U.S. Philips Corporation

Robertus A Wolters

Mathieu J Ulenaers

Edwin T Swart

Poul K Larsen

Johanna Hhm Kemperman

Mareike K Klee

Cornelis A Mutsaers

Hans-Wolfgang Brand

Rainer M Waser

Andreas M Van Der Putten

Albertus G Dirks

Alexander G Jonkers

Johan W De Vries

The invention relates to a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body (3) with a semiconductor element (1) with an electrically conducting region (5) on which a capacitor (2) forming a memory element is present with a lower electrode (11), an oxidic ferroelectric dielectric (12), and an upper electrode (13), which lower electrode (11) makes electrical contact with the conducting region (5) and comprises a layer with a conductive metal oxide (112) and a layer (111) comprising platinum. The layer with the conductive metal oxide (112) acts as an oxygen barrier during manufacture. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device. According to the invention, the device is characterized in that the layer comprising platinum (111) contains more than 15 atom % of a metal capable of forming a conductive metal oxide, and in that the layer (112) with the conductive metal oxide is present between the layer (111) comprising platinum and the ferroelectric dielectric (12). A good electrical contact between the lower electrode (11) and the conducting region (5) after manufacture is achieved thereby.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a

A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices whereby first a Ti layer (8) and then a TiN layer (9) are deposited on slices of semiconductor material (20). The slices are placed on a support (30) one after the other in a deposition chamber (22), the support being positioned opposite a target of Ti (32) surrounded by an annular anode (31). Material is then sputtered off the target by means of a plasma (35) generated near the target. The plasma is generated in Ar during deposition of the Ti layer and in a gas mixture of Ar and N.sub.2 during deposition of the TiN layer. After the deposition of the TiN layer, before a next slice is placed in the chamber each time, the target is cleaned during an additional process step in that material is sputtered off the target by means of a plasma generated in Ar. The additional process step is ended the moment the target has regained a clean Ti surface again. It is achieved by this that an extra Ti layer comprising nitrogen is indeed deposited on the TiN layer during this additional process step, but that this is as thin as possible and accordingly contains as little free Ti as possible. Undesirable chemical reactions between free Ti and the conductive layers deposited on the layer comprising nitrogen are suppressed as much as possible thereby.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices each including a

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body (3) with a semiconductor element (1) with an electrically conducting region (5) on which a capacitor (2) forming a memory element is present with a lower electrode (11), an oxidic ferroelectric dielectric (12), and an upper electrode (13), which lower electrode (11) makes electrical contact with the conducting region (5) and includes a layer with a conductive metal oxide (112) and a layer (111) including platinum. The layer with the conductive metal oxide (112) acts as an oxygen barrier during manufacture. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a semiconductor device. The device is characterized in that the layer including platinum (111) contains more than 15 atom % of a metal capable of forming a conductive metal oxide, and in that the layer (112) with the conductive metal oxide is present between the layer (111) comprising platinum and the ferroelectric dielectric (12). A good electrical contact between the lower electrode (11) and the conducting region (5) after manufacture is achieved thereby.

Semiconductor device having a ferroelectric memory element with a lower

A semiconductor device in which a capacitor (2) is provided on a surface (10) of a semiconductor body (3) with a semiconductor element (1) in which a lower electrode (11), an oxidic ferroelectric dielectric (12) and an upper electrode (13) are provided in that order, the upper electrode not covering an edge of the dielectric, after which an insulating layer (14) with superimposed metal conductor tracks is provided. According to the invention, the edge of the dielectric (12) not covered by the upper electrode (13) is coated with a coating layer (14, 20, or 30) practically imperviable to hydrogen, after which the device is heated in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. Heating in a hydrogen atmosphere neutralizes dangling bonds which arise during deposition of the conductor tracks on the insulating layer, while the coating layer protects the dielectric from attacks by hydrogen. The semiconductor device then has a shorter access time.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a capacitor with a

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby on a surface (1) of a semiconductor body (2) a layer comprising aluminum (3) is deposited, in which conductor tracks (4) are etched, between which then an insulating aluminum compound (6) is provided in that a layer of such a material (7) is deposited, which layer is then removed down to the conductor tracks (4) by a bulk reducing treatment, upon which an insulating layer (11) is deposited into which contact windows (13, 14) are etched down to the layer comprising aluminum (4) for local contacting of the conductor tracks (4). The conductor tracks (4) are provided with a top layer (8) before the deposition of the insulating aluminum compound, and the aluminum compound is removed again down to the top layer (8) after the deposition by means of a polishing treatment which is practically incapable of removing the top layer (8). Mutually insulated conductor tracks (4) can be made in this manner which are suitable for use in integrated circuits with a very high integration density (VLSI).

