1 STRUCTURES CONTAINING TITANIUM SILICON OXIDE
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/093,104, filed Mar. 29,2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,687, 409, Which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
This application relates generally to semiconductor devices and device fabrication.
The semiconductor device industry has a market driven need to reduce the size of devices such as transistors. To reduce transistor size, the thickness of the silicon dioxide, SiO2, gate dielectric is reduced in proportion to the shrinkage of the gate length. For example, a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) Would use a 1.5 nm thick SiO2 gate dielectric for a gate length of 70 nm. A goal is to fabricate increasingly smaller and more reliable integrated circuits (ICs) for use in products such as processor chips, mobile telephones, and memory devices such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs).
Currently, the semiconductor industry relies on the ability to reduce or scale the dimensions of its basic devices, primarily, the silicon based MOSFET. This device scaling includes scaling the gate dielectric, Which has primarily been fabricated using silicon dioxide. A thermally groWn amorphous SiO2 layer provides an electrically and thermodynamically stable material, Where the interface of the SiO2 layer With underlying silicon provides a high quality interface as Well as superior electrical isolation properties. HoWever, increased scaling and other requirements in microelectronic devices have created the need to use other dielectric materials as gate dielectrics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 depicts an atomic layer deposition system for an embodiment of a method for fabricating a dielectric layer containing titanium silicon oxide.
FIG. 2 illustrates a floW diagram of elements for an embodiment of a method to form a dielectric layer containing a titanium silicon oxide film by atomic layer deposition.
FIG. 3 illustrates a floW diagram of elements for an embodiment of a method to form a dielectric layer containing a titanium silicon oxide film by atomic layer deposition.
FIG. 4 shoWs an embodiment of a configuration of a transistor having a dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
FIG. 5 shoWs an embodiment of a configuration of a floating gate transistor having a dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
FIG. 6 shoWs an embodiment of a configuration of a capacitor having a dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
FIG. 7 depicts an embodiment of a dielectric layer including a nanolaminate having at least one layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
FIG. 8 is a simplified diagram for an embodiment of a controller coupled to an electronic device, Where at least one
of the controller or the electronic device has a dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
FIG. 9 illustrates a diagram for an embodiment of an electronic system having one or more devices With a dielectric layer containing an atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide film.
The folloWing detailed description refers to the accompanying draWings that shoW, by Way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in Which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made Without departing from the scope of the present invention. The various embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily mutually exclusive, as some disclosed embodiments can be combined With one or more other disclosed embodiments to form neW embodiments.
The terms Wafer and substrate used in the folloWing description include any structure having an exposed surface With Which to form an integrated circuit (IC) structure. The term substrate is understood to include semiconductor Wafers. The term substrate is also used to refer to semiconductor structures during processing, and may include other layers that have been fabricated thereupon. Both Wafer and substrate include doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial semiconductor layers supported by a base semiconductor or insulator, as Well as other semiconductor structures Well knoWn to one skilled in the art. The term conductor is understood to generally include n-type and p-type semiconductors and the term insulator or dielectric is defined to include any material that is less electrically conductive than the materials referred to as conductors. The folloWing detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along With the full scope of equivalents to Which such claims are entitled.
In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a dielectric layer containing a titanium silicon oxide film in an integrated circuit, Where the titanium silicon oxide film has a regulated oxygen content. In various embodiments, methods for forming electronic devices and systems include forming a dielectric layer containing a titanium silicon oxide film in an integrated circuit, Where the titanium silicon oxide film is formed by atomic layer deposition. The atomic layer deposited titanium silicon oxide layer may be formed having a predetermined oxygen content by regulating the precursors used to incorporate oxygen in the titanium silicon oxide. Regulation of the oxygen content in the titanium silicon oxide films may control oxygen vacancies in the atomic layer deposited film. Controlling oxygen vacancies in a titanium silicon oxide film may provide for a film that has a relatively high dielectric constant and loW leakage current characteristics. In an embodiment, titanium-containing precursors and silicon-containing precursors that are substantially Without oxygen content are used in the atomic layer deposition process. These precursors may include titanium halide precursors and silicon halide precursors. Oxygen content in atomic layer deposition processes using titanium and silicon precursors that are substantially Without oxygen content may be provided by oxygen in reactant precursors used in the process.
