← Back to Patent Explorer
US6608378B2 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Formation of metal oxide gate dielectric

Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 2002-08-26
•
Granted: 2003-08-19
•
Expires: 2022-08-26
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract Formation of a gate dielectric includes forming a metal oxide on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate assembly by electron beam evaporation. An ion beam is generated using an inert gas to provide inert gas ions for compacting the metal oxide during formation thereof.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kie Y. Ahn
  • 👤 Leonard Forbes

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 00:55
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/6332; C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/08; C23C14/081; C23C14/083; C23C14/22; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/013; H10D64/01302; H10D64/01332; H10D64/01336; H10D64/01342; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/68; H10D64/691; H10P14/6329; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6921; H10P14/6928; H10P14/6934; H10P14/6938; H10P14/6939; H10P14/69391; H10P14/69392; H10P14/69394; H10P14/69395; H10P14/69396; H10P14/69397; H10P14/69398

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 170 words
A system for use in the fabrication of a gate structure, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber including substrate assembly holder adapted to hold a substrate assembly having a surface; an ozonizer apparatus, the ozonizer apparatus comprising: an ozone source, and an ozonizer structure proximate the surface of the substrate assembly in the vacuum chamber, the ozonizer structure having openings adapted to direct ozone towards the surface of the substrate assembly; an evaporation apparatus, the evaporation apparatus comprising: a metal oxide source, and an electron beam generation device operable to generate an electron beam that impinges on the metal oxide source to evaporate metal oxide of the metal oxide source for formation of metal oxide on the surface of the substrate assembly; and an ion beam apparatus, the ion beam apparatus comprising: an inert gas source operable to provide an inert gas, and an ion gun operable to generate an ion beam using the inert gas and directing the ion beam for contact at the surface of the substrate assembly.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 170 words
A system for use in the fabrication of a gate structure, the apparatus comprising: a vacuum chamber including substrate assembly holder adapted to hold a substrate assembly having a surface; an ozonizer apparatus, the ozonizer apparatus comprising: an ozone source, and an ozonizer structure proximate the surface of the substrate assembly in the vacuum chamber, the ozonizer structure having openings adapted to direct ozone towards the surface of the substrate assembly; an evaporation apparatus, the evaporation apparatus comprising: a metal oxide source, and an electron beam generation device operable to generate an electron beam that impinges on the metal oxide source to evaporate metal oxide of the metal oxide source for formation of metal oxide on the surface of the substrate assembly; and an ion beam apparatus, the ion beam apparatus comprising: an inert gas source operable to provide an inert gas, and an ion gun operable to generate an ion beam using the inert gas and directing the ion beam for contact at the surface of the substrate assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide source includes a high purity source material, wherein the high purity source material has a purity that is about. 99.999% or greater.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 57 words
The system of claim 2 , wherein the metal oxide source includes material selected from the group consisting of TiO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , HfO 2 , Y 2 O 3 —ZrO 2 , ZrSiO 4 , LaAlO 3 , and MgAl 2 O 4 .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The system of claim 3 , wherein the metal oxide source is a TiO 2 source.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 37 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam apparatus further comprises a controller operable to delay generation of the ion beam until at least a monolayer of metal oxide is formed using the evaporation apparatus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the ozonizer structure is a ring structure having openings adapted to direct ozone uniformly towards the substrate assembly surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 46 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the evaporation apparatus further comprises an evaporator controller operable to control the electron beam power such that a deposition rate for metal oxide formation on the surface of the substrate assembly is about 0.1 nm/second to about 0.2 nm/second.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 48 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam apparatus further comprises an ion beam controller operable to control ion beam density of the ion beam such that the ion beam density is in the range of about 0.5 ma/cm 2 to about 1 ma/cm 2 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the ion beam source includes a gas selected from a group consisting of argon, xenon, and krypton.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 31 words
The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a heating device operable to heat the substrate assembly within the range of about 100° C. to about 150° C.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2006-08-18 2007-02-17 2007-08-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2010-08-18 2011-02-17 2011-08-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2014-08-18 2015-02-17 2015-08-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag