Infineon Technologies Ag

Advanced Technology Materials, Inc.

Other

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Infineon Technologies LLC

Infineon Technologies North America Corp.

Frank S Hintermaier

Thomas H Baum

Bryan Clark Hendrix

Jeffrey F Roeder

Debra A Desrochers

Walter Hartner

Carlos Mazure-Espejo

Peter C Van Buskirk

G&uuml;nther Schindler

Volker Weinrich

Christine Dehm

Wolfgang Hoenlein

Manfred Engelhardt

Peter Van Buskirk

Jeff Roeder

Hermann Wendt

Rainer Bruchhaus

Joachim Hoepfner

Guenther Schindler

Gunther Schindler

Igor Kasko

Wolfgang H&ouml;nlein

Christoph Werner

Hans Cerva

Franz Winterauer

Ralf Metzger

The capacitor has a capacitor dielectric formed, in particular, as a high-&#x25a1;-dielectrical or ferroelectrical layer. A barrier layer is formed of a compound of a transition element with phosphorus, sulfur or arsenic. The barrier layer is underneath the capacitor dielectric. The barrier layer is oxygen-impermeable and thus prevents the oxidation of deep structures during high-temperature processes, in particular during the production of the capacitor dielectric.

Capacitor having a barrier layer made of a transition metal phosphide, arsenide or sulfide

A low temperature CVD process for deposition of bismuth-containing ceramic thin films suitable for integration to fabricate ferroelectric memory devices. The bismuth-containing film can be formed using a tris(&#x3b2;-diketonate) bismuth precursor. Films of amorphous SBT can be formed by CVD and then ferroannealed to produce films with Aurivillius phase composition having superior ferroelectric properties suitable for manufacturing high density FRAMs.

Low temperature chemical vapor deposition process for forming bismuth-containing ceramic thin films useful in ferroelectric memory devices

A method for producing a ferroelectric layer includes preparing a substrate, applying a layer of material, which will be subsequently converted into the ferroelectric layer, and changing the material into the ferroelectric layer by applying an outer electrical field aligned with the direction desired in the ferroelectric material and heat treating the material. By providing a first noble metal electrode on the surface before applying the material that is to become the ferroelectric layer and then subsequently forming a second noble metal electrode on the ferroelectric layer, a ferroelectric storage capacitor can be formed. If the substrate is provided with memory cells, which include at least one transistor for each cell and the above-mentioned ferroelectric storage capacitors, a ferroelectric memory arrangement can be produced.

Method for producing a ferroelectric layer

A method of forming a metal oxide ceramic layer is provided, in which a gaseous flow of a vaporized solution of a precursor organo metal compound in a volatile organic solvent, e.g., plus an oxidizing gas, in the presence of a protonating additive substance and/or activating agent in gaseous state, is conducted into contact with a surface of a substrate. The operation is effected under vacuum pressure at a thermal decomposition temperature for converting the precursor compound to its corresponding metal oxide, e.g., having the same oxidation state as in the precursor compound. The additive substance is present in an amount sufficient for facilitating thermal decomposition of the precursor compound and for controlling the in situ oxidation state of the deposited metal and the amount of oxygen in the formed layer, e.g., while suppressing formation of volatile intermediates and of vacancies in the formed layer. The activating agent is present in an amount sufficient for producing in situ hydrogen-active compounds for enhancing conversion of the precursor compound to its said metal oxide as well as for controlling the in situ oxidation state of the deposited metal and the amount of oxygen in the formed layer, e.g., while suppressing formation of volatile intermediates and of vacancies in the formed layer.

Method of controlled chemical vapor deposition of a metal oxide ceramic layer

A low temperature CVD process using a tris (&bgr;-diketonate) bismuth precursor for deposition of bismuth ceramic thin films suitable for integration to fabricate ferroelectric memory devices. Films of amorphous SBT can be formed by CVD and then ferroannealed to produce films with Aurivillius phase composition having superior ferroelectric properties suitable for manufacturing high density FRAMs.

