High voltage, high temperature capacitor and interconnection structures

• US 6,972,436 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Das, Mrinal Kanti, Hagleitner, Helmut, Sheppard, Scott, Palmour, John W., Lipkin, Lori A.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACKSON JR, JEROME
• Application Number:
  US09/878,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 257/77, 257/760, 257/763, 257/532
• US Class Current: 257/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/1272 Semiconductive ceramic capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/20 using combinations of dielectrics from more than one of groups H01G4/02 - H01G4/06 H01G4/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/33 Thin- or thick-film capacitors thin- or thick-film circuits H01L27/00; capacitors without a potential-jump or surface barrier specially adapted for integrated circuits, details thereof, multistep manufacturing processes therefor H01L28/40
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/045 passivating silicon carbide surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/049 Conductor-insulator-semiconductor electrodes, e.g. MIS contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0805 Capacitors only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 28/40 Capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1608 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/408 with an insulating layer with a particular dielectric or electrostatic property, e.g. with static charges or for controlling trapped charges or moving ions, or with a plate acting on the insulator potential or the insulator charges, e.g. for controlling charges effect or potential distribution in the insulating layer, or with a semi-insulating layer contacting directly the semiconductor surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/513 the variation being perpendicular to the channel plane
• 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: H01L 29/6606 the devices being controllable only by variation of the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to one or more of the electrodes carrying the current to be rectified, amplified, oscillated or switched, e.g. two-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66068 the devices being controllable only by the electric current supplied or the electric potential applied, to an electrode which does not carry the current to be rectified, amplified or switched, e.g. three-terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7802 Vertical DMOS transistors, i.e. VDMOS transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/8611 Planar PN junction diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/94 Metal-insulator-semiconductors, e.g. MOS

Abstract

Capacitors and interconnection structures for silicon carbide are provided having an oxide layer, a layer of dielectric material and a second oxide layer on the layer of dielectric material. The thickness of the oxide layers may be from about 0.5 to about 33 percent of the thickness of the oxide layers and the layer of dielectric material. Capacitors and interconnection structures for silicon carbide having silicon oxynitride layer as a dielectric structure are also provided. Such a dielectric structure may be between metal layers to provide a metal-insulator-metal capacitor or may be used as a inter-metal dielectric of an interconnect structure so as to provide devices and structures having improved mean time to failure. Methods of fabricating such capacitors and structures are also provided.

Claims

1. A capacitor having a dielectric structure comprising:

a silicon carbide layer;

a first oxide layer having a first thickness directly on the silicon carbide layer;

a layer of dielectric material on the first oxide layer and having a second thickness, the layer of dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than the dielectric constant of the first oxide layer;

a second oxide layer on the layer of dielectric material opposite the first oxide layer and having a third thickness; and

wherein the first thickness is between about 0.5 and about 33 percent and the third thickness is between about 0.5 and about 33 percent of the sum of the first, second and third thicknesses.

2. A capacitor having a dielectric structure comprising:

a silicon carbide layer;

a first oxide layer having a first thickness on the silicon carbide layer;

a layer of dielectric material on the first oxide layer and having a second thickness, the layer of dielectric material having a dielectric constant higher than the dielectric constant of the first oxide layer;

a second oxide layer on the layer of dielectric material opposite the first oxide layer and having a third thickness;

wherein the first thickness and the third thickness are an order of magnitude smaller than the second thickness;

a first metal layer on the first oxide layer opposite the layer of dielectric material and disposed between the first oxide layer and the silicon carbide layer; and

a second metal layer on the second oxide layer opposite the high dielectric layer so as to provide a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.

3. The capacitor of claim 2, wherein the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer comprise silicon dioxide and wherein the layer of dielectric material comprises at least one of silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride.

4. The capacitor of claim 3, wherein the first thickness is from about 10 to about 30 nm, the second thickness is from about 200 to about 300 nm and the third thickness is from about 10 to about 30 nm.

5. The capacitor of claim 3, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured so that the dielectric structure has a mean time to failure versus voltage characteristic which has a greater slope than a corresponding MIM capacitor with only a nitride dielectric.

6. The capacitor of claim 3, wherein the silicon dioxide layers and the silicon nitride layer are deposited layers.

7. The capacitor of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured to provide a mean time to failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 50 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

8. The capacitor of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured to provide a mean time failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 100 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

9. The capacitor of claim 2, wherein the first and second metal layers comprise at least one of titanium, platinum, chromium and gold.

10. The capacitor of claim 2, further comprising a silicon carbide substrate on which the capacitor is formed.

11. The capacitor of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices formed in the silicon carbide substrate.

34. The capacitor of claim 2, wherein the first thickness and the third thickness are at least six times smaller than the second thickness.

12. A high mean time to failure interconnection structure for an integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor devices in a substrate;

an insulating layer on the plurality of semiconductor devices;

a first interconnect layer having a plurality of regions of interconnection metal on the insulating layer opposite the plurality of semiconductor devices;

a first layer of oxide on the first interconnect layer so as to cover at least a portion of the plurality of regions of interconnection metal;

a layer of dielectric material on the first layer of oxide opposite the first interconnect layer and having a dielectric constant higher than a dielectric constant of the first oxide layer;

a second layer of oxide on the layer of dielectric material opposite the first layer of oxide, wherein a thickness of the first layer of oxide and a thickness of the second layer of oxide are an order of magnitude smaller than a thickness of the layer of dielectric material; and

a second interconnect layer on the second layer of oxide opposite the layer of dielectric material and having a plurality of regions of interconnection metal.

13. The interconnection structure of claim 12, wherein the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer comprise silicon dioxide layer and wherein the layer of dielectric material comprises silicon nitride.

14. The interconnection structure of claim 13, wherein the first oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 30 nm, the layer of dielectric material has a thickness of from about 200 to about 300 nm and the second oxide layer has a thickness of from about 10 to about 30 nm.

15. The interconnection structure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured to provide a mean time to failure versus voltage characteristic which has a greater slope than a corresponding nitride inter-metal dielectric.

16. The interconnection structure of claim 13, wherein the silicon dioxide layers and the silicon nitride layer are deposited layers.

17. The interconnection structure of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured to provide a mean time to failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 50 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

18. The interconnection structure of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first oxide layer, the second oxide layer and the layer of dielectric material are configured to provide a mean time failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 100 volts and a temperature of 150°

C.

19. The interconnection structure of claim 12, wherein the interconnect metal of the first and second interconnect layers comprise at least one of titanium, platinum, chromium and gold.

35. The interconnection structure of claim 12, wherein the thickness of the first layer of oxide and the thickness of the second layer of oxide are at least six times smaller than the thickness of the layer of dielectric material.

20. A capacitor comprising:

a silicon carbide layer;

a layer of dielectric material on the silicon carbide layer, the layer of dielectric material comprising silicon oxynitride having a formula Si₃N_4-X O_X, where 0<

X<

1;

a first metal layer on the layer of dielectric material opposite the silicon carbide layer; and

a second metal layer on the layer of dielectric material and disposed between the layer of dielectric material and the silicon carbide layer so as to provide a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.

21. The capacitor of claim 20, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured so that the dielectric structure has a mean time to failure versus voltage characteristic which has a greater slope than a corresponding MIM capacitor with only a nitride dielectric.

22. The capacitor of claim 20, wherein the silicon oxynitride of the layer of dielectric material is a deposited layer.

23. The capacitor of claim 20, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to provide a mean time to failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 50 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

24. The capacitor of claim 23, wherein the layer of hours at a voltage of greater than about 100 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

25. The capacitor of claim 20, wherein the first and second metal layers comprise at least one of titanium, platinum, chromium and gold.

26. The capacitor of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices formed in the silicon carbide layer.

36. The capacitor of claim 20, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to provide an operating voltage of at least 100V.

27. A high mean time to failure interconnection structure for an integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor devices in a silicon carbide substrate;

an insulating layer on the plurality of semiconductor devices;

a first interconnect layer having a plurality of regions of interconnection metal on the insulating layer opposite the plurality of semiconductor devices;

a layer of dielectric material on the first layer of oxide opposite the first interconnect layer, the layer of dielectric material comprising silicon oxynitride having a formula Si₃N_4-XO_X, where 0<

X≦

1;

a second interconnect layer on the layer of dielectric material opposite the first interconnect layer and having a plurality of regions or interconnection metal.

28. The interconnection structure of claim 27, wherein the layer of dielectric material has a thickness of from about 20 nm to about 400 nm.

29. The interconnection structure of claim 27, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to provide a mean time to failure versus voltage characteristic which has a greater slope than a corresponding nitride inter-metal dielectric.

30. The interconnection structure of claim 27, wherein the layer of dielectric material is a deposited layer of silicon oxynitride.

31. The interconnection structure of claim 30, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to provide a mean time to failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 50 volts and a temperature of at least about 100°

C.

32. The interconnection structure of claim 31, wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to provide a mean time failure of at least about 10⁷ hours at a voltage of greater than about 100 volts and a temperature of 150°

C.

33. The interconnection structure of claim 27, wherein the interconnect metal of the first and second interconnect layers comprise at least one of titanium, platinum, chromium and gold.

37. The interconnection structure of claim 27, wherein the plurality of semiconductor devices have an operating voltage of at least 100V and wherein the layer of dielectric material is configured to withstand the operating voltage of at least 100V.