas and exposing said fourth insulating layer between said sidewall spacers in said openings; anisotropically and selectively etching said fourth and second insulating layers in said openings to said second source/drain contact areas thereby forming contact openings that exceed the resolution limit of said patterned photoresist layer while providing wider openings that reduce the aspect ratio in said fourth insulating layer; depositing a conformal third polysilicon layer in said second source/drain contact openings and elsewhere on said substrate; depositing a second masking layer and blanket etching back leaving portions in said second source/drain contact openings while exposing said third polysilicon layer elsewhere on said substrate; etching back said third polysilicon layer and said hard masking layer to said fourth insulating layer; selectively remove by etching said second masking layer and said fourth insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for said crown-shaped stacked capacitors; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer thereby forming top electrodes and completing said crown-shaped stacked capacitors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth polysilicon layers are doped with N + type electrically conducting dopant having a concentration of between about 1.0 E 19 and 1.0 E 21 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second polysilicon layer having said refractory metal silicide layer thereon has a total thickness of between about 2000 and 4000 Angstroms.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said fourth insulating layer is composed of a planarized borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) having a thickness of between about 4000 and 9000 Angstroms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said hard masking layer is composed of a polysilicon having a thickness of between about 2000 and 3000 Angstroms.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said recess in said fourth insulating layer is between about 2000 and 4000 Angstroms deep.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said sidewall spacers are composed of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said sidewall spacers are composed of silicon oxide (SiO 2 ).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said sidewall spacers are etched having an etch rate ratio of polysilicon to silicon nitride to silicon oxide of between about 2:1:1 and 20:10:1.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said selective etching of said first and second insulating layers to said second source/drain contact areas is carried out in an etchant gas mixture composed of oxygen, trifluoromethane, carbon tetrafluoride, carbon monoxide, perfluoroisobutylene, and argon (O 2 /CHF 3 /CF 4 /CO/C 4 F 8 /Ar).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said selective etching provides an etch rate ratio of polysilicon to silicon nitride to silicon oxide of between about 2:1:1 and 20:1:1.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said third polysilicon layer has a thickness of between about 500 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second masking layer is composed of a photoresist.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said interelectrode dielectric layer is between about 40 and 60 Angstroms thick.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said fourth polysilicon layer is between about 1000 and 2000 Angstroms thick.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
449 words
A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors for an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells on a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas; providing field effect transistors (FETs) in said device areas, each of said transistors having a gate electrode formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer, and having first and second source/drain contact areas in said device areas, and electrically insulated by depositing a conformal first insulating layer thereon; forming a planarized second insulating layer on said first insulating layer; photoresist masking and anisotropically etching contact openings to said first source/drain contact areas of each said FET, thereby forming bit line contact openings for bit lines; depositing a conformal second polysilicon layer on said substrate having a refractory metal silicide layer thereon; depositing a third insulating layer on said silicide layer; patterning said third insulating layer and said second polysilicon layer using photoresist masking and anisotropic plasma etching leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer over and in said first source/drain contact areas thereby forming bit lines for said DRAM cells; depositing a fourth insulating layer over said bit lines and planarizing said fourth insulating layer; depositing a hard masking layer composed of silicon nitride on said planar fourth insulating layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said hard masking layer having openings over said second source/drain contact areas; anisotropic etching through said hard masking layer and partially recessing into said fourth insulating layer in said photoresist openings; removing said photoresist masking layer; depositing a conformal fifth insulating layer and blanket anisotropically etching back to form sidewall spacers in said recessed areas and exposing said fourth insulating layer between said sidewall spacers in said openings; anisotropically and selectively etching said fourth and second insulating layers in said openings to said second source/drain contact areas thereby forming contact openings that exceed the resolution limit of said patterned photoresist layer while providing wider openings that reduce the aspect ratio in said fourth insulating layer; depositing a conformal third polysilicon layer in said second source/drain contact openings and elsewhere on said substrate; depositing a second masking layer and blanket etching back leaving portions in said second source/drain contact openings while exposing said third polysilicon layer elsewhere on said substrate; etching back said third polysilicon layer to said hard masking layer; selectively removing by etching said hard mask, said second masking layer, and said fourth insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for said crown-shaped stacked capacitors; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer thereby forming top electrodes and completing said crown-shaped stacked capacitors.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
