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US6017791A
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Multi-layer silicon nitride deposition method for forming low oxidation temperature thermally oxidized silicon nitride/silicon oxide (no) layer
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd
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Filing: 1997-11-10
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Granted: 2000-01-25
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Expires: 2017-11-10
Abstract
Abstract A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer within a microelectronics fabrication, and the microelectronics fabrication having the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed therein. There is first provided a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is then formed over the substrate a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method. There is then formed upon the first silicon nitride layer a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method. Finally, there is annealed thermally in an oxidizing environment the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer. The silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer may be formed with optimized resistivity properties at a reduced thermal annealing temperature and/or a reduced thermal annealing exposure time in comparison with an otherwise equivalent silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed through thermal annealing a single silicon nitride layer of thickness equivalent to the thickness of the first silicon nitride layer plus the thickness of the second silicon nitride layer. When formed upon a silicon oxide dielectric layer in turn formed upon a first capacitor plate within a capacitor within an integrated circuit, there may be formed employing the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (ONO) capacitive dielectric layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Chen-Jong Wang
- 👤 Chue-San Yoo
- 👤 Kuo-Hsien Cheng
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 03:04
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/66; H10P14/662; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6336; H10P14/65; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6518; H10P14/6519; H10P14/6522; H10P14/6529; H10P14/6329; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/69215; H10P14/694; H10P14/6943; H10P14/69433; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/954
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer within a microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication; forming over the substrate a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; and annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
113 words
A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer within a microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication; forming over the substrate a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; and annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are thermally annealed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for a time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes; and the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer is formed with a first resistivity higher than a second resistivity of a second silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed through thermal annealing in the oxidizing environment at the temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for the time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes of a single silicon nitride layer of thickness equal to the thickness of the first silicon nitride layer plus the thickness of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the microelectronics fabrication is chosen from the group of microelectronics fabrications consisting of integrated circuit microelectronics fabrications, solar cell microelectronics fabrications, ceramic packaging microelectronics fabrications and flat panel display microelectronics fabrications.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of claim 1 wherein: the first deposition method and the second deposition method are thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods; and the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are each formed to a thickness of from about 20 to about 30 angstroms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising forming over the substrate a first silicon oxide layer prior to forming over the substrate the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer, the first silicon nitride layer being formed upon the first silicon oxide layer, thus forming employing the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (ONO) layer.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) dielectric layer within a capacitor within a microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication; forming over the substrate a first capacitor plate layer; forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer; and forming over the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a second capacitor plate layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) dielectric layer within a capacitor within a microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication; forming over the substrate a first capacitor plate layer; forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer; and forming over the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a second capacitor plate layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method of claim 6 wherein: the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are thermally annealed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for a time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes; and the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer is formed with a first resistivity higher than a second resistivity of a second silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed through thermal annealing in the oxidizing environment at the temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for the time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes of a single silicon nitride layer of thickness equal to the thickness of the first silicon nitride layer plus the thickness of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the microelectronics fabrication is chosen from the group of microelectronics fabrications consisting of integrted circuit microelectronics fabrications, solar cell microelectronics fabrications, ceramic packaging microelectronics fabrications and flat panel display microelectronics fabrications.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 6 wherein: the first deposition method and the second deposition method are chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods; and the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are each formed to a thickness of from about 20 to about 30 angstroms.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 7 further comprising forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon oxide layer prior to forming over the first capacitor plate layer the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer, the first silicon nitride layer being formed upon the first silicon oxide layer, thus forming employing the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (ONO) layer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
218 words
A method for forming a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell within an integrated circuit microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate having an active region defined therein; forming within and upon the active region of the semiconductor substrate a field effect transistor (FET), the field effect transistor comprising a gate dielectric layer formed upon the active region of the semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed upon the gate dielectric layer; and a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region formed within the active region of the semiconductor substrate at areas not covered by the gate electrode; forming a first capacitor plate layer electrically communicating with the first source/drain region; forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon nitride layer formed through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer; and forming over the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a second capacitor plate layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
218 words
A method for forming a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell within an integrated circuit microelectronics fabrication comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate having an active region defined therein; forming within and upon the active region of the semiconductor substrate a field effect transistor (FET), the field effect transistor comprising a gate dielectric layer formed upon the active region of the semiconductor substrate; a gate electrode formed upon the gate dielectric layer; and a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region formed within the active region of the semiconductor substrate at areas not covered by the gate electrode; forming a first capacitor plate layer electrically communicating with the first source/drain region; forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon nitride layer formed through a first deposition method; forming directly upon the first silicon nitride layer a minimum of a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method; annealing thermally in an oxidizing environment at least the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer; and forming over the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a second capacitor plate layer stopping silicon nitride deposition after deposition of the first silicon nitride layer, and restarting silicon nitride deposition before the deposition of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 11 wherein: the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are thermally annealed at a temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for a time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
90 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer is formed with a first resistivity higher than a second resistivity of a second silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed through thermal annealing in the oxidizing environment at the temperature of from about 600 to about 700 degrees centigrade for the time period of from about 30 to about 90 minutes of a single silicon nitride layer of thickness equal to the thickness of the first silicon nitride layer plus the thickness of the second silicon nitride layer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 11 wherein: the first deposition method and the second deposition method are chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods; and the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer are each formed to a thickness of from about 20 to about 30 angstroms.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising forming over the first capacitor plate layer a first silicon oxide layer prior to forming over the first capacitor plate layer the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer, the first silicon nitride layer being formed upon the first silicon oxide layer, thus forming employing the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer a silicon oxide/silicon nitride/silicon oxide (ONO) layer.
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