US7037862B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Dielectric layer forming method and devices formed therewith
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
•
Filing: 2001-06-13
•
Granted: 2006-05-02
•
Expires: 2021-06-13
Abstract
Abstract Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide alternative materials, and methods of forming such materials, that are effective as dielectric layers. Such embodiments include forming metal-containing dielectric layers over a silicon-containing substrate where a metal-containing layer is first formed and that treated to form a dielectric layer. Dielectric layers formed by methods of the present invention have a dielectric constant greater than that of silicon dioxide, and can have an equivalent oxide thickness of less than 2 nanometers. Such dielectric layers are useful in the forming of a variety of semiconductor devices such as transistors, capacitors and the like where such devices and integrated circuits formed from such devices are encompassed by embodiments in accordance with the present invention.
Inventors
- 👤 Kie Y. Ahn
- 👤 Leonard Forbes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:01
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P14/00; H10P14/60; H10P14/66; H10P14/662; H10D; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/013; H10D64/01302; H10D64/01332; H10D64/01336; H10D64/0134; H10D64/01342; H10D64/0135; H10D64/60; H10D64/66; H10D64/68; H10D64/681; H10D64/685; H10D64/691; H10P14/63; H10P14/6302; H10P14/6304; H10P14/6314; H10P14/69; H10P14/692; H10P14/6938; H10P14/6939; H10B; H10B12/00; H10B12/01; H10B12/02; H10B12/03; H10B12/05; H10D1/00; H10D1/60; H10D1/68; H10P14/69392; H10P14/69396
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of corming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a first metal-containing layer over the surface, all the metal of the first layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IVB of the periodic table; forming a second metal-containing layer on and in contact with the first metal-containing layer, all the metal of the second layer consisting of at least one element selected from GROUP IIIB of the periodic table; exposing the first layer and the second layer to an oxygen comprising atmosphere and heating the first layer and the second layer to temperature effective to form a first metal-containing dielectric layer consisting of metal oxide and a second metal-containing dielectric layer consisting of metal oxide; and including the first and second metal-containing dielectric layers in an integrated circuit device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of corming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a first metal-containing layer over the surface, all the metal of the first layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IVB of the periodic table; forming a second metal-containing layer on and in contact with the first metal-containing layer, all the metal of the second layer consisting of at least one element selected from GROUP IIIB of the periodic table; exposing the first layer and the second layer to an oxygen comprising atmosphere and heating the first layer and the second layer to temperature effective to form a first metal-containing dielectric layer consisting of metal oxide and a second metal-containing dielectric layer consisting of metal oxide; and including the first and second metal-containing dielectric layers in an integrated circuit device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal of the first metal-containing dielectric layer consists of hafnium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , where the metal of the second metal-containing dielectric layer consists of one element selected from Group IIIB of the periodic table.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , where the metal of the second metal-containing dielectric layer consists of lanthanum.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal-containing layer is a hafnium-containing layer and the second metal- containing layer is a lanthanum-containing layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 5 , where forming the hafnium- containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer comprises physical vapor deposition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 5 , where the exposing comprises ion bombardment of the first hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer using an ion bombardment energy of about 10 electron volts (eV) or less.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 7 where the heating comprises heating to a temperature from about 200° C. to about 400 C. during the ion bombardment.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 5 , where the exposing comprises positioning the substrate within a reaction chamber and exposing the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to oxygen radicals within the reaction chamber.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 5 , where: the forming the hafnium-containing dielectric layer comprises depositing hafnium to a thickness less than or equal to about 5 nanometer (nm); and the forming the lanthanum-containing dielectric layer comprises depositing lanthanum to a thickness less than or equal to about 5 nm.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 10 comprising a ratio of the hafnium thickness to the lanthanum thickness of from about 1 to 3 to about 1 to 4.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