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a surface of a

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a capacitor

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is set forth comprising a semiconductor body (1) having a surface (2) adjoined by a semiconductor region (3) and a field oxide region (4) surrounding this region, on which surface (2) is provided a metal layer (13), in which a conductor track (17, 18) is formed, after which an isolating layer of silicon oxide (19) is deposited over the conductor track (17, 18) on the surface (2). According to the invention, before the layer of silicon oxide (19) is provided over the conductor track (17, 18), this track is provided with a top layer (16) of an oxidation-preventing material. By providing this top layer (16), it is avoided that the conductor track (17, 18) covered by silicon oxide (19) has a high electrical resistance or even an electrical interruption.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a metal

A semiconductor device with a semiconductor body (1) whose surface (4) is provided with a barrier layer (8) of Ti.sub.x W.sub.1-x, with 0.1&lt;x&lt;0.3. The barrier layer (8) is used, for example, between contact zones (3) of silicon or metal silicides provided in the semiconductor body (1) and conductor tracks (9) of aluminium provided on the surface (4) with the purpose of counteracting chemical reactions between silicon and aluminium. According to the invention, the barrier layer (8) is so deposited that in this layer the distance between the (100) lattice faces of tungsten is greater than 2.25.ANG.. It is achieved in this way that the barrier layer (8) has equally good or even better barrier properties as/than a Ti.sub.x W.sub.1-x layer which has been exposed to air for a few days. It is found that, if the barrier layer (8) is deposited by means of a sputter deposition process, the distance between the (100) lattice faces of W is determined by the voltage applied to the sputter target during deposition.

Semiconductor device having a surface with a barrier layer of Ti.sub.x

A semiconductor device with a monocrystalline silicon body (1) is provided with a dielectric layer (2) with contact holes (3) through which the silicon body (1) is contacted with an aluminum metallization. To avoid undesirable separation of silicon, a discontinuous nucleus layer (5) of a metal nobler than silicon is formed on the silicon body (1) in the contact holes (3) preceding the provision of the metallization (4). Metals such as palladium and copper may be used to form the discontinuous layer.

Semiconductor contact with discontinuous noble metal

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby a layer (3) containing aluminium is deposited by means of a sputter deposition process on a surface (1) of a semiconductor body (2) which is placed on a holder (21) in a reaction chamber (20). The semiconductor body (2) is cooled down to a temperature below 150 K. during the deposition process. A smooth, flat layer with a good step coverage is deposited in this way.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device whereby a layer

A method of manufacturing monolayer capacitors having a ferroelectric layer on the basis of titanium as a dielectric on a substrate, the ferroelectric layer being located between a first and a second noble metal electrode, in which the ferroelectric layer is formed as a barium titanate layer having a layer thickness in the range of from 0.2 to 0.6 .mu.m in that a stable solution of salts of carbonic acids, alkoxides and/or acetyl acetonates is applied and is thermally decomposed at temperatures in the range of from 500.degree. to 700.degree. C., the solution constituting the ferroelectric layer being adjusted so that after the thermal decomposition process an excess quantity of titanium oxide of about 1 mol. % is obtained, and this coating process being repeated until the desired layer thickness is attained, after which the second noble metal electrode is provided on the ferroelectric layer.

Method of manufacturing mono-layer capacitors

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor body (3) with a surface (10) on which capacitors (2) are provided, which form memory elements, with a lower electrode (11) including platinum, a ferroelectric dielectric material (12) and an upper electrode (13) is presented. In the method according to the invention, the electrodes (11, 13) including platinum are formed by the successive deposition on a surface of a first layer (19, 26) comprising a metal from the group titanium, zirconium, hafnium or an alloy of these metals, a second layer (20, 27) comprising platinum, and a third layer (21, 28) comprising a metal from the group titanium, zirconium, hafnium, or an alloy of these metals, upon which the semiconductor body is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen. The first metal layer ensures a good adhesion of the electrode, the second layer acts as the electrode proper, while the third metal layer counteracts adverse effects of the first layer. Semiconductor devices having electrodes with good adhesion and a smooth surface can be manufactured in such a way. As a result, the semicondcutor device is reliable, while switching of the capacitors (2) acting as memory elements between two polarization states takes place at a positive and a negative voltage of equal value.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Robertus A Wolters