Patent · US Expired

Method of forming a low leakage dielectric layer providing an increased capacitive coupling

US6812159B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by

5References

33Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. · US

Inventors

Karsten Wieczorek · Dresden, DE
Falk Graetsch · Dresden, DE
Lutz Herrmann · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 22, 2003
Grant date	Nov 2, 2004
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Apr 22, 2023

Classification

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

Abstract

A method of forming a dielectric layer that may be used as a dielectric separating a gate electrode from a channel region of a field effect transistor is provided which allows a high capacitive coupling while still maintaining a low leakage current level. This is achieved by introducing a dopant, for example nitrogen, that increases the resistance of the dielectric layer by means of low energy plasma irradiation, wherein an initial layer thickness is selected to substantially avoid penetration of the dopant into the underlying material. Subsequently, dielectric material is removed by an atomic layer etch to finally obtain the required design thickness.

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