The method of claim 5 , where; the forming the hafnium-containing dielectric layer comprises forming a layer containing hafnium to a thickness of about 1 nm; the forming the lanthanum-containing dielectric layer comprises forming a layer containing lanthanum to a thickness no greater than about 5 nm; and wherein a ratio of thicknesses of the hafnium-containing layer to the lanthanum-containing layer is from about 1 to 3 to about 1 to 4.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , where the forming of the first and second metal-containing dielectric layers comprises physical vapor deposition.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 13 , where physical vapor deposition comprises electron beam evaporation.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 1 , where forming the first metal-containing dielectric layer and the second metal-containing dielectric layer comprises forming the layers to have respective thicknesses having a ratio of from about 4:1 to about 1:4.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 , where the first metal-containing dielectric layer consists of hafnium oxide and the second metal-containing dielectric layer consists of lanthanum oxide.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least one portion of the surface; forming a metal layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; heating the metal lever and layer of silicon dioxide to a temperature of from about 200° C. to less than 400° C. and combining metal of the metal layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a metal oxide dielectric material comprised by a first metal-containing dielectric lever over the surface, all the metal of the first dielectric layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IVB of the periodic table; and forming a second metal-containing dielectric layer on and in contact with the first metal-containing dielectric layer, all the metal of the second dielectric layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IIIB of the periodic table.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
153 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least one portion of the surface; forming a metal layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; heating the metal lever and layer of silicon dioxide to a temperature of from about 200° C. to less than 400° C. and combining metal of the metal layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a metal oxide dielectric material comprised by a first metal-containing dielectric lever over the surface, all the metal of the first dielectric layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IVB of the periodic table; and forming a second metal-containing dielectric layer on and in contact with the first metal-containing dielectric layer, all the metal of the second dielectric layer consisting of at least one element selected from Group IIIB of the periodic table.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 17 , wherein the metal layer comprises hafnium.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 18 , wherein the combining comprises providing conditions effective for the hafnium of the metal layer to chemically reduce the silicon dioxide layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 17 wherein the second dielectric layer consists of metal oxide.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least onoe portion of the surface; forming a hafnium-containing layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; combining hafnium of the hafnium-containing layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a hafnium oxide over the surface; forming a lanthanum-containing layer over the hafnium-containing layer; and exposing the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-contaning layer to an oxygen comprising atmosphere by ion bombardment using an energy of about 10 electron volts (eV) or less, and heating the hafnium- containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to a temperature effective to form a hafnium-containing dielectric layer and a lanthanum- containing dielectric layer.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
122 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least onoe portion of the surface; forming a hafnium-containing layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; combining hafnium of the hafnium-containing layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a hafnium oxide over the surface; forming a lanthanum-containing layer over the hafnium-containing layer; and exposing the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-contaning layer to an oxygen comprising atmosphere by ion bombardment using an energy of about 10 electron volts (eV) or less, and heating the hafnium- containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to a temperature effective to form a hafnium-containing dielectric layer and a lanthanum- containing dielectric layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 21 , where the heating comprises heating to a temperature from about 200° C. to about 200° C. during the ion bombardment.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least one portion of the surface; forming a hafnium-containing layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; combining hafnium of the hafnium-containing layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a hafnium oxide over the surface; forming a lanthanum-containing layer over hafnium-containing layer; and positioning the substrate within a reaction chamber and exposing the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to oxygen radicals within the raction chamber and heating the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to a temperature effective to form a hafnium-containing dielectric layer and a lanthanum-containing dielectric layer.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of forming a dielectric layer comprising: providing a substrate comprising a silicon-containing surface; forming a layer of silicon dioxide overlying at least one portion of the surface; forming a hafnium-containing layer over the layer of silicon dioxide; combining hafnium of the hafnium-containing layer with oxygen of the silicon dioxide layer to form a hafnium oxide over the surface; forming a lanthanum-containing layer over hafnium-containing layer; and positioning the substrate within a reaction chamber and exposing the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to oxygen radicals within the raction chamber and heating the hafnium-containing layer and the lanthanum-containing layer to a temperature effective to form a hafnium-containing dielectric layer and a lanthanum-containing dielectric layer.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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