Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a semiconductor device which is made superior in a characteristic and reliability by optimizing the inclination of the side face of a capacitor. SOLUTION: This semiconductor device comprises a capacitor which contains a semiconductor substrate 10; a lower electrode 21 provided on the upper side of the semiconductor substrate, a dielectric film 22 provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode 23 provided on the dielectric film; and a mask film 31 which is provided on the upper electrode, and is used as a mask when the pattern of the capacitor is formed. The inclination of the side face of the mask film is gentler than the inclination of the side face of the upper electrode and the inclination of the side face of the dielectric film. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide: a measurement system by which corner rounding is reduced; a measurement method; an alteration of a mask; and a lithography process. SOLUTION: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a mask having a plurality of corner rounding test patterns formed thereon. A layer of photosensitive material of a first semiconductor device is patterned with a plurality of corner rounding test features using the mask and a lithography process. An amount of the corner rounding of the lithography process is measured by analyzing the plurality of corner rounding test features formed on the layer of photosensitive material of the semiconductor device, compared with a plurality of other corner rounding test features. The lithography process or the mask is altered in response to the amount of corner rounding measured, and a second semiconductor device is provided. The second semiconductor device is processed using the altered lithography process or the altered mask. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
The present invention provides a sidewall oxygen diffusion barrier and method for fabricating the sidewall oxygen diffusion barrier to reduce the diffusion of oxygen to contact plugs during CW hole reactive ion etch processing of a ferroelectric capacitor of an FeRAM device. In one embodiment the sidewall barrier is formed from a substrate fence, while in another embodiment the sidewall barrier is formed by etching back an oxygen barrier.
Abstract:
A ferroelectric capacitor device, such as an FeRAM device is formed by forming a substrate extending in a first plane and comprising a number of layers of material, forming a hard mask layer on the substrate and forming a first layer of a first material on the hard mask layer. The hard mask shape is then defined by etching the hard mask layer. A second layer of the first material is deposited on the etched hard mask layer. The deposited second layer has one or more side surfaces extending substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The second layer and the number of layers forming the substrate are then etched to shape the ferroelectric capacitor device.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a ferroelectric device relatively free of fences by using a hardmask having high etching selectivity relative to an underlying barrier layer. The present invention also includes a method for suppressing the fences clinging to the sidewalls of ferroelectric devices. Additionally, the present invention provides a ferroelectric device having a hardmask relatively thin compared to an underlying barrier layer when compared to prior art devices.
Abstract:
A method of etching a ferroelectric device (100) having a ferroelectric layer (112) between a top and a bottom electrode (114, 108) is disclosed herein. Hardmasks (116, 118) are deposited on the top electrode (114), two or more hardmasks being spaced apart by narrow first regions (115) and spaced apart from other hardmasks by wider second regions (117). The top electrode (114) and ferroelectric layer (112) are then etched to pattern the top electrode (114) thus forming capacitors (102, 104), and the bottom electrode (108) is etched by a process in which the second regions are etched more slowly than the second regions. Those capacitors having a first region between them have a common bottom electrode (108), but in the second regions the bottom electrode is severed. To pattern the bottom electrode (108), a fluorine-based chemistry followed thereafter by a CO-based chemistry are used in a two step etching process.
Abstract:
A method of forming a capacitor, comprises the steps of (a) forming a matrix of ferroelectric capacitor elements on a substrate, (b) forming a CAP layer over the ferroelectric capacitor elements, and (c) etching the CAP layer to a more uniform thickness. Also, a capacitor comprises a substrate layer, a matrix of ferroelectric capacitor elements including a first electrode layer substantially fixed relative to the substrate, a second electrode layer, and a ferroelectric layer sandwiched between the first and second electrode layers; a shoulder layer extending from the substrate to the matrix; and a CAP layer etched to have substantially constant thickness covering sides of the matrix extending beyond the substrate.
Abstract:
A method of forming a ferroelectric capacitor, in particular for use in a FeRAM or high-k DRAM application, and a capacitor made by the method. The method comprises forming a first layer which is patterned, for example by a reactive ion etching method. A ferroelectric material is then formed over the patterned first layer. The morphology of the ferroelectric material will be dependent upon the patterning of the first layer. The ferroelectric layer is then patterned, for example using a wet etching or a reactive ion etching method. The etching will depend upon the morphology of the ferroelectric layer. After etching the ferroelectric layer, a conductive layer is provided over the ferroelectric layer to form a first electrode of the capacitor. If the first layer is a conductive layer, this forms the second electrode. If the first layer is a non-conductive layer,. the conductive layer is patterned to form both the first and second electrodes.