Semiconductor device and method for producing the same

• US 20020195643A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd. (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Harada, Yoshinao
• Granted Patent: US 6,642,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28176 with a treatment, e.g. annealing, after the formation of the definitive gate conductor
• 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 21/28202 in a nitrogen-containing ambient, e.g. nitride deposition, growth, oxynitridation, NH3 nitridation, N2O oxidation, thermal nitridation, RTN, plasma nitridation, RPN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/513 the variation being perpendicular to the channel plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/516 with at least one ferroelectric layer
• 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

Abstract

A gate electrode is formed on a substrate via a gate insulating film. The gate insulating film includes a high dielectric constant film containing a metal, oxygen and hydrogen, and a lower barrier film formed below the high dielectric constant film and containing a metal, oxygen, silicon and nitrogen.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a gate insulating film formed on a substrate; and

a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film;

the gate insulating film comprising;

a high dielectric constant film containing a metal, oxygen and silicon; and

a lower barrier film formed below the high dielectric constant film and containing the metal, oxygen, silicon and nitrogen.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the gate insulating film comprises an upper barrier film formed above the high dielectric constant film, and

the upper barrier film contains the metal, oxygen and nitrogen.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

0.23≦

y/(x+y)≦

0.90

when a composition of the high dielectric constant film is expressed as M_xSi_yO, where M, O and Si represent the metal, oxygen and silicon, respectively, and x>

0 and y>

0.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

0.23≦

y/(x+y)≦

0.30

when a composition of the high dielectric constant film is expressed as M_xSi_yO, where M, O and Si represent the metal, oxygen and silicon, respectively, and x>

0 and y>

0.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

x/(x+y)≧

0.10

when the metal is hafnium or zirconium, and

a composition of the lower barrier film is expressed as M_xSi_yON, where M, O, Si and N represent the metal, oxygen, silicon and nitrogen, respectively, and x>

0 and y>

0.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the gate electrode is a metal gate electrode.

7. A method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming a high dielectric constant film containing a metal, oxygen and a predetermine substance on a substrate;

performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film to diffuse silicon from the side of the substrate into the high dielectric constant film, thereby forming a silicon-containing high dielectric constant film; and

forming a conductive film for serving as a gate electrode on the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film.

8. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined substance is hydrogen.

9. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein the metal is hafnium or zirconium.

10. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, comprising forming an insulating film containing silicon, nitrogen and the predetermined substance on the substrate before the step of forming the high dielectric constant film;

and

wherein the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film comprises diffusing silicon contained in the insulating film into the high dielectric constant film, and forming a lower barrier film by diffusing the metal contained in the high dielectric constant film into the insulating film.

11. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by CVD employing a source precursor containing the metal and the predetermined substance.

12. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by CVD employing a source precursor containing the metal and a source gas containing the predetermined substance.

13. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by PVD employing a target containing the metal in an atmosphere containing the predetermined substance.

14. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, comprising the step of forming an upper barrier by nitriding a surface of the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film between the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film and the step of forming a conductive film.

15. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, comprising the step of forming an upper barrier by nitriding a surface of the high dielectric constant film between the step of forming a high dielectric constant film and the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film.

16. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

a temperature for the heat treatment in the step of performing the heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film is 600°

C. or more and 850°

C. or less.

17. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

T≦

6.69·

y/(x+y)≦

749.4,

when a composition of the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film is expressed as M_xSi_yO, where M, O and Si represent the metal, oxygen and silicon, respectively, and x>

0 and y>

0, and a maximum temperature in a production process is expressed as T [°

C.].

18. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein

the gate electrode is made of a material containing silicon, and

y/(x+y)≦

030.

19. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein

the gate electrode is a metal gate electrode,

the method comprising the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the substrate after the step of forming a conductive film.

20. A method for producing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

forming a high dielectric constant film containing a metal, oxygen and hydrogen on a substrate;

performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film to diffuse silicon from the side of the substrate into the high dielectric constant film, thereby forming a silicon-containing high dielectric constant film; and

forming a conductive film for serving as a gate electrode on the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film.

21. The method for producing a semiconductor device accord ing to claim 20, wherein the metal is hafnium or zirconium.

22. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, comprising forming an insulating film containing silicon, nitrogen and hydrogen on the substrate before the step of forming the high dielectric constant film;

and

wherein the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film comprises diffusing silicon contained in the insulating film into the high dielectric constant film, and forming a lower barrier film by diffusing the metal contained in the high dielectric constant film into the insulating film.

23. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by CVD employing a source precursor containing the metal and hydrogen.

24. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by CVD employing a source precursor containing the metal and a source as containing hydrogen.

25. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

the step of forming the high dielectric constant film comprises forming the high dielectric constant film by PVD employing a target containing the metal in an atmosphere containing hydrogen.

26. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, comprising the step of forming an upper barrier by nitriding a surface of the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film between the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film and the step of forming a conductive film.

27. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, comprising the step of forming an upper barrier by nitriding a surface of the high dielectric constant film between the step of forming a high dielectric constant film and the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film.

28. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

a temperature for the heat treatment in the step of performing the heat treatment with respect to the high dielectric constant film is 600°

C. or more and 850°

C. or less.

29. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

T≦

669·

y/(x+y)+749.4,

when a composition of the silicon-containing high dielectric constant film is expressed as M_xSi_yO, where M, O and Si represent the metal, oxygen and silicon, respectively, and x>

0 and y>

0, and a maximum temperature in a production process is expressed as T [°

C.].

30. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 29, wherein

the gate electrode is made of a material containing silicon, and

y/(x+y)≦

0.30.

31. The method for producing a semiconductor device according to claim 20, wherein

the gate electrode is a metal gate electrode, and

the method comprising the step of performing a heat treatment with respect to the substrate after the step of forming a conductive film.