Patent · US Expired

Method of forming a multilayer dielectric stack

US6627503B2 · kind B2 · utility

649Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 2002
Grant dateSep 30, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 30, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/693
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A multilayer dielectric stack is provided which has alternating layers of a high-k material and an interposing material. The presence of the interposing material and the thinness of the high-k material layers reduces or eliminate effects of crystallization within the high-k material, even at relatively high annealing temperatures. The high-k dielectric layers are a metal oxide of preferably zirconium or hafnium. The interposing layers are preferably amorphous aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, or silicon nitride. Because the layers reduce the effects of crystalline structures within individual layers, the overall tunneling current is reduced. Also provided are atomic layer deposition, sputtering, and evaporation as methods of depositing desired materials for forming the above-mentioned multilayer dielectric stack.

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