High dielectric constant composition and method of making same

• US 20040028952A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMEC International
• Original Assignee: Interuniversitair Micro-Electronica Centrum VZW (IMEC International)
• Inventors: Chen, Jerry, Zhao, Chao, Cartier, Eduard
• Granted Patent: US 7,183,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/698
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 27/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/72 by d-values or two theta-values, e.g. as X-ray diagram
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/40 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/405 of refractory metals or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 3/10 metallic oxides ceramics H01B3/12
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02175 characterised by the metal H01L21/02197 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02178 the material containing aluminium, e.g. Al2O3
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02181 the material containing hafnium, e.g. HfO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02189 the material containing zirconium, e.g. ZrO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02192 the material containing at least one rare earth metal element, e.g. oxides of lanthanides, scandium or yttrium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02194 the material containing more than one metal element
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/022 the layer being a laminate, i.e. composed of sublayers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides adhesion layers or buffer layers H01L21/02304, H01L21/02362
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02205 the layer being characterised by the precursor material for deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02266 deposition by physical ablation of a target, e.g. sputtering, reactive sputtering, physical vapour deposition or pulsed laser deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02271 deposition by decomposition or reaction of gaseous or vapour phase compounds, i.e. chemical vapour deposition H01L21/02266 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0228 deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE, pulsed CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02282 liquid deposition, e.g. spin-coating, sol-gel techniques, spray coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02356 treatment to change the morphology of the insulating layer, e.g. transformation of an amorphous layer into a crystalline layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28167 on single crystalline silicon, e.g. using a liquid, i.e. chemical oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28185 : with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the gate insulator and before the formation of the definitive gate conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28194 : by deposition, e.g. evaporation, ALD, CVD, sputtering, laser deposition H01L21/28202 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31604 : Deposition from a gas or vapour H01L21/31691, H01L21/31695 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 : Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/517 : the insulating material comprising a metallic compound, e.g. metal oxide, metal silicate H01L29/518 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/518 : the insulating material containing nitrogen, e.g. nitride, oxynitride, nitrogen-doped material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 : including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 : 1 mil or less

Abstract

Dielectric material compositions comprising HfO₂ and a second compound are disclosed. The compositions are characterized by at least a part of the compositions being in a cubic crystallographic phase. Further, semiconductor based devices comprising such dielectric material compound and method for forming such compounds are disclosed.

Claims

1. A dielectric material composition comprising HfO₂ and a second compound, wherein at least a part of the composition is in a cubic crystallographic phase.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the dielectric constant of the composition is higher than the dielectric constant of pure HfO₂.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the dielectric constant of the composition is higher than 20.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is stable at temperatures below 1200 degrees C.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second compound comprises one of a metal oxide and a metal oxynitride.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second compound comprises Al₂O₃.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the amount of the second compound in the composition is between 1 [mol]% and 50 [mol]%.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second compound comprises one of SiO₂, Y₂O₃, CeO₂, MgO₂, CaO, TaO₂, La₂O₃ and TiO₂.

9. A device comprising:

a first electrode,

a substrate having a top surface underlying a gate electrode, and

a dielectric layer interposed between the first electrode and the top surface, the dielectric layer comprising HfO₂ and a second compound, wherein at least a portion of the composition is in a cubic crystallographic phase.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises a channel region, the channel region underlying the dielectric layer.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the substrate comprises a second electrode, the electrode underlying the dielectric layer.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the dielectric constant is of the dielectric layer is higher than the dielectric constant of pure HfO₂.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the composition is stable at temperatures below 1200 degrees C.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the second compound comprises one of a metal oxide or a metal oxynitride.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the second compound comprises Al₂O₃.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the amount of the second compound is between 1 [mol]% and 50 [mol]%.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the dielectric film has a thickness between 5 and 100 angstroms.

18. The device of claim 9, wherein the dielectric layer has an equivalent oxide thickness between 0.5 and 15 angstroms.

19. The device of claim 9, further comprising an interfacial layer between the dielectric layer and the substrate.

20. A method for forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, the method comprising:

placing the substrate in a reaction chamber,

depositing a dielectric layer, the dielectric layer comprising a composition comprising HfO₂ and a second compound, and

subjecting the deposited dielectric layer to a temperature that is higher than the crystallization temperature of the composition, such that at least a portion of the composition is transformed from an amorphous phase to a cubic crystallographic phase.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein depositing comprises atomic layer deposition.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the temperature is higher than 400 degrees C.

23. A method as recited in claim 20 and 21, wherein the temperature is between 400 degrees C. and 1050 degrees C.

24. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the substrate comprises an interfacial layer.

25. A dielectric material composition comprising HfO₂ and a second compound, wherein the second compound is one of a metal oxide and a metal oxynitride, and wherein at least a part of the composition is in a cubic crystallographic phase

26. The composition of claim 25, wherein the second compound is selected from the group consisting of SiO₂, Y₂O₃, CeO₂, MgO₂, CaO, TaO₂, La₂O₃ and TiO₂.

27. The composition of claim 25, wherein the second compound comprises Al₂O₃.

28. A dielectric material composition comprising HfO₂ and Al₂O₃, wherein at least a part of the composition is in a cubic crystallographic phase.

29. The composition of claim 28, wherein the amount of the Al₂O₃ in the composition is between 1 [mol]% and 50 [mol]%.