This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application 2004-113188 filed on Dec. 27, 2004, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and methods forming the same, and more particularly to a DRAM device having a capacitor and a DRAM device so formed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor devices such as Dynamic Random Access Memory devices (DRAMs), each cell is composed of a transistor and a capacitor. In DRAMs, cells require periodic reading and refreshing operations. Owing to the advantage of low price per unit bit, high integration, and capability for simultaneous read/write operations, DRAMs have been widely used in commercial applications. In the meantime, a “soft” error in the form of a loss of charge stored in a capacitor can be caused by external factors in a DRAM, thereby inducing mis-operation in the DRAM. In order to prevent such a soft error, methods of enhancing the capacitance of a capacitor have been suggested.
The capacitance of the capacitor can be enhanced by increasing the surface area of the lower electrode. Although many studies have investigated techniques for increasing the surface area of lower electrodes, technical challenges are presented in practical manufacturing processes for forming such devices due to the ever-increasing integration of semiconductor devices.
The present invention is directed to a highly integrated semiconductor device including a capacitor with improved capacitance and a method for forming the same.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to a capacitor of a semiconductor device according to the present invention. The capacitor comprises a lower electrode formed through at least one interlayer dielectric layer stacked on a semiconductor substrate and through a predetermined portion of the semiconductor substrate, wherein an upper surface of the lower electrode has the same height as that of the interlayer dielectric layer; a dielectric layer coating an inner sidewall and a bottom of the lower electrode, and a portion of the interlayer dielectric layer around a top of the lower electrode; and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of forming a capacitor. At least one interlayer dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The interlayer dielectric layer and a predetermined portion of the semiconductor substrate are sequentially etched to form a storage node hole. A lower electrode layer is formed conformally in the storage node hole and on the interlayer dielectric layer. A planarization process is performed to remove a portion of the lower electrode layer that lies on the interlayer dielectric and to form a lower electrode in the storage node hole. A dielectric layer and an upper electrode are sequentially formed on the lower electrode. The upper electrode layer and the dielectric layer are patterned sequentially.
In one embodiment, the planarization process can be carried out using an etchback process or CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing). In another embodiment, after forming the storage node hole, an ion implantation process may be performed in a region of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole at least once.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a DRAM device comprising: a first well having a first depth in a semiconductor substrate; a second well in the semiconductor substrate having a second depth shallower than the first depth in the first well; a device isolation layer formed at the semiconductor substrate to define an active region; a gate pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate; a first impurity implantation region being formed in the active region at both sides of the gate pattern and having a third depth shallower than the second depth; an interlayer dielectric having at least one layer covering the gate pattern and the semiconductor substrate; a cup-shaped lower electrode through at least one interlayer dielectric layer and through a portion of the semiconductor substrate, the cup-shaped lower electrode located at one side of the gate pattern, wherein an upper surface of the lower electrode has the same height as that of the interlayer dielectric layer; a dielectric layer covering an inner sidewall and a bottom of the lower electrode, and a part of the interlayer dielectric layer around a top of the lower electrode; and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer.
In one embodiment, the lowermost surface of the lower electrode is positioned in the substrate shallower than the first depth and deeper than the second depth. The DRAM device may further comprise a second impurity implantation region formed in the semiconductor substrate in contact with the lower electrode below the second depth and a third impurity implantation region formed in the semiconductor substrate in contact with the lower electrode below the third depth and formed in the second impurity implantation region and the second well. In this case, the first well, the first impurity implantation region, and the third impurity implantation region are doped with impurities of a first type, and the second well and the second impurity implantation region are doped with impurities of a second type.
In another embodiment, the lowermost surface of the lower electrode is positioned in the substrate shallower than the second depth and deeper than the third depth. The DRAM device may further comprise a second impurity implantation region formed in the semiconductor substrate in contact with the lower electrode below the third depth. In this case, the first well, the first impurity implantation, and the second impurity implantation region are doped with an impurity of a first type, and the second well is doped with an impurity of a second type.
In another embodiment, the DRAM device further comprises: an upper interlayer dielectric layer located on the upper electrode and the at least one interlayer dielectric layer; a bit line contact plug formed through the upper interlayer dielectric layer and the at least one interlayer dielectric layer between neighboring two gate patterns and in contact with the semiconductor substrate; and a bit line located on the upper interlayer dielectric layer and in contact with the bit line contact plug.
In another embodiment, the DRAM device further comprises a bit line located in the interlayer dielectric layer, located lower than a height of an upper surface of the lower electrode in the at least one interlayer dielectric layer, and separated from the lower electrode; and a bit line contact plug connecting the bit line to the semiconductor substrate.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for forming the DRAM device. A first well having a first depth is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and then a second well having a second depth shallower than the first depth is formed. A device isolation layer is formed in the semiconductor substrate to define an active region. A gate pattern is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A first impurity implantation region is formed in the active region at both sides of the gate pattern. The first impurity implantation region has a third depth shallower than the second depth. At least one interlayer dielectric layer located at one side of the gate pattern and a portion of the semiconductor substrate is sequentially patterned to form a storage node hole. A lower electrode layer is formed conformally in the storage node hole and on the interlayer dielectric layer. A planarization process is performed to remove a portion of the lower electrode layer that lies on the interlayer dielectric layer and to form a lower electrode in the storage node hole. A dielectric layer and an upper electrode layer are sequentially formed on the lower electrode. The upper electrode layer and the dielectric layer are sequentially patterned.
