Microelectronic devices including two contacts
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsTieh-Chiang Wu, Wen-Chieh Wang, Sheng-Wei Yang
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Abstract
A memory device with a dielectric layer or an air gap between contacts and a method of making the same are disclosed. The method comprises a series of steps including forming a plurality of conductive lines having trenches therebetween; forming a contact layer in the trench; and forming a dielectric layer interposed in the contact layer and configured to divide the contact layer into two contacts. The method also comprises removing the dielectric layer to form a space and forming a cap layer over the two contacts to form an air gap therein. The method further comprises forming a second air gap between the conductive line and the two contacts.
Claims19
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- a base material;
- shallow trench isolation regions located in the base material;
- gate structures located adjacent one another on the base material, the gate structures extending in a first horizontal direction and having trenches extending laterally therebetween;
- two contacts located in individual trenches extending in the first horizontal direction between the adjacent gate structures, the two contacts laterally adjacent one another and aligned in a straight line in a second horizontal direction between the adjacent gate structures, wherein upper surfaces of each of the gate structures and the two contacts are substantially coplanar with one another;
- and
- a cap material located over the gate structures and the two contacts to define a first air gap located over one of the shallow trench isolation regions and only between the two contacts and to define a second air gap located between one of the gate structures and one of the two contacts.
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- shallow trench isolation regions in a base material;
- recessed gate structures located in the base material, wherein two of the recessed gate structures are located between adjacent shallow trench isolation regions;
- additional gate structures located adjacent one another on the base material and extending in a first horizontal direction;
- two contacts located within an opening extending in the first horizontal direction between the adjacent additional gate structures, the two contacts laterally adjacent one another and aligned in a straight line in a second horizontal direction between the adjacent additional gate structures;
- and
- a single cap material located directly over the additional gate structures and the two contacts to define a first space comprising a first air gap located over one of the shallow trench isolation regions and only between the two contacts and to define a second space comprising a second air gap located between one of the additional gate structures and one of the two contacts.
A microelectronic device, comprising:
- shallow trench isolation regions in a base material;
- gate structures located adjacent one another on the base material and extending in a first horizontal direction;
- two contacts located within an opening extending in the first horizontal direction between the adjacent additional gate structures, the two contacts laterally adjacent one another and aligned in a straight line in a second horizontal direction between the adjacent gate structures;
- and
- a cap material located over the gate structures and the two contacts to define a first space comprising a first air gap located over one of the shallow trench isolation regions and only between the two contacts and to define a second space comprising a second air gap located between one of the gate structures and one of the two contacts, wherein the first air gap is separated from the base material by a dielectric material and the second air gap is in direct physical contact with the base material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.