Method for improving electrical properties of high dielectric constant films

Claim 1

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer on the substrate; c) placing the substrate within a chamber; d) implanting ions into the initial dielectric layer by creating a plasma discharge within the chamber, wherein said plasma discharge includes material to be implanted, whereby the material is implanted into the dielectric layer; and e) annealing the substrate to properly condition the dielectric layer following implantation.

Claim 2

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer on the substrate; c) placing the substrate within a chamber; d) implanting ions into the initial dielectric layer by creating a plasma discharge within the chamber, wherein said plasma discharge includes material to be implanted, whereby the material is implanted into the dielectric layer; and e) annealing the substrate to properly condition the dielectric layer following implantation.

Claim 10

A method of forming an improved dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer on the substrate; c) implanting oxygen ions into the initial dielectric layer; and d) annealing the substrate to properly condition the initial dielectric layer following implantation.

Claim 11

A method of forming an improved dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer on the substrate; c) implanting oxygen ions into the initial dielectric layer; and d) annealing the substrate to properly condition the initial dielectric layer following implantation.

Claim 12

A method of forming improved dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a silicon substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer between 25 and 200 angstroms thick by chemical vapor deposition, wherein the initial dielectric layer is selected from a group consisting of titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), barium and strontium titanium oxide ((Ba,Sr)TiO 3 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), and hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ); c) implanting oxygen ions into the initial dielectric layer, by placing the silicon substrate into a chamber, applying negative voltage pulses in the range between 50 volts and 10 kV with a pulse width between 10 and 1000 microseconds at a frequency between 100 Hz and 5 kHz to the silicon substrate, introducing oxygen into the chamber and igniting a plasma whereby the positively charged oxygen ions produced within the plasma are attracted to the silicon substrate and implanted to form an implanted dielectric layer; and d) annealing the substrate in oxygen by a rapid thermal anneal process at a temperature between 300 and 800 degrees Celsius to condition the implanted dielectric layer and the interface with the silicon substrate.

Claim 13

A method of forming improved dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a silicon substrate; b) depositing an initial dielectric layer between 25 and 200 angstroms thick by chemical vapor deposition, wherein the initial dielectric layer is selected from a group consisting of titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), tantalum oxide (Ta 2 O 5 ), barium and strontium titanium oxide ((Ba,Sr)TiO 3 ), zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ), and hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ); c) implanting oxygen ions into the initial dielectric layer, by placing the silicon substrate into a chamber, applying negative voltage pulses in the range between 50 volts and 10 kV with a pulse width between 10 and 1000 microseconds at a frequency between 100 Hz and 5 kHz to the silicon substrate, introducing oxygen into the chamber and igniting a plasma whereby the positively charged oxygen ions produced within the plasma are attracted to the silicon substrate and implanted to form an implanted dielectric layer; and d) annealing the substrate in oxygen by a rapid thermal anneal process at a temperature between 300 and 800 degrees Celsius to condition the implanted dielectric layer and the interface with the silicon substrate.

Claim 14

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an oxide having a high dielectric constant on the substrate; c) placing the substrate within a chamber; d) implanting oxygen ions into the oxide by creating a plasma discharge within the chamber, whereby the oxygen is implanted into the oxide; and e) annealing the substrate to properly condition the oxide following implantation.

Claim 15

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an oxide having a high dielectric constant on the substrate; c) placing the substrate within a chamber; d) implanting oxygen ions into the oxide by creating a plasma discharge within the chamber, whereby the oxygen is implanted into the oxide; and e) annealing the substrate to properly condition the oxide following implantation.

Claim 17

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an oxide having a high dielectric constant on the substrate; c) implanting oxygen ions into the oxide by ion beam implantation, whereby the oxygen is implanted into the oxide; and d) annealing the substrate to properly condition the oxide following implantation.

Claim 18

A method of forming a dielectric layer for a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: a) preparing a semiconductor substrate; b) depositing an oxide having a high dielectric constant on the substrate; c) implanting oxygen ions into the oxide by ion beam implantation, whereby the oxygen is implanted into the oxide; and d) annealing the substrate to properly condition the oxide following implantation.