Microelectronic devices including capacitor structures and methods of forming microelectronic devices
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorMichael A. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor structure includes a capacitor structure comprising an active region comprising opposing field edges parallel to a first horizontal direction and a gate region comprising opposing gate edges parallel to a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction. The semiconductor structure also comprises a first dielectric material adjacent at least one of the opposing field edges or the opposing gate edges and a second dielectric material adjacent the active area and abutting portions of the first dielectric material. A height of the second dielectric material in a vertical direction may be less than the height of the first dielectric material. Semiconductor devices and related methods are also disclosed.
Claims20
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- at least one capacitor structure comprising an active region comprising a central region surrounded by a peripheral region, the active region comprising opposing field edges parallel to a first horizontal direction;
- a gate region comprising opposing gate edges parallel to a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction;
- a first dielectric material overlying at least a portion of the peripheral region of the active region and adjacent to at least one of the opposing field edges or the opposing gate edges;
- and
- a second dielectric material overlying the central region of the active region and abutting portions of the first dielectric material, the second dielectric material fully surrounded on all sides by the first dielectric material, each of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material having a height in a vertical direction transverse to the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction, wherein the height of the second dielectric material is less than the height of the first dielectric material.
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- at least one capacitor structure comprising an active region comprising opposing field edges parallel to a first horizontal direction;
- a gate region comprising opposing gate edges parallel to a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction;
- a first dielectric material adjacent to at least one of the opposing field edges or the opposing gate edges;
- and
- a second dielectric material adjacent to the active region and abutting portions of the first dielectric material, each of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material having a height in a vertical direction transverse to the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction, wherein the height of the second dielectric material is less than the height of the first dielectric material, wherein the first dielectric material extends between the second dielectric material of adjacent capacitor structures such that all intermediary regions between respective active regions of adjacent capacitor structures are fully covered with the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material is fully surrounded on all sides by the first dielectric material.
A method of forming a microelectronic device, comprising:
- forming a first dielectric material overlying at least a portion of a peripheral region of an active region of a capacitor structure, the active region comprising opposing field edges parallel to a first horizontal direction;
- removing a portion of the first dielectric material from a central region of the active region that is surrounded by the peripheral region;
- forming a second dielectric material overlying the central region of the active region and abutting portions of the first dielectric material, the second dielectric material fully surrounded on all sides by the first dielectric material, each of the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material having a height in a vertical direction transverse to the first horizontal direction, the height of the second dielectric material being less than the height of the first dielectric material;
- and
- forming a gate region overlying at least one of the first dielectric material or the second dielectric material, the gate region comprising opposing gate edges parallel to a second horizontal direction transverse to the first horizontal direction and the vertical direction, the first dielectric material adjacent to at least one of the opposing field edges or the opposing gate edges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.