A method for structuring ferroelectric layers on semiconductor substrates retains or regenerates the adherence and breakdown voltage resistance of the ferroelectric layer, which is especially significant for producing storage capacitors in large-scale integrated FeRAM and DRAM memory components. The addition of H O or O results principally in the recovery of the electrostatic breakdown strength of the ferroelectric layer, which is of importance in particular when the ferroelectric serves as a dielectric of a storage capacitor and has to withstand electric fields of 5-10&times;10 V/m without a significant leakage current.

Method of patterning ferroelectric layers

A non-volatile memory cell wherein the capacitor comprises a Bi-based metal oxide having a crystallographic texture to produce high switchable polarization.

Textured Bi-based oxide ceramic films

A barrier layer is provided to prevent the diffusion of excess mobile specie from a metal oxide ceramic into the substrate. The barrier layer is provided below the metal oxide ceramic, separating it from the substrate below.

Reduced diffusion of a mobile specie from a metal oxide ceramic

A process is described for etching oxide films containing at least one bismuth-containing oxide, in particular a ferroelectric bismuth-containing mixed oxide. A substrate onto which at least one oxide film containing at least one bismuth-containing oxide has been applied is provided. An etching solution containing from 2 to 20% by weight of a fluoride ion donor, from 15 to 60% by weight of nitric acid and from 20 to 83% by weight of water is brought into contact with the substrate so that the etching solution can react with the oxide film. The etching solution is removed from the substrate. The etching solution is also used in a process for structuring bismuth-containing oxide films.

Process for etching bismuth-containing oxide films

A process for producing an integrated semiconductor memory configuration, in particular one suited to the use of ferroelectric materials as storage dielectrics, in which a conductive connection between one electrode of a storage capacitor and a selection transistor is not produced until after the storage dielectric has been deposited; and a semiconductor memory configuration produced using the production process.

Process for producing an integrated semiconductor memory configuration

After an SBT layer is precipitated onto a substrate, the SBT layer is structured as a still amorphous layer. Only subsequently is it subjected to a crystallization process. Layers produced in this manner have a relatively high degree of dielectric strength and have no stoichiometric deviations on the etched edges.

Method for preventing etching-induced damage to a metal oxide film by patterning the film after a nucleation anneal but while still amorphous and then thermally annealing to crystallize

A new complex of an element of transition group IV or V is provided for forming an improved precursor combination for use in chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This complex dispenses with an alkoxide ligand having an &agr; proton, so that hydrolysis of the complex no longer liberates a reducing agent.

Complex of an element of transition group IV or V for forming an improved precursor combination

Chemical vapor deposition is used to form a film of Bi oxide, Sr oxide, and Ta oxide on a heated substrate by decomposing the precursors of these oxides at the surface of the substrate. The precursor of Bi oxide is a Bi complex which includes at least one alkoxide group and is decomposed and deposited at a temperature lower than 450&deg; C. The film of Bi, Sr, and Ta oxides obtained by low-temperature CVD is predominantly non-ferroelectric, but can be converted into a ferroelectric film by a subsequent heating process.

Low temperature CVD processes for preparing ferroelectric films using Bi alcoxides

A method for fabricating a patterned layer from a layer material. The method includes steps of: providing a substrate with at least one target region and at least one migration region; applying a layer material; adding a material to the layer material; and performing a heat treatment such that the layer material migrates from the migration region to the target region and a layer which is self-aligned and self-patterned with respect to the target region is formed. The method has the advantage that the layer material, which can often only be etched with difficulty, does not have to be patterned directly. The desired structure of the layer is predetermined by preliminarily structuring the substrate into a target region and a migration region, and is produced by the migration of the layer material as a result of the heat treatment.

Method for fabricating a patterned layer

A solvent composition for liquid delivery chemical vapor deposition of metal organic precursors, to form metal-containing films such as SrBi Ta O (SBT) films for memory devices. An SBT film may be formed using precursors such as Sr(thd) (tetraglyme), Ta(OiPr) (thd) and Bi(thd) which are dissolved in a solvent medium comprising one or more alkanes. Specific alkane solvent compositions may advantageously used for MOCVD of metal organic compound(s) such as &bgr;-diketonate compounds or complexes, compound(s) including alkoxide ligands, and compound(s) including alkyl and/or aryl groups at their outer (molecular) surface, or compound(s) including other ligand coordination species and specific metal constituents.

Growing community of inventors

Munich, Germany

Frank S Hintermaier