Patent US5985714A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5985714A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of forming a capacitor
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1997-05-16
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Granted: 1999-11-16
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Expires: 2017-05-16
Abstract
Abstract A method of forming a capacitor includes, a) providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; b) providing an electrically conductive first layer over the node; c) providing an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer; d) providing a third layer over the electrically insulative barrier layer, the third layer comprising a material which is either electrically conductive and resistant to oxidation, or forms an electrically conductive material upon oxidation; e) providing an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the electrically conductive third layer; f) providing an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and g) providing an electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third conductive layers. A capacitor construction having such a dielectric layer in combination with the barrier layer and electrical interconnect of a first capacitor plate is disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Gurtej S. Sandhu
- 👤 Paul Schuele
- 👤 Wayne Kinney
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 05:29
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B53/00; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B53/30; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10B12/033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising the following steps: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; providing an electrically conductive first layer over the node; providing an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer; providing a third layer over the electrically insulative barrier layer, the third layer comprising a material which is either electrically conductive and resistant to oxidation, or forms an electrically conductive material upon oxidation; providing an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the electrically conductive third layer; providing an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and providing an electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third conductive layers.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising the following steps: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; providing an electrically conductive first layer over the node; providing an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer; providing a third layer over the electrically insulative barrier layer, the third layer comprising a material which is either electrically conductive and resistant to oxidation, or forms an electrically conductive material upon oxidation; providing an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the electrically conductive third layer; providing an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and providing an electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third conductive layers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises a material which is reactable to form an electrically insulating material, and the barrier second layer restricts reaction of the first electrically conductive layer to an insulating material during the step of providing the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the barrier second layer forms a diffusion barrier to out-diffusion of components of the first electrically conductive layer to the third layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein, the first layer comprises a material which is reactable to form an electrically insulating material; and the barrier second layer comprises a composite of discrete fifth and sixth electrically insulative layers, one of the fifth and sixth layers restricting reaction of the first electrically conductive layer to an insulating material during the step of providing the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer, the other of the fifth and sixth layers forming a diffusion barrier to out-diffusion of components of the first electrically conductive layer to the third layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The capacitor of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulative oxidation barrier layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer comprises a ferroelectric material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanates, zirconates, niobates, tantalates and nitrates, or mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulative oxidation barrier second layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN, or mixtures thereof, and the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer comprises a ferroelectric material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the third layer comprises elemental platinum.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed to RuO 2 .
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the third layer as initially provided comprises RuO 2 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon, and the third layer comprises elemental platinum.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon, and the third layer ultimately comprises RuO 2 .
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulative oxidation barrier second layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN, or mixtures thereof; the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon, and the third layer comprises elemental platinum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulative oxidation barrier second layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , and AlN, or mixtures thereof; the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon, and the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed to RuO 2 .
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive interconnect comprises TiN.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electrically conductive interconnect comprises: undercut etching the oxidation barrier second layer selectively relative to the first and third layers to expose the first and third layers; and depositing a conformal electrically conductive layer over the exposed first and third layers for definition of the electrically conductive interconnect.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electrically conductive interconnect occurs last in the stated claim 1 steps.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
71 words
The method of forming a capacitor of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the electrically conductive interconnect occurs last in the stated claim 1 steps, and comprises: undercut etching the oxidation barrier second layer selectively relative to the first and third layers to expose the first and third layers; and depositing a conformal electrically conductive layer over the exposed first and third layers for definition of the electrically conductive interconnect.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer; forming a third layer over the electrically insulative barrier second layer, the third layer comprising a material which becomes electrically conductive upon oxidation; forming an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the third layer; forming an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and forming an electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third layers.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
112 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer; forming a third layer over the electrically insulative barrier second layer, the third layer comprising a material which becomes electrically conductive upon oxidation; forming an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the third layer; forming an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and forming an electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third layers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed into RuO 2 .
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon, and the third layer, upon oxidation, comprises RuO 2 .
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the electrically insulative oxidation barrier second layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 and AlN, and mixtures thereof; the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon; and the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed to RuO 2 .
Claim 27
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of forming a capacitor plate comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative second layer over the first conductive layer; forming a third layer over the second layer, the third layer becoming electrically conductive upon oxidation; and forming an electrically conductive interconnect extending over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnecting the first and third layers.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
75 words
A method of forming a capacitor plate comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative second layer over the first conductive layer; forming a third layer over the second layer, the third layer becoming electrically conductive upon oxidation; and forming an electrically conductive interconnect extending over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnecting the first and third layers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the first layer comprises conductively doped polysilicon; the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed to RuO 2 ; and the electrically conductive interconnect comprises TiN.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the third layer comprises elemental Ru which upon oxidation is transformed into RuO 2 .
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the second layer is selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN and mixtures thereof.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, comprising; after forming the third layer, and before forming the electrically conductive interconnect layer, forming an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the third layer; and forming an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer, the resulting construction forming a capacitor.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer is selected form the group consisting of titanates, zirconates, niobates tantalates, nitrates and mixtures thereof.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer, the second layer selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN and mixtures thereof; forming a third layer of elemental Ru over the electrically insulative barrier second layer, the third layer becoming electrically conductive RuO 2 upon oxidation; forming an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the third layer; forming an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and forming and electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third layers.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
142 words
A method of forming a capacitor comprising: providing a node to which electrical connection to a capacitor is to be made; forming an electrically conductive first layer over the node; forming an electrically insulative barrier second layer over the first conductive layer, the second layer selected from the group consisting of Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , Si 3 N 4 , SiO 2 and AlN and mixtures thereof; forming a third layer of elemental Ru over the electrically insulative barrier second layer, the third layer becoming electrically conductive RuO 2 upon oxidation; forming an insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer over the third layer; forming an electrically conductive fourth layer over the insulating inorganic metal oxide dielectric layer; and forming and electrically conductive interconnect to extend over the second insulative layer and electrically interconnect the first and third layers.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-11-15 | 2003-05-17 | 2003-11-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-11-15 | 2007-05-17 | 2007-11-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-11-15 | 2011-05-17 | 2011-11-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |