IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,432,943
Granted Patent B2
US 12,432,943 · App. 17/944,649 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Over-sculpted storage node

Inventors: Devesh Dadhich Shreeram (Meridian, ID); Sanjeev Sapra (Boise, ID); Kangle Li (Boise, ID); Sevim Korkmaz (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H10D1/043H10D1/042H10D1/712H10D1/716H10B12/00H10B12/033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,432,943
App. No.
17/944,649
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and systems related to an over-sculpted storage node are described. An example method includes forming an opening in a pattern of materials. The method further includes performing an etch to over-sculpt the opening. The method further includes depositing a storage node material in the over-sculpted opening to form an over-sculpted storage node. The method further includes performing an etch to remove portions of the pattern of materials. The method further includes performing an etch on the storage node material to trim the over-sculpted storage node.

Claims (46)

1. A method, comprising:

forming an opening in a pattern of materials;

performing an etch to over-sculpt the opening;

depositing a storage node material in the over-sculpted opening to form an over-sculpted storage node;

performing an etch to remove portions of the pattern of materials; and

performing an etch on the storage node material to trim the over-sculpted storage node, including:

a top portion with a first distal end;

a bottom portion with a second distal end; and

over-sculpted sidewalls extending from the first distal end to the second distal end, wherein a first thickness at the first distal end and a second thickness at the second distal end are greater than a third thickness at a location between the first distal end and the second distal end, and wherein the top portion is uniformly tapered from the first thickness to the third thickness, and wherein the bottom portion is uniformly tapered from the second thickness to the third thickness.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the etch to over-sculpt the opening using a vapor etch.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing the etch to over-sculpt the opening for an amount of time in a range from 1-15 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a nitride material as the storage node material.

5. A method, comprising:

depositing a pattern of materials;

forming an opening in the pattern of materials;

performing an oxidative etch on sidewall of opening to form an over-sculpted opening;

depositing a storage node material in the over-sculpted opening to form an over-sculpted storage node;

performing an etch to remove portions of the pattern of materials; and

performing an etch on the storage node material to trim the over-sculpted storage node, the over-sculpted storage node including:

a top portion with a first distal end;

a bottom portion with a second distal end; and

over-sculpted sidewalls extending from the first distal end to the second distal end, wherein a first thickness at the first distal end and a second thickness at the second distal end are greater than a third thickness at a location between the first distal end and the second distal end.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing the etch on the storage node material further comprises performing a vapor etch on the storage node material.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein forming the opening further comprises performing a dry etch on the pattern of material to form the opening.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing the etch to remove portions of the pattern of materials further comprises performing a wet etch, wherein the wet etch is performed with a hydrofluoric acid solution (HF).

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing the etch on the storage node material further comprising performing a wet etch.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein performing the etch on the storage node material further comprise performing a wet etch, wherein the wet etch is performed with ammonium hydroxide.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

an over-sculpted storage node including:

a top portion with a first distal end;

a bottom portion with a second distal end; and

over-sculpted sidewalls extending from the first distal end to the second distal end, wherein a first thickness at the first distal end and a second thickness at the second distal end are greater than a third thickness at a location between the first distal end and the second distal end, and wherein the top portion is uniformly tapered from the first thickness to the third thickness, and wherein the bottom portion is uniformly tapered from the second thickness to the third thickness; and,

a top electrode.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are substantially equal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the location between the first distal end and the second distal end is at an interface between the top portion and the bottom portion.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the third thickness is at least 5 angstroms less than both the first thickness and the second thickness.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a semiconductor structure on the side of the over-sculpted storage node includes oxide materials separated by nitride materials.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the top portion is formed of top portion may be formed of a tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) material.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bottom portion is formed of a borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG) material.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a height of the over-sculpted storage node is greater than or equal to 10,000 Angstroms.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

an over-sculpted storage node including:

a top portion with a first distal end;

a bottom portion with a second distal end; and

over-sculpted sidewalls extending from the first distal end to the second distal end, wherein a first thickness at the first distal end and a second thickness at the second distal end are greater than a third thickness at a location between the first distal end and the second distal end, and wherein the over-sculpted sidewalls have a surface roughness of less than or equal to 1.2 nanometers; and

a top electrode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2022
From: SHREERAM, DEVESH DADHICH; SAPRA, SANJEEV; LI, KANGLE; KORKMAZ, SEVIM
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 061094/0250 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240088211A1 · Mar 14, 2024
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