Staircase-based metal-insulator-metal (mim) capacitors

Abstract

Multi-plate MIM capacitors include a staircase structure, with steps including a high-k capacitor dielectric and one or more electrode plates. Contacts pass through insulator fill material and land on the electrode plate of a respective step. A recess passes through the staircase structure. In some examples, the recess is filled with insulator material, and steps of the staircase structure have a bilayer structure (e.g., lower layer of capacitor dielectric and upper layer of capacitor electrode plate). In other examples, the recess is filled with conductive material. In such cases, steps of the staircase structure have a multilayer structure that includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion includes insulator material and the upper portion includes a layer of capacitor dielectric between first and second capacitor electrode plates, with the second capacitor electrode plates being continuous with, or otherwise in contact with, the conductive material in the recess.