Capacitor with multiple-component dielectric and method of fabricating same
First Claim
1. A capacitor having a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material formed of multiple separate layers of at least two different dielectric materials which have electrical characteristic curves that curve in opposite directions with respect to one another, and a relative thickness of each of the layers being related to a relative extent of a curvature of the electrical characteristic curve of each material.
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Abstract
A capacitor has a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material which is formed of multiple separate layers of different dielectric materials having different electrical characteristics. The different electrical characteristics are represented by linearity curves that curve relatively oppositely with respect to one another. Combining the different dielectric materials and separate layers achieves selected electrical characteristics from the overall capacitor dielectric material. The capacitor dielectric material may be formed with a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer. The middle layer may be formed of relatively high leakage dielectric and/or relatively high dielectric constant material, and the top and bottom layers may be formed of barrier material which is substantially resistant to leakage current and which exhibits a relatively lower dielectric constant.
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Citations
21 Claims
- 1. A capacitor having a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material formed of multiple separate layers of at least two different dielectric materials which have electrical characteristic curves that curve in opposite directions with respect to one another, and a relative thickness of each of the layers being related to a relative extent of a curvature of the electrical characteristic curve of each material.
- 11. A capacitor comprising a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material formed of multiple separate layers of different dielectric materials which have different electrical linearity characteristics, the capacitor dielectric material comprising a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer, the middle layer comprising a substantially high leakage dielectric material, and the top and bottom layers comprising barrier material which is substantially resistant to leakage current.
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14. A method of fabricating a capacitor having a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material, comprising the steps of:
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forming the capacitor dielectric material between the plates in multiple separate layers of different dielectric materials, the multiple separate layers including a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer;
selecting the dielectric material of one of the layers to have different electrical characteristics than the dielectric material of another one of the layers;
forming the middle layer of dielectric material having a substantially high leakage current electrical characteristic; and
forming the top and bottom layers of dielectric material having an electrical characteristic of substantial resistance to leakage current. - View Dependent Claims (15)
selecting the material of the middle layer to have a substantially higher dielectric constant than a dielectric constant of the material of the top and bottom layers.
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16. A method of fabricating a capacitor having a pair of plates separated by a capacitor dielectric material, comprising the steps of:
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forming the capacitor dielectric material between the plates in multiple separate layers of different dielectric materials;
selecting the dielectric material of a first one of the layers to have a first electrical characteristic curve having a first curvature;
selecting the dielectric material of a second one of the layers to have a second electrical characteristic curve having a second curvature different from the first curvature; and
forming the first and second layers to first and second predetermined thicknesses, respectively, related to a relative extent of the first and second curvatures, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
selecting the dielectric materials for the first and second layers to have the first and second electrical characteristic curves curve in opposition with respect to one another.
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18. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the first and second electrical characteristic curves are nonlinear.
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19. A method as defined in claim 16 further comprising the steps of:
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forming the capacitor dielectric material to include a top layer, a middle layer and a bottom layer;
forming the middle layer of a relatively higher dielectric constant material; and
forming the top and bottom layers of a relatively lower dielectric constant material.
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20. A method as defined in claim 19 wherein the material of the middle layer comprises substantially one of tantalum pentoxide, piezoelectric material, oxynitrided material, Indium tin oxide or metal organicoxides.
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21. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein at least one of the top and bottom layers comprises substantially silicon nitride.
Specification