IP Library Granted Patent US 6,858,536
Granted Patent B2
US 6,858,536 · App. 10/313,088 · Granted Feb 22, 2005

Processes to form a metallic film stack

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,858,536
App. No.
10/313,088
Granted
Feb 22, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to an electrically conductive film stack for semiconductors and methods and apparatus for providing same. A film stack comprising a first layer of a platinum-rhodium alloy deposited by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) in the presence of a reducer, such as hydrogen (H 2 ) gas, and a second layer of the platinum-rhodium alloy deposited in the presence of an oxidizing gas, such as ozone (O 3 ), provides an electrical conductor that is also a relatively good barrier to oxygen. The platinum-rhodium film stack can be used as an electrode or capacitor plate for a capacitor with a high-k dielectric material. The electrode formed with alternating reducing and oxidizing agents produces a rough surface texture, which enhances the memory cell capacitance.

Claims (23)

1. A process of depositing a metallic film stack on a substrate in accordance with a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process, the process comprising:

depositing a first film of a metal composition, wherein the metal composition comprises an alloy of platinum and rhodium, in the presence of a reducer; and

depositing a second film of the metal composition in the presence of an oxidizer, the second film directly contacting the first film.

2. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reducer is selected from hydrogen (H 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 ).

3. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein the oxidizer is selected from oxygen (O 2 ), ozone (O 3 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), steam (H 2 O), and nitric oxide (NO).

4. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein depositing the film stack is conducted in one recipe.

5. The process as defined in claim 1 , further comprising depositing a third film of the metal composition in the presence of the oxidizer before depositing the first film.

6. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the film stack is from about 50 Angstroms (Å) to about 2000 Å.

7. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the film stack is from about 100 Å to about 1000 Å.

8. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first film is about 20 Å to about 500 Å.

9. The process as defined in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the second film is about 20 Å to about 500 Å.

10. A method of depositing a metallic film stack on a substrate in accordance with a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process, the method comprising:

depositing a plurality of layers of a metallic composition on the substrate to form a rough metallic layer having a grain size of about 100 to 500 angstrom (Å) by alternating between:

depositing a layer with a metal source gas using a reducing agent; and

depositing a layer with the same metal source gas using an oxidizing agent.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein depositing the plurality of layers forms a total thickness of the film stack between about 100 Å and about 1000 Å.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein depositing using the reducing agent forms a layer thickness between about 20 Å and about 500 Å thick.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 , wherein depositing using the oxidizing agent forms a layer thickness between about 20 Å and about 500 Å thick.

14. A process of depositing a metallic film stack on a semiconductor wafer with a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) process, the process comprising:

in a deposition chamber, depositing a first platinum-rhodium alloy in the presence of a first gas, the first platinum-rhodium alloy being deposited at a first deposition rate to form a first platinum-rhodium layer; and

while the wafer remains in the deposition chamber, depositing a second platinum-rhodium alloy on the first platinum-rhodium layer in the presence of a second gas, the second platinum-rhodium alloy being deposited at a second deposition rate to form a second platinum-rhodium layer, wherein the second deposition rate is greater than the first deposition rate.

15. The process of claim 14 , wherein the first gas is a reducer gas.

16. The process of claim 14 , wherein the second gas is an oxidizer gas.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF U.S. PATENT AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS LENDER
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 047645/0424 →
U.S. PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) Recorded Sep 9, 2014
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: CPPIB CREDIT INVESTMENTS INC., AS LENDER; ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS LENDER
Reel/Frame 033706/0367 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 3, 2014
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 033678/0096 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2014
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.; CONVERSANT IP N.B. 868 INC.; CONVERSANT IP N.B. 276 INC.
Reel/Frame 033484/0344 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 13, 2014
From: MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 032439/0638 →
U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) - SHORT FORM Recorded Jan 10, 2012
From: 658276 N.B. LTD.; 658868 N.B. INC.; MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 027512/0196 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2009
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 023574/0723 →