In one embodiment, the planarization process is carried out using an etchback process or CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing). After forming the storage node hole, an ion implantation process may be performed in a region of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole at least once.
In another embodiment, a bottom of the storage node hole is located in the substrate at a position that is shallower than the first depth and deeper than the second depth. In this case, after forming the storage node hole, an ion implantation process is performed to form a second impurity implantation region in the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole below the second depth, and an ion implantation process is performed to a third impurity implantation region in the second well and the second impurity implantation region exposed by the storage node hole below the third depth. In addition, after forming the storage node hole, an ion implantation process is performed to form a third impurity implantation region in the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole below the third depth, and an ion implantation process is performed to form a second impurity implantation region in the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole below the second depth. In this case, the second impurity implantation region is formed to cover the third impurity implantation region. The first well, the first impurity implantation region, and third impurity implantation region are doped with impurities of a first type, and the second well and the second impurity implantation region are doped with impurities of a second type.
In another embodiment, a bottom of the storage node hole is positioned in the substrate at a position that is shallower than the second depth and deeper than the third depth. In this case, after forming the storage node hole, an ion implantation process is performed to form a second impurity implantation region in the semiconductor substrate exposed by the storage node hole below the third depth. The first well, the first ion implantation region, and the second impurity implantation region are doped with impurities of a first type, and the second well is doped with impurities of a second type.
In another embodiment, an upper interlayer dielectric layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate having the upper electrode is formed. A bit line contact plug is formed through the upper interlayer dielectric layer and the at least one interlayer dielectric one layer between neighboring two gate patterns and in contact with the semiconductor substrate. A bit line in contact with the bit line contact plug on the upper interlayer dielectric layer is formed. In addition, forming the at least one interlayer dielectric layer comprises forming a first interlayer dielectric and forming a second interlayer dielectric, and before forming the second interlayer dielectric and subsequent to forming the first interlayer dielectric is followed by: forming a bit line contact plug in contact with the semiconductor substrate through the first interlayer dielectric layer; and forming a bit line in contact with the bit line contact plug on the first interlayer dielectric layer.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIGS. 1 to 8 are sectional views that illustrate a method of forming a DRAM device having a capacitor according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Hereinafter, example embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the figures, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements throughout the drawings.
FIGS. 1 to 8 are procedural sectional views that illustrate a method of forming a DRAM device having a capacitor according to one embodiment of the present invention.
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The formation sequence of the second impurity implantation 17 and the third impurity implantation region 19 can optionally be changed. In other words, the third impurity implantation region 19 may first be formed, and then followed by formation of the second impurity implantation region 17.
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In accordance with the present invention, since the lower electrode 21 is laterally supported by the interlayer dielectric 13 and a portion of the semiconductor substrate 1, it is possible to increase surface area of the lower electrode without raising the height of the lower electrode above the substrate. As a result, capacitance can be increased. The lower electrode 21 is formed not by a complex photolithography process requiring coating, exposing, and developing process steps, but rather by a planarization process, thereby simplifying fabrication. In addition, an upper surface of the lower electrode 21 is not located on the interlayer dielectric 13, so that the height of the lower electrode may be decreased by as much as the thickness of the lower electrode layer. Furthermore, the second and third impurity implantation regions 17 and 19 perform a function to prevent leakage current from flowing from the lower electrode 21 to the semiconductor substrate 1.
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The DRAM device illustrated in
Although not shown in the drawings, the interlayer dielectric 13 can optionally be formed using two insulation layers. In this case, the bit line 13 can optionally be positioned at a location that is lower than the upper surface of the lower electrode 15 between the two insulation layers. At this time, the bit line contact plug 29 contacts the bit line 31 and penetrates the lower insulation layer among the insulation layers for connection with the impurity implantation region 11.
According to the present invention, since the lower electrode is laterally supported by the interlayer dielectric and the predetermined portion of the semiconductor substrate, it is possible to increase surface area without raising the height of the lower electrode above the substrate. As a result, capacitance can be increased. The lower electrode is formed not by a complex photolithography process requiring coating, exposing, and developing process steps, but rather by a planarization process, thereby simplifying fabrication. In addition, an upper surface of the lower electrode is not located on the interlayer dielectric, so that the height of the lower electrode may be decreased as much as the thickness of the lower electrode layer. Furthermore, the second and third impurity implantation regions perform a function to prevent leakage current from flowing from the lower electrode to the semiconductor substrate.
While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2004-113188 | Dec 2004 | KR | national |