Intermolecular, Inc.

Elpida Memory, Inc.

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Imec

Elpidia Memory, Inc.

Wim Deweerd

Hiroyuki Ode

Hanhong Chen

Sandra Guy Malhotra

Xiangxin Rui

Edward L Haywood

Kenichi Koyanagi

Mitsuhiro Horikawa

Karthik Ramani

Tony P Chiang

Toshiyuki Hirota

Nobumichi Fuchigami

Gerald Donald Richardson

Arthur Gevondyan

Yun Yu Wang

Prashant B Phatak

David Paul Brunco

Wilfried B Vandervorst

Jason S Reid

Paul A Zimmerman

Kuo-Wei Chang

Lars-Ake Ragnarsson

Stefan De Gendt

Tom Schram

Jinwook Lee

Kim Van Berkel

Kazuhiko Yamamoto

Aleshandre M Diaz

Provided are MIM DRAM capacitors and methods of forming thereof. A MIM DRAM capacitor may include an electrode layer formed from a high work function material (e.g., greater than about 5.0 eV). This layer may be used to reduce the leakage current through the capacitor. The capacitor may also include another electrode layer having a high conductivity base portion and a conductive metal oxide portion. The conductive metal oxide portion serves to promote the growth of the high k phase of the dielectric layer.

High work function, manufacturable top electrode

A method for doping a dielectric material by pulsing a first dopant precursor, purging the non-adsorbed precursor, pulsing a second precursor, purging the non-adsorbed precursor, and pulsing a oxidant to form an intermixed layer of two (or more) metal oxide dielectric dopant materials. The method may also be used to form a blocking layer between a bulk dielectric layer and a second electrode layer. The method improves the control of the composition and the control of the uniformity of the dopants throughout the thickness of the doped dielectric material.

Adsorption site blocking method for co-doping ALD films

A metal oxide bilayer second electrode for a MIM DRAM capacitor is formed wherein the layer of the electrode that is in contact with the dielectric layer (i.e. bottom layer) has a desired composition and crystal structure. An example is crystalline MoOif the dielectric layer is TiOin the rutile phase. The other component of the bilayer (i.e. top layer) is a sub-oxide of the same material as the bottom layer. The top layer serves to protect the bottom layer from oxidation during subsequent PMA or other DRAM fabrication steps by reacting with any oxygen species before they can reach the bottom layer of the bilayer second electrode.

Molybdenum oxide top electrode for DRAM capacitors

A photomask is provide. The photomask includes a substrate having a multi-layer stack disposed over the substrate. The multilayer stack has alternating first second and third layers disposed over each other, wherein the first, second and third layers are composed of first, second and third materials, respectively, and wherein at least the second layer is formed through an atomic layer deposition process. A capping layer is disposed over the multilayer stack; and an absorber layer disposed over the capping layer. A method for evaluating materials, unit processes, and process sequences for manufacturing a photomask is also provided.

Method and apparatus for EUV mask having diffusion barrier

A method of removing non-noble metal oxides from material (e.g., semiconductor material) used to make a microelectronic device includes providing the material comprising traces of the conducting non-noble metal oxides; applying a chemical mixture (or chemical solution) to the material; removing the traces of the non-noble metal oxides from the material; and removing the chemical mixture from the material. The non-noble metal oxides comprise MoO, wherein x is a positive number between 0 and 3. The chemical solution comprises any one of HNO-based chemicals, HSO-based chemicals, HCl-based chemicals, or NHOH-based chemicals.

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A method for forming a DRAM MIM capacitor stack having low leakage current and low EOT involves the use of an compound high k dielectric material. The dielectric material further comprises a dopant. One component of the compound high k dielectric material is present in a concentration between about 30 atomic % and about 80 atomic and more preferably between about 40 atomic % and about 60 atomic %. In some embodiments, the compound high k dielectric material comprises an alloy of TiOand ZrOand further comprises a dopant of AlO. In some embodiments, the compound high k dielectric material comprises an admixture of TiOand HfOand further comprises a dopant of AlO.

Band gap improvement in DRAM capacitors

A method for forming a DRAM MIM capacitor stack having low leakage current and low EOT involves the use of a first electrode that serves as a template for promoting the high k phase of a subsequently deposited first dielectric layer. The first high k dielectric layer comprises a doped material that can be crystallized after a subsequent annealing treatment. An amorphous, doped high k second dielectric material is form on the first dielectric layer. The dopant concentration and the thickness of the second dielectric layer are chosen such that the second dielectric layer remains amorphous after a subsequent annealing treatment. A second electrode layer compatible with the second dielectric layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.

Single-sided non-noble metal electrode hybrid MIM stack for DRAM devices

A method for fabricating a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) capacitor stack is disclosed wherein the stack includes a first electrode, a dielectric layer, and a second electrode. The first electrode is formed from a conductive binary metal compound and the conductive binary metal compound is annealed in a reducing atmosphere to promote the formation of a desired crystal structure. The binary metal compound may be a metal oxide. Annealing the metal oxide (i.e. molybdenum oxide) in a reducing atmosphere may result in the formation of a first electrode material (i.e. MoO) with a rutile-phase crystal structure. This facilitates the formation of the rutile-phase crystal structure when TiOis used as the dielectric layer. The rutile-phase of TiOhas a higher k value than the other possible crystal structures of TiOresulting in improved performance of the DRAM capacitor.

Method for fabricating a DRAM capacitor

A method for processing dielectric materials and electrodes to decrease leakage current is disclosed. The method includes a post dielectric anneal treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere to reduce the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the dielectric material. The method further includes a post metallization anneal treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere to reduce the concentration of interface states at the electrode/dielectric interface and to further reduce the concentration of oxygen vacancies in the dielectric material.

Method of processing MIM capacitors to reduce leakage current

A method for forming a DRAM MIM capacitor stack having low leakage current and low EOT involves the use of an compound high k dielectric material. The dielectric material further comprises a dopant. One component of the compound high k dielectric material is present in a concentration between about 30 atomic % and about 80 atomic % and more preferably between about 40 atomic % and about 60 atomic %. In some embodiments, the compound high k dielectric material comprises an alloy of TiOand ZrOand further comprises a dopant of AlO. In some embodiments, the compound high k dielectric material comprises an admixture of TiOand HfOand further comprises a dopant of AlO.

A method for forming a capacitor stack is described. In some embodiments of the present invention, a first dielectric material is formed above a first electrode material. The first electrode material is rigid and has good mechanical strength and serves as a robust frame for the capacitor stack. The first dielectric material is sufficiently thin (&#x3c;2 nm) or highly doped so that it remains amorphous after subsequent anneal treatments. A second dielectric material is formed above the first dielectric material. The second dielectric material is sufficiently thick (&#x3e;3 nm) or lightly doped or non-doped so that it crystallizes after subsequent anneal treatments. A second electrode material is formed adjacent to the second dielectric material. The second electrode material has a high work function and a crystal structure that serves to promote the formation of the high k-value crystal structure of the second dielectric material.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Wim Deweerd