Methods of forming perovskite-type material and capacitor dielectric having perovskite-type crystalline structure

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a capacitor electrode and the converted, oxidized material comprises a capacitor dielectric layer.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the material comprises an alloy of at least two metals.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein at least two of the metals exhibit a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the material comprises depositing the material in a vacuum chamber at less than atmospheric pressure.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing and the converting occur in different process chambers.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the material occurs in a processing device comprising one or more chambers and the oxidizing comprises substantially complete oxidation of the material also in the processing device prior to removal from the processing device.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing the outer portion comprises exposure to an oxygen plasma.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 wherein the oxidizing the material comprises oxidizing only a first portion of the material and the method further comprises, separately from the converting, oxidizing a second portion of the material beneath the first portion.

Claim 12

The method of claim 10 wherein the oxidizing only the first portion occurs in situ with the forming the material.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 wherein the oxidizing the material comprises oxidizing only a first portion of the material, the forming the passivation layer occurs in situ with the forming the material, and the method further comprises oxidizing the passivation layer and thereafter oxidizing a second portion of the material in situ with the oxidizing the passivation layer.

Claim 16

The method of claim 1 wherein the converting comprises heating the oxidized material and reaching a maximum temperature no more than about one-half of a melting point temperature of the perovskite-type material.

Claim 17

The method of claim 1 further comprising converting an additional oxidized material to a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 20

The method of claim 16 wherein the substrate comprises a capacitor electrode and the converted, oxidized alloy material comprises a capacitor dielectric layer.

Claim 21

The method of claim 16 wherein the oxidizing and the converting occur in different process chambers.

Claim 22

The method of claim 16 wherein the forming the alloy material occurs in a processing device comprising one or more chambers and the retarding interdiffusion and the oxidizing together comprise substantially complete oxidation of the material also in the processing device prior to removal from the processing device.

Claim 23

The method of claim 16 wherein the retarding interdiffusion comprises oxidizing at least an outer portion of the alloy material and implanting oxygen ions into the outer portion, the oxidizing the outer portion and implanting occurring in situ with the forming an alloy material.

Claim 24

The method of claim 20 wherein the oxidizing the alloy material after the retarding interdiffusion comprises oxidizing an inner portion of the alloy material and such oxidizing occurs separately from the converting.

Claim 25

The method of claim 16 wherein the retarding interdiffusion occurs in situ with the forming the alloy material.

Claim 26

The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a passivation layer to carbon and nitrogen reaction over the alloy material, the oxidizing occurring after the forming the passivation layer.

Claim 27

The method of claim 23 wherein the forming the passivation layer occurs in situ with the forming the alloy material and the method further comprises oxidizing the passivation layer, the oxidizing the alloy material occurring in situ with the oxidizing the passivation layer.

Claim 28

The method of claim 16 wherein the converting comprises heating the oxidized alloy material and reaching a maximum temperature no more than about one-half of a melting point temperature of the oxidized alloy material having a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 29

The method of claim 16 further comprising converting an additional oxidized alloy material to a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 30

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming an alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing metal in the alloy layer; and converting the alloy layer to form a capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 31

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming an alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing metal in the alloy layer; and converting the alloy layer to form a capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 32

The method of claim 27 wherein at least two of the metals exhibit a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen.

Claim 33

The method of claim 27 wherein the oxidizing and the converting occur in different process chambers.

Claim 34

The method of claim 27 wherein the forming the alloy layer occurs in a processing device comprising one or more chambers and the oxidizing comprises substantially complete oxidation of the alloy layer also in the processing device prior to removal from the processing device.

Claim 35

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming an alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing at least an outer portion of the alloy layer and implanting oxygen ions into the outer portion, the oxidizing the outer portion and the implanting retarding interdiffusion of the metals; and converting the alloy layer to form a capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 36

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming an alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing at least an outer portion of the alloy layer and implanting oxygen ions into the outer portion, the oxidizing the outer portion and the implanting retarding interdiffusion of the metals; and converting the alloy layer to form a capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 37

The method of claim 27 wherein the oxidizing comprises oxidizing only a first portion of the alloy layer and the method further comprises, separately from the converting, oxidizing a second portion of the alloy layer beneath the first portion.

Claim 38

The method of claim 27 further comprising forming a passivation layer to carbon and nitrogen over the alloy layer.

Claim 39

The method of claim 27 wherein the converting comprises heating the oxidized alloy layer and reaching a maximum temperature no more than about one-half of a melting point temperature of the perovskite-type alloy layer.

Claim 40

The method of claim 27 further comprising converting an additional alloy layer to form an additional capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 41

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode in a processing device comprising one or more chambers; oxidizing a first portion of the deposited alloy layer with an oxygen plasma and implanting oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature in the processing device after the vacuum depositing but before removal from the processing device; oxidizing a second portion of the deposited alloy layer; and separately from the oxidizing the first and second portions, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting at least a portion of the oxidized alloy layer to a perovskite-type crystalline structure to form a capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature but no more than about one-half of a melting point temperature of the layer portion having the perovskite-type structure.

