Patent · US Expired

Silicon nitride barrier for capacitance maximization of tantalum oxide capacitor

US6258653A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
3References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 24, 2000
Grant dateJul 10, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 24, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D1/684
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of making a capacitor on a conductive surface, preferably on a polysilicon surface includes contamination cleaning the surface with a high density plasma (HDP) of a first gaseous agent, such as hydrogen, then growing a silicon nitride barrier layer on the surface using a high density plasma (HDP) of nitrogen. A layer of tantalum oxide is then deposited on the silicon nitride layer to form a capacitor dielectric layer. A second silicon nitride layer is then grown on the capacitor dielectric layer, also using an HDP nitrogen plasma with the addition of a silicon containing gas, such as silane. Finally, a conductive layer is deposited on the second silicon nitride layer to form the capacitor. The HDP plasma is heated using an inductively coupled radio frequency generator. The invention also includes a capacitor constructed on a conductive surface by the method of the invention.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.