US6797525B2
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Fabrication process for a semiconductor device having a metal oxide dielectric material with a high dielectric constant, annealed with a buffered anneal process
Assignee: Bell Semiconductor LLC
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Filing: 2002-05-22
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Granted: 2004-09-28
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Expires: 2022-05-22
Abstract
Abstract A method of forming an annealed high-K metal oxide transistor gate structure is disclosed. A metal oxide layer is formed over a semiconductor substrate. The metal oxide layer undergoes a buffered annealed process in an oxygen atmosphere to anneal the metal oxide layer at or below the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of SiO/SiO 2 and at or above the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of the metal oxide layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Martin L. Green
- 👤 Glen D. Wilk
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:48
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/013; H10D64/01302; H10D64/01332; H10D64/01336; H10D64/0134; H10D64/01342; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/68; H10D64/681; H10D64/685; H10D64/691; H10D64/693; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/63; H10P14/6326; H10P14/6328; H10P14/65; H10P14/6502; H10P14/6506; H10P14/6516; H10P14/6529; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10D1/682; H10D1/684; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6938; H10P14/6939; H10P14/69391
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
68 words
A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: forming a metal oxide dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate; and, annealing said dielectric layer using an oxygen atmosphere buffered anneal process in which a partial pressure of oxygen is controlled such that annealing occurs at or below the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of SiO/SiO 2 and at or above the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of said dielectric layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
68 words
A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: forming a metal oxide dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate; and, annealing said dielectric layer using an oxygen atmosphere buffered anneal process in which a partial pressure of oxygen is controlled such that annealing occurs at or below the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of SiO/SiO 2 and at or above the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of said dielectric layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 1 , further comprising forming an interfacial layer between said metal oxide dielectric layer and said substrate prior to said annealing, said interfacial layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and a chemically-prepared silicon oxide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide dielectric layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a unary, binary, and ternary metal oxide layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide dielectric layer is formed in combination with SiO 2 , forming a silicate layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide dielectric layer is formed in combination with Al 2 O 3 , forming an aluminate layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said metal oxide dielectric layer comprises Al 2 O 3 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said annealing is conducted in a manner which causes said formed metal oxide dielectric layer to have a composition that is approximately stoichiometric.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said control of the partial pressure of oxygen is performed by direct control of oxygen flow.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as in claim 1 , wherein said control of the partial pressure of oxygen is performed by controlling the gas flow ratio of a buffered gas mixture.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 9 , wherein said buffered gas mixture comprises a gas mixture selected from the group consisting of a CO 2 /CO mixture and an H 2 O/H 2 mixture.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
57 words
A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: forming a metal oxide dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate; and, annealing said dielectric layer using an oxygen atmosphere buffered anneal process in which a partial pressure of oxygen is controlled such that annealing occurs at or near the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of said dielectric layer.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
57 words
A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising the steps of: forming a metal oxide dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate; and, annealing said dielectric layer using an oxygen atmosphere buffered anneal process in which a partial pressure of oxygen is controlled such that annealing occurs at or near the thermodynamic chemical equilibrium of said dielectric layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method as in claim 11 , further comprising forming an interfacial layer between said metal oxide dielectric layer and said substrate prior to said annealing, said interfacial layer comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon dioxide, silicon oxynitride, and a chemically-prepared silicon oxide.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 11 , wherein said metal oxide dielectric layer comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of a unary, binary, and ternary metal oxide layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as in claim 11 , wherein said buffered annealing process is conducted in a manner which causes said formed metal oxide dielectric layer to have a composition that is approximately stoichiometric.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as in claim 11 , wherein said control of the partial pressure of oxygen is performed by direct control of oxygen flow.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method as in claim 11 , wherein said control of the partial pressure of oxygen in is performed by controlling the gas flow ratio of a buffered gas mixture.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as in claim 16 , wherein said buffered gas mixture comprises a gas mixture selected from the group consisting of a CO 2 /CO mixture and an H 2 O/H 2 mixture.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of as in claim 11 , further comprising annealing said dielectric layer in a second oxygen atmosphere buffered anneal process in which a partial pressure of oxygen is controlled such that annealing occurs at or near the thermodynamic equilibrium of SiO/SiO 2 .
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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