449 words
A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors for an array of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells on a semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas; providing field effect transistors (FETs) in said device areas, each of said transistors having a gate electrode formed from a patterned first polysilicon layer, and having first and second source/drain contact areas in said device areas, and electrically insulated by depositing a conformal first insulating layer thereon; forming a planarized second insulating layer on said first insulating layer; photoresist masking and anisotropically etching contact openings to said first source/drain contact areas of each said FET, thereby forming bit line contact openings for bit lines; depositing a conformal second polysilicon layer on said substrate having a refractory metal silicide layer thereon; depositing a third insulating layer on said silicide layer; patterning said third insulating layer and said second polysilicon layer using photoresist masking and anisotropic plasma etching leaving portions of said second polysilicon layer over and in said first source/drain contact areas thereby forming bit lines for said DRAM cells; depositing a fourth insulating layer over said bit lines and planarizing said fourth insulating layer; depositing a hard masking layer composed of silicon nitride on said planar fourth insulating layer; forming a patterned photoresist layer on said hard masking layer having openings over said second source/drain contact areas; anisotropic etching through said hard masking layer and partially recessing into said fourth insulating layer in said photoresist openings; removing said photoresist masking layer; depositing a conformal fifth insulating layer and blanket anisotropically etching back to form sidewall spacers in said recessed areas and exposing said fourth insulating layer between said sidewall spacers in said openings; anisotropically and selectively etching said fourth and second insulating layers in said openings to said second source/drain contact areas thereby forming contact openings that exceed the resolution limit of said patterned photoresist layer while providing wider openings that reduce the aspect ratio in said fourth insulating layer; depositing a conformal third polysilicon layer in said second source/drain contact openings and elsewhere on said substrate; depositing a second masking layer and blanket etching back leaving portions in said second source/drain contact openings while exposing said third polysilicon layer elsewhere on said substrate; etching back said third polysilicon layer to said hard masking layer; selectively removing by etching said hard mask, said second masking layer, and said fourth insulating layer thereby forming bottom electrodes for said crown-shaped stacked capacitors; forming an interelectrode dielectric layer on said bottom electrodes; depositing and patterning a fourth polysilicon layer thereby forming top electrodes and completing said crown-shaped stacked capacitors.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth polysilicon layers are doped with N + type electrically conducting dopant having a concentration of between about 1.0 E 19 and 1.0 E 21 atoms/cm 3 .
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said second polysilicon layer having said refractory metal silicide layer thereon has a total thickness of between about 2000 and 4000 Angstroms.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said third insulating layer is composed of a multilayer of silicon oxide and an upper layer of silicon nitride.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said fourth insulating layer is composed of a planarized borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) having a thickness of between about 4000 and 9000 Angstroms.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said hard masking layer has a thickness of between about 2000 and 4000 Angstroms.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said recess in said fourth insulating layer is between about 2000 and 4000 Angstroms deep.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said sidewall spacers are composed of silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ).
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said sidewall spacers are composed of silicon oxide (SiO 2 ).
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said sidewall spacers are etched having an etch rate ratio of polysilicon to silicon nitride to silicon oxide of between about 2:1:1 and 10:1:1.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said selective etching of said first and second insulating layers to said second source/drain contact areas is carried out in an etchant gas mixture composed of oxygen, trifluoromethane, carbon tetrafluoride, carbon monoxide, perfluoroisobutylene, and argon (O 2 /CHF 3 /CF 4 /CO/C 4 F 8 /Ar).
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 26, wherein said selective etching provides an etch rate ratio of polysilicon to silicon nitride to silicon oxide of between about 2:1:1 and 20:1:1.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said third polysilicon layer has a thickness of between about 500 and 1000 Angstroms.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said second masking layer is composed of a spin-on glass (SOG).
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said second masking layer is composed of a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG).
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said interelectrode dielectric layer is between about 40 and 60 Angstroms thick.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said fourth polysilicon layer is between about 1000 and 3000 Angstroms thick.
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) | 2001-07-13 | 2002-01-12 | 2002-07-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-07-13 | 2006-01-12 | 2006-07-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-07-13 | 2010-01-12 | 2010-07-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |