Dual work function recessed access device and methods of forming

• US 9,543,433 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Anathan, Venkatesan, Tang, Sanh D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Bradley K
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US14/217,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42376 characterised by the length or the sectional shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/4966 the conductor material next to the insulator being a composite material, e.g. organic material, TiN, MoSi2 H01L29/4908, H01L29/4983 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66621 using etching to form a recess at the gate location etching of semiconductor bodies H01L21/302
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7827 Vertical transistors H01L29/7802, H01L29/78642 take precedence

Abstract

A recessed access device having a gate electrode formed of two or more gate materials having different work functions may reduce the gate-induced drain leakage current losses from the recessed access device. The gate electrode may include a first gate material having a high work function disposed in a bottom portion of the recessed access device and a second gate material having a lower work function disposed over the first gate material and in an upper portion of the recessed access device.

Claims

1. A recessed access device, comprising:

semiconductor material having at least one trench therein;

a gate dielectric over a surface of the at least one trench;

a first gate material lining in a bottom portion of the at least one trench;

the first gate material lining comprising a radially outer surface in the bottom portion of the trench, a radially inner surface in the bottom portion of the trench that is parallel with most of the radially outer surface, and a pair of top surfaces within the bottom portion of the trench intersecting each of the radially outer and inner surfaces of the first gate material lining;

the radially outer and inner surfaces each extending continuously between the pair of top surfaces; and

a second gate material within the at least one trench transversally over a sidewall of the radially inner surface of the first gate material lining, the second gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material, the second gate material projecting elevationally outward within the at least one trench relative to the pair of to surfaces of the first gate material lining.

2. The recessed access device of claim 1, wherein that portion of the second gate material that is within the at least one trench contacts the gate dielectric within the at least one trench.

3. The recessed access device of claim 1, wherein the composition of the first gate material is selected from the group consisting of p-type doped polysilicon, titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten nitride (WN), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum nitride (MoN), TaN/TiN, WN/TiN, p-type polysilicon/TiN, and combinations thereof.

4. The recessed access device of claim 1, wherein the second gate material has a work function less than or equal to 4.5 eV.

5. The recessed access device of claim 1, wherein the composition of the second gate material is selected from the group consisting of n-doped polysilicon, undoped polysilicon, phosphorus (P) doped polysilicon, arsenic (As) doped polysilicon, tantalum (Ta), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and zirconium nitride (ZrN).

6. A recessed access device, comprising:

semiconductor material having at least one trench therein;

a gate dielectric over a surface of the at least one trench;

a first gate material lining in a bottom portion of the at least one trench;

a second gate material within the at least one trench over the first gate material lining, the second gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material, the second gate material projecting outwardly within the at least one trench relative to the first gate material lining that is in the bottom portion of the at least one trench; and

the first gate material lining having multiple spaced and separated elevationally outermost top surfaces, the second gate material being elevationally over said multiple spaced and separated elevationally outermost top surfaces.

7. The recessed access device of claim 6, wherein that portion of the second gate material that is within the at least one trench contacts the gate dielectric within the at least one trench.

8. The recessed access device of claim 6, wherein the second gate material contacts said multiple spaced and separated elevationally outermost top surfaces.

9. The recessed access device of claim 8, wherein that portion of the second gate material that is within the at least one trench contacts the gate dielectric within the at least one trench.

10. A recessed access device, comprising:

semiconductor material having at least one trench therein;

a gate dielectric over a surface of the at least one trench;

a first gate material lining over only a lowest-most portion of the at least one trench;

a second gate material within the at least one trench over the first gate material lining, the second gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material, the second gate material projecting outwardly within the at least one trench relative to the first gate material lining that is over only said lowest-most portion of the at least one trench; and

a third gate material within the at least one trench and over the second gate material, the third gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material and of different composition from composition of the second gate material.

11. A recessed access device, comprising:

semiconductor material having an elevationally outermost surface and having at least one trench therein;

a gate dielectric over a surface of the at least one trench;

a first gate material over at least a portion of the gate dielectric in a bottom portion of the at least one trench and having an elevationally outermost surface within the at least one trench that is elevationally inward of the elevationally outermost surface of the semiconductor material;

a second gate material over the first gate material in at least a portion of the at least one trench, the second gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material; and

a third gate material in at least a portion of the at least one trench over the first gate material and the second gate material, the third gate material contacting the at least a portion of the gate dielectric in the at least one trench, the third gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material and of different composition from composition of the second gate material.

12. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the second gate material does not contact the gate dielectric.

13. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the third gate material has a lower work function than that of the first gate material.

14. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the first gate material has a work function greater than or equal to 4.5 eV.

15. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the second gate material has a work function less than or equal to 4.5 eV.

16. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the composition of the first gate material is selected from the group consisting of p-type doped polysilicon, titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten nitride (WN), ruthenium (Ru), molybdenum nitride (MoN), TaN/TiN, WN/TiN, p-type polysilicon/TiN, and combinations thereof.

17. The recessed access device of claim 11, wherein the composition of the second gate material is selected from the group consisting of n-doped polysilicon, undoped polysilicon, phosphorus (P) doped polysilicon, arsenic (As) doped polysilicon, tantalum (Ta), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), and zirconium nitride (ZrN).

18. A recessed access device, comprising:

semiconductor material having at least one trench therein;

a gate dielectric over a surface of the at least one trench, the gate dielectric comprising an arcuate outer surface in a bottom portion of the at least one trench;

a first gate material over at least a portion of the gate dielectric in the bottom portion of the at least one trench, the first gate material comprising an arcuate outer surface in a bottom portion of the at least one trench; and

a second gate material over the arcuate outer surface of the first gate material in at least a portion of the at least one trench, the second gate material being of different composition from composition of the first gate material, the second gate material having an upper neck portion within the at least one trench and the second gate material having a lower shouldered portion within the at least one trench in a cross section transverse the at least one trench, the upper neck portion being laterally centered relative to the shouldered portion, the upper neck portion in including a portion within the at least one trench that projects elevationally outward of all first gate material that is within the at least one trench.

19. The recessed access device of claim 18 wherein the semiconductor material within which the at least one trench is provided has an elevationally outermost surface proximate the at least one trench, the neck portion of the second gate material being everywhere received elevationally inward of the elevationally outermost surface of the semiconductor material.

20. The recessed access device of claim 18 wherein the first gate material comprises a pair of top surfaces laterally outward and on opposites sides of the shouldered portion.

21. The recessed access device of claim 20 comprising a third gate material in at least a portion of the at least one trench elevationally over the pair of top surfaces.

22. The recessed access device of claim 21 wherein the third gate material contacts each of the pair of top surfaces.