IP Library Granted Patent US 12701714
Granted Patent B2
US 12701714 · App. 18/206,114 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Ferroelectric random access memory device and method

Inventors: I-Che Lee (Taipei, TW); Yen-Chieh Huang (Changhua, TW); Huai-Ying Huang (Taipei, TW); Kai-Wen Cheng (Taichung, TW); Yu-Ming Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Chung-Te Lin (Tainan, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
H10B51/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701714
App. No.
18/206,114
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method including forming a gate electrode over a substrate, forming a ferroelectric layer over the gate electrode, forming a channel layer over the ferroelectric layer, forming a capping layer over the channel layer, wherein the capping layer includes one or more of CeO x , BeO x , InO x , GaO x , AlO x , SnO x , VO x , WO x , TiO x , ZrO x , NbO x , HfO x , SiO x , TaO x , a binary metal oxide based on any combination of the preceding metal oxides, or a ternary metal oxide based on any combination of the preceding metal oxides, annealing, after forming the capping layer, at a temperature less than 350° C., forming a dielectric layer over the capping layer, and forming a source contact and a drain contact in the dielectric layer.

Claims (78)

1 . A method, comprising:

forming a gate electrode over a substrate;

forming a ferroelectric layer over the gate electrode;

forming a channel layer over the ferroelectric layer;

forming a capping layer over the channel layer, wherein the capping layer includes one or more of TaO x , a binary metal oxide based on TaO x , or a ternary metal oxide based on TaO x ;

annealing, after forming the capping layer and before forming any subsequent layer, at a temperature less than 350° C.;

forming a dielectric layer over the capping layer; and

forming a source contact and a drain contact in the dielectric layer.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the source contact and the drain contact comprises:

patterning the dielectric layer; and

forming the source contact and the drain contact in contact with the capping layer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the source contact and the drain contact comprises:

patterning the dielectric layer and the capping layer; and

forming the source contact and the drain contact in contact with the channel layer, wherein the channel layer includes one or more of InGaZnO, InO, ITO, GaZnO, InGaAs, GaN, AlGaAs, Si, Ge, C, SiC, SiGe, SiGeC, Ga 2 O 3 , a II-VI compound semiconductor, or a III-V compound semiconductor.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the source contact and the drain contact comprises:

patterning the dielectric layer, the capping layer, and the channel layer; and

forming the source contact and the drain contact in contact with the ferroelectric layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the ferroelectric layer comprises:

forming a seed layer over the gate electrode, wherein the seed layer includes one or more of Ta 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , or HfO 2 ;

forming a memory layer over the seed layer, wherein the memory layer includes one or more of hafnium zirconium oxide or HfO 2 that is doped with one or more of Ta, Al, Si, In, Zr, Sc, Y, Gd, La, Sr; and

forming an interfacial layer over the memory layer, wherein the interfacial layer includes one or more of TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , BaO, SrO, Y 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or HfSiO 2 .

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

annealing, after forming the ferroelectric layer and before forming the channel layer, at a temperature less than 350° C.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the source contact and the drain contact comprises:

forming a first conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer includes one or more of TiN, TaN, or WN;

forming a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer, wherein the second conductive layer includes one or more of Ti, Zr, Th, V, Pd, Cu, or W;

forming a third conductive layer over the second conductive layer, wherein the third conductive layer includes one or more of TiN, TaN, or WN; and

forming a conductive fill layer over the third conductive layer, wherein the conductive fill layer includes one or more of Ru, Al, Pt, Ag, Co, Fe, Sn, or Ni.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises one or more of AlO x , SiN x , TiC, or TiO 2 .

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the capping layer comprises using:

physical vapor deposition;

plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition; or

plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is a first dielectric layer, the source contact is a first source contact, and the drain contact is a first drain contact, further comprising:

forming a second dielectric layer over the first source contact and the first drain contact; and

forming a second source contact and a second drain contact in the second dielectric layer.

11 . A ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) device, comprising:

a transistor, comprising:

a gate electrode;

a ferroelectric layer over the gate electrode;

a channel layer over the ferroelectric layer;

a capping layer over the channel layer, wherein the capping layer includes one or more of TaO x , a binary metal oxide based on TaO x , or a ternary metal oxide based on TaO x ;

a dielectric layer over the capping layer; and

a source and a drain contacting one or more of the capping layer, the channel layer, or the ferroelectric layer.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the source and the drain are in contact with a top surface of the capping layer.

13 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the source and the drain are in contact with a top surface of the channel layer, wherein the channel layer includes one or more of InGaZnO, InO, ITO, GaZnO, InGaAs, GaN, AlGaAs, Si, Ge, C, SiC, SiGe, SiGeC, Ga 2 O 3 , a II-VI compound semiconductor, or a III-V compound semiconductor.

14 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the source and the drain are in contact with a top surface of the ferroelectric layer.

15 . The device of claim 11 , wherein the ferroelectric layer comprises:

a seed layer over the gate electrode, wherein the seed layer includes one or more of Ta 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , or HfO 2 ;

a memory layer over the seed layer, wherein the memory layer includes one or more of hafnium zirconium oxide or HfO 2 that is doped with one or more of Ta, Al, Si, In, Zr, Sc, Y, Gd, La, Sr; and

an interfacial layer over the memory layer, wherein the interfacial layer includes one or more of TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , BaO, SrO, Y 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or HfSiO 2 .

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the capping layer is a single layer.

17 . A method, comprising:

forming a gate electrode over a substrate;

forming a ferroelectric layer, over the gate electrode, comprising:

forming a seed layer over the gate electrode;

forming a memory layer over the seed layer; and

forming an interfacial layer over the memory layer;

forming a channel layer over the interfacial layer;

forming a capping layer over the channel layer, wherein the capping layer includes one or more of TaO x , a binary metal oxide based on TaO x , or a ternary metal oxide based on TaO x ;

forming a dielectric layer on a top surface of the capping layer across a width of the capping layer;

patterning the dielectric layer; and

forming a source contact and a drain contact, in the patterned dielectric layer, comprising:

forming a first conductive layer;

forming a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer;

forming a third conductive layer over the second conductive layer; and

forming a conductive fill layer over the third conductive layer.

18 . The method of claim 17 ,

wherein the seed layer includes one or more of Ta 2 O 5 , ZrO 2 , or HfO 2 ,

wherein the memory layer includes one or more of hafnium zirconium oxide or HfO 2 that is doped with one or more of Ta, Al, Si, In, Zr, Sc, Y, Gd, La, Sr, and

wherein the interfacial layer includes one or more of TiO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , BaO, SrO, Y 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , or HfSiO 2 .

19 . The method of claim 17 ,

wherein the first conductive layer includes one or more of TiN, TaN, or WN,

wherein the second conductive layer includes one or more of Ti, Zr, Th, V, Pd, Cu, or W,

wherein the third conductive layer includes one or more of TiN, TaN, or WN, and

wherein the conductive fill layer includes one or more of Ru, Al, Pt, Ag, Co, Fe, Sn, or Ni.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

annealing, after forming the capping layer, at a temperature less than 350° C.