Patent · US Expired

Gate dielectric

US6700171B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
7References
32Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 29, 2001
Grant dateMar 2, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 29, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L21/28202
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The use of doped or undoped rare-earth silicates, according to the formula MSixOy wherein M is a rare-earth element, in semiconductor technology is disclosed. In particular, gadolinium silicate as a gate dielectric of a metal-insulating-semiconductor device is disclosed. The insulator of the metal-insulating-semiconductor device is fabricated by exposing a suitably cleaned and terminated surface of a semiconductor substrate to a simultaneous or sequential flux of rare-earth atoms, silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, and annealing the resulting rare-earth containing layer. The use of higher dielectric constant material, such as provided by the invention, reduces the tunneling current through the device, since layers of greater thickness can be used.

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