Method for fabricating dynamic random access memory (DRAM) by simultaneous formation of tungsten bit lines and tungsten landing plug contacts

Claim 1

A method for making a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas for memory cells and for peripheral device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned polycide layer on said device areas, and said gate electrodes having insulating first sidewall spacers and source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a conformal first insulating layer composed of silicon nitride; depositing a second insulating layer which is planarized; using a first photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second insulating layer to said first insulating layer over said source/drain contact areas of said memory cells while protecting said peripheral device areas from etching; selectively etching said first insulating layer in said contact openings to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings self-aligned to said gate electrodes in said memory cell areas; removing said first photoresist mask; using a second photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second and said first insulating layers to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas while said second photoresist mask protects said memory cells from etching; removing said second photoresist mask; depositing a first conducting layer on said substrate and in said contact openings and partially etching back; depositing a third insulating layer on said first conducting layer; using a third photoresist mask and anisotropically etching said third insulating layer and said first conducting layer to form bit lines over said bit line contact openings, and concurrently to form node landing plugs in said node contact openings of said memory cells, and further forming electrical plug contacts to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas; removing said third photoresist mask; forming second sidewall spacers on said bit lines by depositing a conformal silicon nitride layer and anisotropically etching back, and further, forming stacked capacitors by; depositing a fourth insulating layer on said substrate; using a fourth photoresist mask to selectively anisotropically etch capacitor openings for bottom electrodes for said capacitors aligned over and to said node landing plugs; removing said fourth photoresist mask; depositing a conformal second conducting layer in said capacitor openings; depositing a polymer to fill said capacitor openings and forming a planar surface; blanket etching back said polymer to said second conducting layer on said fourth insulating layer and leaving portions in said capacitor openings, and etching back said second conducting layer to form said bottom electrodes; removing said polymer; depositing an interelectrode dielectric layer; depositing and patterning a third conducting layer to form capacitor top electrodes; depositing a fifth insulating layer sufficiently thick to fill said capacitor openings and polishing back to form a planar surface; using a fifth photoresist mask and anisotropically and selectively etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth insulating layer to said capacitor top electrodes, while concurrently etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth and fourth insulating layers to said electrical plug contacts on said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas, said multilevel contact openings etched to said electrical plug contacts resulting in reduced aspect ratios; depositing and etching back a fourth conducting layer to form conducting plugs in said multilevel contact openings; depositing and patterning a fifth conducting layer to form the next level of electrical interconnections.

Claim 2

A method for making a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas for memory cells and for peripheral device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned polycide layer on said device areas, and said gate electrodes having insulating first sidewall spacers and source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a conformal first insulating layer composed of silicon nitride; depositing a second insulating layer which is planarized; using a first photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second insulating layer to said first insulating layer over said source/drain contact areas of said memory cells while protecting said peripheral device areas from etching; selectively etching said first insulating layer in said contact openings to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings self-aligned to said gate electrodes in said memory cell areas; removing said first photoresist mask; using a second photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second and said first insulating layers to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas while said second photoresist mask protects said memory cells from etching; removing said second photoresist mask; depositing a first conducting layer on said substrate and in said contact openings and partially etching back; depositing a third insulating layer on said first conducting layer; using a third photoresist mask and anisotropically etching said third insulating layer and said first conducting layer to form bit lines over said bit line contact openings, and concurrently to form node landing plugs in said node contact openings of said memory cells, and further forming electrical plug contacts to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas; removing said third photoresist mask; forming second sidewall spacers on said bit lines by depositing a conformal silicon nitride layer and anisotropically etching back, and further, forming stacked capacitors by; depositing a fourth insulating layer on said substrate; using a fourth photoresist mask to selectively anisotropically etch capacitor openings for bottom electrodes for said capacitors aligned over and to said node landing plugs; removing said fourth photoresist mask; depositing a conformal second conducting layer in said capacitor openings; depositing a polymer to fill said capacitor openings and forming a planar surface; blanket etching back said polymer to said second conducting layer on said fourth insulating layer and leaving portions in said capacitor openings, and etching back said second conducting layer to form said bottom electrodes; removing said polymer; depositing an interelectrode dielectric layer; depositing and patterning a third conducting layer to form capacitor top electrodes; depositing a fifth insulating layer sufficiently thick to fill said capacitor openings and polishing back to form a planar surface; using a fifth photoresist mask and anisotropically and selectively etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth insulating layer to said capacitor top electrodes, while concurrently etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth and fourth insulating layers to said electrical plug contacts on said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas, said multilevel contact openings etched to said electrical plug contacts resulting in reduced aspect ratios; depositing and etching back a fourth conducting layer to form conducting plugs in said multilevel contact openings; depositing and patterning a fifth conducting layer to form the next level of electrical interconnections.

