Patent · US Expired

Dielectric trenches, nickel/tantalum oxide structures, and chemical mechanical polishing techniques

US7510928B2 · kind B2 · utility

30Cited by
18References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 2006
Grant dateMar 31, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 6, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/3025
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A portion of a conductive layer (310, 910) provides a capacitor electrode (310.0, 910.0). Dielectric trenches (410, 414, 510) are formed in the conductive layer to insulate the capacitor electrode from those portions of the conductive layer which are used for conductive paths passing through the electrode but insulated from the electrode. Capacitor dielectric (320) can be formed by anodizing tantalum while a nickel layer (314) protects an underlying copper (310) from the anodizing solution. This protection allows the tantalum layer to be made thin to obtain large capacitance. Chemical mechanical polishing of a layer (610) is made faster, and hence possibly less expensive, by first patterning the layer photolithographically to form, and/or increase in height, upward protrusions of this layer.

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