Claim 42

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode in a processing device comprising one or more chambers; oxidizing a first portion of the deposited alloy layer with an oxygen plasma and implanting oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature in the processing device after the vacuum depositing but before removal from the processing device; oxidizing a second portion of the deposited alloy layer; and separately from the oxidizing the first and second portions, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting at least a portion of the oxidized alloy layer to a perovskite-type crystalline structure to form a capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature but no more than about one-half of a melting point temperature of the layer portion having the perovskite-type structure.

Claim 43

The method of claim 36 wherein the oxidizing the first portion occurs in situ with the depositing.

Claim 44

The method of claim 36 wherein the oxidizing the first and second portions occurs together.

Claim 45

The method of claim 36 further comprising vacuum depositing a passivation layer to carbon and nitrogen reaction over the alloy layer and oxidizing the passivation layer to an additional dielectric layer before the oxidizing the second portion of the deposited alloy layer.

Claim 46

The method of claim 39 wherein the depositing the passivation layer occurs in the processing device after the oxidizing the first portion but before removal from the processing device.

Claim 47

The method of claim 39 wherein the oxidizing the second portion occurs in situ with the oxidizing the passivation layer.

Claim 48

The method of claim 36 wherein the second portion is oxidized at a third temperature between the first temperature and the second temperature.

Claim 49

The method of claim 36 further comprising converting at least a portion of an additional oxidized alloy layer to a perovskite-type crystalline structure to form an additional capacitor dielectric layer.

Claim 50

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming a first alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; forming a second alloy layer comprising at least two metals over the first alloy layer; oxidizing metal in the first alloy layer; oxidizing metal in the second alloy layer, processing the first alloy layer to form a first capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure; and processing the second alloy layer to form a second capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 51

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: forming a first alloy layer comprising at least two metals over a capacitor electrode; forming a second alloy layer comprising at least two metals over the first alloy layer; oxidizing metal in the first alloy layer; oxidizing metal in the second alloy layer, processing the first alloy layer to form a first capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure; and processing the second alloy layer to form a second capacitor dielectric layer comprising a perovskite-type crystalline structure.

Claim 52

The method of claim 44 comprising completing the processing the first alloy layer before the forming second alloy layer.

Claim 53

The method of claim 44 comprising oxidizing the first and second alloy layers together.

Claim 54

The method of claim 44 comprising processing the first and second alloy layers together.

Claim 55

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing substantially all of the deposited alloy layer using at least an oxygen plasma and implantation of oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature in situ with the depositing; and separately from the oxidizing, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting substantially all of the oxidized alloy layer to a crystalline structure to form a capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature and about one-third of a melting point temperature of the layer having the crystalline structure.

Claim 56

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing substantially all of the deposited alloy layer using at least an oxygen plasma and implantation of oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature in situ with the depositing; and separately from the oxidizing, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting substantially all of the oxidized alloy layer to a crystalline structure to form a capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature and about one-third of a melting point temperature of the layer having the crystalline structure.

Claim 57

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing a first portion of the deposited alloy layer with an oxygen plasma and implanting oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature and in situ with the depositing the alloy layer; vacuum depositing a passivation layer to carbon and nitrogen reaction over the oxidized alloy layer in situ with the oxidizing the first portion; oxidizing the passivation layer to form an outer capacitor dielectric layer; oxidizing a second portion of the deposited alloy layer in situ with the oxidizing the passivation layer; separately from the oxidizing the first and second portions, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting at least a portion of the oxidized alloy layer to a crystalline structure to form an inner capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature and about one-third of a melting point temperature of the layer having the crystalline structure.

Claim 58

A capacitor dielectric forming method comprising: vacuum depositing an alloy layer comprising at least two metals exhibiting a substantial difference in chemical affinity for oxygen, the vacuum depositing occurring over a capacitor electrode; oxidizing a first portion of the deposited alloy layer with an oxygen plasma and implanting oxygen ions into the deposited alloy layer, the oxidizing and the implanting occurring at a first temperature and in situ with the depositing the alloy layer; vacuum depositing a passivation layer to carbon and nitrogen reaction over the oxidized alloy layer in situ with the oxidizing the first portion; oxidizing the passivation layer to form an outer capacitor dielectric layer; oxidizing a second portion of the deposited alloy layer in situ with the oxidizing the passivation layer; separately from the oxidizing the first and second portions, heating the oxidized alloy layer, converting at least a portion of the oxidized alloy layer to a crystalline structure to form an inner capacitor dielectric layer, and reaching a second temperature greater than the first temperature and about one-third of a melting point temperature of the layer having the crystalline structure.