Claim 15

A method for making a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas for memory cells and for peripheral device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned polycide layer on said device areas, and said gate electrodes having insulating first sidewall spacers and source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a conformal first insulating layer composed of silicon nitride; depositing a second insulating layer which is planarized; using a first photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second insulating layer to said first insulating layer over said source/drain contact areas of said memory cells while protecting said peripheral device areas from etching; selectively etching said first insulating layer in said contact openings to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings self-aligned to said gate electrodes in said memory cell areas; removing said first photoresist mask; using a second photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second and said first insulating layers to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas while said second photoresist mask protects said memory cells areas from etching; removing said second photoresist mask; depositing a first conducting layer composed of a barrier layer of titanium/titanium nitride and a tungsten layer on said substrate and in said contact openings and partially etching back; depositing a third insulating layer on said first conducting layer; using a third photoresist mask and anisotropically etching said third insulating layer and said first conducting layer to form bit lines over said bit line contact openings, and concurrently to form node landing plugs in said node contact openings of said memory cells, and further forming electrical plug contacts to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas; removing said third photoresist mask; forming second sidewall spacers on said bit lines by depositing a conformal silicon nitride layer and anisotropically etching back, and further, forming stacked capacitors by; depositing a fourth insulating layer on said substrate; using a fourth photoresist mask to selectively anisotropically etch capacitor openings for bottom electrodes for said capacitors aligned over and to said node landing plugs; removing said fourth photoresist mask; depositing a conformal second conducting layer in said capacitor openings; depositing a polymer to fill said capacitor openings and forming a planar surface; blanket etching back said polymer to said second conducting layer on said fourth insulating layer and leaving portions in said capacitor openings, and etching back said second conducting layer to form said bottom electrodes; removing said polymer; depositing an interelectrode dielectric layer; depositing and patterning a third conducting layer to form capacitor top electrodes; depositing a fifth insulating layer sufficiently thick to fill said capacitor openings and polishing back to form a planar surface; using a fifth photoresist mask and anisotropically and selectively etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth insulating layer to said capacitor top electrodes, while concurrently etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth and fourth insulating layers to said electrical plug contacts on said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas, said multilevel contact openings etched to said electrical plug contacts resulting in reduced aspect ratios; depositing and etching back a fourth conducting layer to form conducting plugs in said multilevel contact openings, said fourth conducting layer consisting of a metal barrier layer of titanium/titanium nitride and a tungsten layer; depositing and patterning a fifth conducting layer to form the next level of electrical interconnections.

Claim 16

A method for making a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate having device areas for memory cells and for peripheral device areas surrounded and electrically isolated from each other by field oxide areas, and further providing field effect transistors having gate electrodes formed from a patterned polycide layer on said device areas, and said gate electrodes having insulating first sidewall spacers and source/drain contact areas adjacent to said gate electrodes in said device areas; depositing a conformal first insulating layer composed of silicon nitride; depositing a second insulating layer which is planarized; using a first photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second insulating layer to said first insulating layer over said source/drain contact areas of said memory cells while protecting said peripheral device areas from etching; selectively etching said first insulating layer in said contact openings to said source/drain contact areas and thereby forming concurrently bit line contact openings and capacitor node contact openings self-aligned to said gate electrodes in said memory cell areas; removing said first photoresist mask; using a second photoresist mask and selectively anisotropically etching contact openings in said second and said first insulating layers to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas while said second photoresist mask protects said memory cells areas from etching; removing said second photoresist mask; depositing a first conducting layer composed of a barrier layer of titanium/titanium nitride and a tungsten layer on said substrate and in said contact openings and partially etching back; depositing a third insulating layer on said first conducting layer; using a third photoresist mask and anisotropically etching said third insulating layer and said first conducting layer to form bit lines over said bit line contact openings, and concurrently to form node landing plugs in said node contact openings of said memory cells, and further forming electrical plug contacts to said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas; removing said third photoresist mask; forming second sidewall spacers on said bit lines by depositing a conformal silicon nitride layer and anisotropically etching back, and further, forming stacked capacitors by; depositing a fourth insulating layer on said substrate; using a fourth photoresist mask to selectively anisotropically etch capacitor openings for bottom electrodes for said capacitors aligned over and to said node landing plugs; removing said fourth photoresist mask; depositing a conformal second conducting layer in said capacitor openings; depositing a polymer to fill said capacitor openings and forming a planar surface; blanket etching back said polymer to said second conducting layer on said fourth insulating layer and leaving portions in said capacitor openings, and etching back said second conducting layer to form said bottom electrodes; removing said polymer; depositing an interelectrode dielectric layer; depositing and patterning a third conducting layer to form capacitor top electrodes; depositing a fifth insulating layer sufficiently thick to fill said capacitor openings and polishing back to form a planar surface; using a fifth photoresist mask and anisotropically and selectively etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth insulating layer to said capacitor top electrodes, while concurrently etching multilevel contact openings in said fifth and fourth insulating layers to said electrical plug contacts on said substrate and to said patterned polycide layer in said peripheral device areas, said multilevel contact openings etched to said electrical plug contacts resulting in reduced aspect ratios; depositing and etching back a fourth conducting layer to form conducting plugs in said multilevel contact openings, said fourth conducting layer consisting of a metal barrier layer of titanium/titanium nitride and a tungsten layer; depositing and patterning a fifth conducting layer to form the next level of electrical interconnections.