IP Library Granted Patent US 7,446,002
Granted Patent B2
US 7,446,002 · App. 11/136,747 · Granted Nov 4, 2008

Method for making a semiconductor device comprising a superlattice dielectric interface layer

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,446,002
App. No.
11/136,747
Granted
Nov 4, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers adjacent a substrate. Each group of layers of the superlattice may include a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The method may further include forming a high-K dielectric layer on the electrode layer, and forming an electrode layer on the high-K dielectric layer and opposite the superlattice.

Claims (29)

1. A method for making a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers adjacent a semiconductor substrate;

each group of layers of the superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions, and at least some semiconductor atoms from opposing base semiconductor portions being chemically bound together with the chemical bonds traversing the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer therebetween;

forming a high-K dielectric layer adjacent the superlattice; and

forming an electrode layer adjacent the high-K dielectric layer and opposite the superlattice.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-K dielectric layer has a dielectric constant of greater than about five.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-K dielectric layer has a dielectric constant of greater than about ten.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-K dielectric layer has a dielectric constant of greater than about twenty.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within the crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions is less than about five monolayers to thereby function as an energy band-modifying layer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a channel region underlying the superlattice.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising forming source and drain regions adjacent the channel region.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the high-K dielectric layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxide.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the base semiconductor comprises silicon.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises a non-semiconductor selected from the group consisting essentially of oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine, and carbon-oxygen.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer is a single monolayer thick.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein each base semiconductor portion is less than eight monolayers thick.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein all of the base semiconductor portions are a same number of monolayers thick.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein opposing base semiconductor monolayers in adjacent groups of layers of the superlattice are chemically bound together.

16. A method for making a semiconductor device comprising:

forming a superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers adjacent a semiconductor substrate;

each group of layers of the superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked base silicon monolayers defining a base silicon portion and an energy band-modifying layer comprising at least one oxygen monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base silicon portions, and at least some silicon atoms from opposing base silicon portions being chemically bound together with the chemical bonds traversing the at least one oxygen monolayer therebetween;

forming a high-K dielectric layer having a dielectric constant of greater than about five adjacent the superlattice; and

forming an electrode layer adjacent the dielectric layer and opposite the superlattice.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the high-K dielectric layer has a dielectric constant of greater than about twenty.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within the crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions is less than about five monolayers to thereby function as an energy band-modifying layer.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a channel region underlying the superlattice.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising forming source and drain regions adjacent the channel region.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the high-K dielectric layer comprises at least one of silicon oxide, zirconium oxide, and hafnium oxide.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2020
From: CLIFFORD, ROBERT
To: ATOMERA INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 053681/0942 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 11, 2016
From: MEARS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: ATOMERA INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 038400/0349 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2015
From: MEARS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: LIQUID VENTURE PARTNERS, LLC
Reel/Frame 035216/0473 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 12, 2007
From: RJ MEARS, LLC
To: MEARS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 019817/0236 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2005
From: MEARS, ROBERT J.; HYTHA, MAREK; KREPS, SCOTT A.; STEPHENSON, ROBERT JOHN; YIPTONG, JEAN AUGUSTIN CHAN SOW FOOK; DUKOVSKI, ILIJA; RAO, KALIPATNAM VIVEK; HALILOV, SAMED; HUANG, XIANGYANG
To: RJ MEARS, LLC
Reel/Frame 017059/0266 →