US6458645B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Capacitor having tantalum oxynitride film and method for making same
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 1998-02-26
•
Granted: 2002-10-01
•
Expires: 2018-02-26
Abstract
Abstract A capacitor has a tantalum oxynitride film. One method for making the film comprises forming a bottom plate electrode and then forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode. Nitrogen is introduced to form a tantalum oxynitride film. A top plate electrode is formed on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Inventors
- 👤 Scott Jeffrey DeBoer
- 👤 Husam N. Al-Shareef
- 👤 Randhir P. S. Thakur
- 👤 Dan Gealy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 04:51
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/65; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6518; H10P14/6519; H10P14/6522; G; G11; G11C; G11C17/00; G11C17/14; G11C17/16; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/033; H10B12/038; H10B20/00; H10D; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6334; H10P14/6529; H10P14/6532; H10B20/20; H10B20/25; H10D1/692; H10D1/694; H10D1/711; H10D1/712; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6938; H10P14/6939; H10P14/69393; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/49; H10W20/491
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor on an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein the nitrogen is introduced at temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in a environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor on an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein the nitrogen is introduced at temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in a environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 , forming the tantalum oxide film comprises: forming tantalum on the bottom electrode; and oxidizing the tantalum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the tantalum oxide film comprises forming a tantalum oxide film by low pressure chemical vapor deposition with tantalum and oxygen sources at a temperature between approximately 400 and 500 degrees Celsius.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 3 , wherein forming the tantalum oxide film includes forming the film to a thickness of about 90 Angstroms.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , whereinintroducing nitrogen compromises implanting nitrogen ions into the tantalum oxide film to form the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing nitrogen compromises annealing the tantalum oxide film in a nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of a plasma.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes forming a silicon nitride film on the tantalum oxynitride film using a process of silicon nitridation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 7 , wherein silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to a combination of silicon and nitrogen sources.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein using a process of silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to disilane and ammonia combined respectively in a one to five ratio.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the silicon source for silicon nitridation is selected from a group consisting of silane, disilane and dichlorosilane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein the nitrogen source for silicon nitridation is selected from a group consisting of N 2 , NH 3 , N 2 H 4 , N 2 O, and monomethyl hydrazene (MMH).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 8 which includes conducting the silicon nitridation such that a minimal amount or no silicon nitride is formed on the capacitor.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises annealing the tantalum oxide film in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature range between approximately 800 and 1100 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
91 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises annealing the tantalum oxide film in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature range between approximately 800 and 1100 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein annealing comprises annealing the tantalum oxide film in a nitrogen atmosphere, wherein the nitrogen atmosphere is one of a group consisting of: N 2 , NH 3 , and N 2 H 4 .
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 13 , wherein annealing comprises annealing the tantalum oxide film in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature of approximately 825 degrees Celsius at a pressure range between approximately 1 and 50 atmospheres.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises annealing in a furnace having an ammonia atmosphere at a temperature range between approximately 800 and 1050 degrees Celsius, and at a pressure less than 5 torr, for approximately five minutes; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
102 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises annealing in a furnace having an ammonia atmosphere at a temperature range between approximately 800 and 1050 degrees Celsius, and at a pressure less than 5 torr, for approximately five minutes; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises rapid thermal processing in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature between approximately 800 and 1050 degrees Celsius for a time between approximately 10 and 120 seconds; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
97 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein introducing nitrogen comprises rapid thermal processing in a nitrogen atmosphere at a temperature between approximately 800 and 1050 degrees Celsius for a time between approximately 10 and 120 seconds; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; and forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the nitrogen source is introduced to the capacitor in the presence of a remote plasma.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxynitride film Ta x N y O 2 , on the bottom plate electrode; forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film; wherein forming the tantalum oxynitride film comprises forming tantalum oxynitride film by metal organo chemical vapor deposition with tantalum and nitrogen sources; and wherein nitrogen is introduced at a temperature above 600 degrees Celsius before annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
84 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxynitride film Ta x N y O 2 , on the bottom plate electrode; forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film; wherein forming the tantalum oxynitride film comprises forming tantalum oxynitride film by metal organo chemical vapor deposition with tantalum and nitrogen sources; and wherein nitrogen is introduced at a temperature above 600 degrees Celsius before annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the nitrogen source is introduced to the capacitor in the presence of a plasma for enhanced deposition.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the nitrogen source is one of a group consisting of hydrazene and hydrazene derivatives.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein nitrogen is introduced as one of a group consisting of N 2 O, NO, and N 2 H 4 and wherein nitrogen is introduced at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and at temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of fabricating a capacitor in an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein nitrogen is introduced as one of a group consisting of N 2 O, NO, and N 2 H 4 and wherein nitrogen is introduced at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure and at temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen, wherein annealing is performed after introducing nitrogen; forming a top plate electrode on the tantalum oxynitride film.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor on an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein nitrogen is introduced at temperatures greater than approximately 600 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen; forming a silicon film on the tantalum oxynitride film using a process of silicon nitridation, wherein silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to a combination of silicon and nitrogen sources, and wherein using a process of silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to disilane and ammonia combined respectively in a one to five ratio; and forming a top plate electrode on the silicon film.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for fabricating a capacitor on an integrated circuit, comprising: forming a bottom plate electrode; forming a tantalum oxide film on the bottom plate electrode; introducing nitrogen into the tantalum oxide film to form a tantalum oxynitride film, wherein nitrogen is introduced at temperatures greater than approximately 600 degrees Celsius; annealing the tantalum oxynitride film in an environment containing oxygen; forming a silicon film on the tantalum oxynitride film using a process of silicon nitridation, wherein silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to a combination of silicon and nitrogen sources, and wherein using a process of silicon nitridation comprises exposing the capacitor to disilane and ammonia combined respectively in a one to five ratio; and forming a top plate electrode on the silicon film.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4084986A
Cited
US5111355A
Cited
US5142438A
Cited
US5352623A
Cited
US5362632A
Cited
US5677015A
Cited
US5585301A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-09-30 | 2006-04-01 | 2006-10-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-09-30 | 2010-04-01 | 2010-10-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-09-30 | 2014-04-01 | 2014-10-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |