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US5998225A
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Method of fabricating an oxygen-stable layer/diffusion barrier/poly bottom electrode structure for high-K DRAMs using disposable-oxide processing
Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1998-12-15
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Granted: 1999-12-07
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Expires: 2018-12-15
Abstract
Abstract A capacitor structure and method. The capacitor (12) comprises a HDC dielectric (40) and upper (44) and lower electrodes. The lower electrode comprises polysilicon(31-32), a diffusion barrier (34) on the polysilicon and an oxygen stable material (36) on the diffusion barrier (34). The diffusion barrier (34) is deposited followed by the deposition of a temporary dielectric layer (50). The temporary dielectric layer (50) is then patterned and etched to expose the area where the storage node is desired. Next, the oxygen stable material (36) is deposited. The oxygen stable material (36) is then either etched back or CMP processed using the temporary dielectric layer (50) as an endpoint. The temporary dielectric layer (50) is then removed along with the exposed portions of diffusion barrier (34). The HDC dielectric (40) is then formed adjacent the oxygen stable material (36).
Inventors
- 👤 Darius Crenshaw
- 👤 Scott Summerfelt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 08:38
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/033; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/682; H10D1/684
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A method for forming a high dielectric constant (HDC) capacitor comprising the steps of: forming a diffusion barrier layer over a structure for which the capacitor is desired; forming a temporary dielectric layer over said diffusion barrier; forming a pattern over the temporary dielectric layer, said pattern exposing portions of the temporary dielectric layer for a storage node area; etching said temporary dielectric layer using said pattern to remove said temporary dielectric layer in said storage node area, thereby exposing a first portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said pattern; depositing an oxygen stable material over said temporary dielectric layer and said first portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said oxygen stable material from over said temporary dielectric layer, leaving said oxygen stable material in said storage node area; removing said temporary dielectric layer thereby exposing a second portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said second portion of said diffusion barrier; forming a HDC dielectric over the oxygen stable material; and forming an upper electrode over the HDC dielectric.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
169 words
A method for forming a high dielectric constant (HDC) capacitor comprising the steps of: forming a diffusion barrier layer over a structure for which the capacitor is desired; forming a temporary dielectric layer over said diffusion barrier; forming a pattern over the temporary dielectric layer, said pattern exposing portions of the temporary dielectric layer for a storage node area; etching said temporary dielectric layer using said pattern to remove said temporary dielectric layer in said storage node area, thereby exposing a first portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said pattern; depositing an oxygen stable material over said temporary dielectric layer and said first portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said oxygen stable material from over said temporary dielectric layer, leaving said oxygen stable material in said storage node area; removing said temporary dielectric layer thereby exposing a second portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said second portion of said diffusion barrier; forming a HDC dielectric over the oxygen stable material; and forming an upper electrode over the HDC dielectric.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the oxygen stable material comprises the steps of: reactive ion etching said oxygen stable material to etchback said oxygen stable material to a level at or below a surface of said temporary dielectric layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the step of removing the oxygen stable material comprises the steps of: chemically-mechanically polishing said oxygen stable material until oxygen stable material is at a level at or below a surface of said temporary dielectric layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the oxygen stable layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of noble metals, alloys of noble metals, and conductive oxides.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said HDC dielectric comprises a material selected from the group consisting of BST, other perovskites, ferroelectrics, pyroelectrics, or high dielectric constant oxides.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said temporary dielectric comprises silicon dioxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of forming a spin-on-glass layer over the oxygen stable material for local planarization prior to said step of removing said oxygen stable material from said temporary dielectric layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: annealing the oxygen stable material after said step of removing the oxygen stable material from the temporary dielectric and prior to the step of removing the temporary dielectric in order to grow the grain size of the oxygen stable material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reflowing the oxygen stable material after said step of removing the oxygen stable material from the temporary dielectric and prior to the step of removing the temporary dielectric in order to reduce the surface area of the oxygen stable material.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
141 words
A method for forming a DRAM comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor body processed through interlevel dielectric formation, including the formation of isolation structures, wordlines, and bitlines; forming a diffusion barrier layer over said interlevel dielectric; forming a temporary dielectric layer over said diffusion barrier layer; forming a first pattern over said temporary dielectric layer, said first pattern exposing an storage node area; etching said temporary dielectric layer using said first pattern; removing said first pattern; depositing an oxygen stable material over said temporary dielectric and in said storage node area; removing said oxygen stable material until said temporary dielectric is exposed; removing said temporary dielectric layer, thereby exposing a portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said portion of said diffusion barrier; forming a HDC dielectric over the oxygen stable layer; and forming an upper electrode over the HDC dielectric.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
141 words
A method for forming a DRAM comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor body processed through interlevel dielectric formation, including the formation of isolation structures, wordlines, and bitlines; forming a diffusion barrier layer over said interlevel dielectric; forming a temporary dielectric layer over said diffusion barrier layer; forming a first pattern over said temporary dielectric layer, said first pattern exposing an storage node area; etching said temporary dielectric layer using said first pattern; removing said first pattern; depositing an oxygen stable material over said temporary dielectric and in said storage node area; removing said oxygen stable material until said temporary dielectric is exposed; removing said temporary dielectric layer, thereby exposing a portion of said diffusion barrier; removing said portion of said diffusion barrier; forming a HDC dielectric over the oxygen stable layer; and forming an upper electrode over the HDC dielectric.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
127 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing a semiconductor body comprises the steps of: forming isolation structures in a semiconductor body to isolate a plurality of DRAM cell pairs from one another; forming a plurality of wordline structures over said semiconductor body; forming a plurality of first and a plurality second source/drain regions on opposite sides of said plurality of wordline structures; forming a dielectric over said wordlines, isolation structures and first and second source/drain regions; forming a plurality of bitlines connected to said plurality of first source/drain regions; forming an interlevel dielectric over said plurality of bitlines; and forming a plurality of storage node contacts extending through said interlevel dielectric layer, wherein said pattern is aligned to said plurality of storage node contacts.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of removing the oxygen stable layer comprises the step of reactively ion etching said oxygen stable layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of removing the oxygen stable layer comprises the step of chemically-mechanically etching said oxygen stable layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said diffusion barrier comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium-nitride, ternary or greater amorphous nitrides, and exotic compound nitrides.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the oxygen stable layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of noble metals, alloys of noble metals, and conductive oxides.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 10, wherein said HDC dielectric comprises a material selected from the group consisting of BST, other perovskites, ferroelectrics, pyroelectrics, or high dielectric constant oxides.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said pattern exposes portions of said temporary dielectric layer wider than said storage node contact.
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