Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming an insulating film above a semiconductor substrate;

forming a conductive film on the insulating film;

forming a dielectric film on the conductive film, the dielectric film being including a ferroelectric;

forming a plurality of upper electrodes at intervals on the dielectric film;

forming a first protective insulating film on the upper electrodes and the dielectric film by a sputtering method, thereby narrowing the width of gaps generated along a grain boundary of the dielectric film to an extent that the gaps are not completely filled with the first protective insulating film;

forming a second protective insulating film on the first protective insulating film by an atomic layer deposition method, thereby filling the gaps with the second protective insulating film; and

patterning the conductive film after the second protective insulating film is formed to provide a lower electrode, thereby forming a ferroelectric capacitor including the upper electrodes, the dielectric film, and the lower electrode.

2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

forming a third protective insulating film on the second protective insulating film and on a side surface of the dielectric film.

3. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:

heating the semiconductor substrate after the ferroelectric capacitor is formed.

4. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 3 , wherein the heating the semiconductor substrate is carried out in an oxygen-containing atmosphere.

5. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 4 , the method further comprising:

forming an interlayer insulating film on the ferroelectric capacitor, wherein

the heating the semiconductor substrate is carried out after the interlayer insulating film is formed.

6. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein

the patterning the conductive film includes:

forming a resist film on the second protective insulating film; and

etching, under an etching condition in which a side surface of the resist film recedes, portions of the conductive film, the first protective insulating film, and the second protective insulating film, the portions not being covered with the resist film, to provide the conductive film left without being etched as the lower electrode, and

a total film thickness of the first protective insulating film and the second protective insulating film is set to a thickness which allows at least one of the first protective insulating film and the second protective insulating film to remain on the dielectric film in a space between the plurality of upper electrodes when the etching is finished.

7. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 , wherein

the second protective insulating film contacts with crystal grains of the dielectric film.