# US 11,114,481 B2 · Capacitor including first electrode, dielectric layer, and second electrode, image sensor, and method for producing capacitor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,114,481 B2 - Document ID: US11114481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/118,220 - Filed: 2018-08-30 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-12 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yuuko Tomekawa; Takahiro Koyanagi; Takeyoshi Tokuhara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114481B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/803: {Pixels having integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements} - H10D 1/692: {Electrodes} - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A capacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes and being in contact with each of the first and second electrodes. The dielectric layer has a thickness of 10 nm or more. The first electrode contains carbon. At the interface between the dielectric layer and the first electrode, an elemental percentage of carbon is 30 atomic % or less. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capacitor comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes and being in contact with each of the first and second electrodes, wherein: the dielectric layer has a thickness of 16 nm or more, the first electrode contains carbon, the dielectric layer contains carbon, and in a middle portion of the first electrode between an uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer and a lowermost surface of the first electrode opposed to the uppermost surface, an elemental percentage of carbon is 30 atomic % or less. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a hafnium oxide and a zirconium oxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a titanium nitride and a tantalum nitride. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein: an interface between the dielectric layer and the first electrode has a trenched shape, depressed in part in a direction from the second electrode toward the first electrode; and the dielectric layer is provided along the trenched shape. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein in the uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer, the elemental percentage of carbon is 3 atomic % or more. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The capacitor according to claim 1, wherein an elemental percentage of carbon in a middle of the first electrode is higher than the elemental percentage of carbon in the uppermost surface. ### Claim 7 An image sensor comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric transducer and a photodiode; and a capacitor, wherein: the capacitor includes: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes and being in contact with each of the first and second electrodes, the dielectric layer has a thickness of 16 nm or more, the first electrode contains carbon, the dielectric layer contains carbon, and in a middle portion of the first electrode between an uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer and a lowermost surface of the first electrode opposed to the uppermost surface, an elemental percentage of carbon is 30 atomic % or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein the dielectric layer is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a hafnium oxide and a zirconium oxide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein the first electrode is made of at least one selected from the group consisting of a titanium nitride and a tantalum nitride. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein: an interface between the dielectric layer and the first electrode has a trenched shape, depressed in part in a direction from the second electrode toward the first electrode; and the dielectric layer is provided along the trenched shape. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein in the uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer, the elemental percentage of carbon is 3 atomic % or more. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The image sensor according to claim 7, wherein an elemental percentage of carbon in a middle of the first electrode is higher than the elemental percentage of carbon in the uppermost surface. ### Claim 13 A capacitor comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes and being in contact with each of the first and second electrodes, wherein: the dielectric layer has a thickness of 16 nm or more, the first electrode contains carbon, the dielectric layer contains carbon, and in an uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer, an elemental percentage of carbon is 3 atomic % or more and 30 atomic % or less. ### Claim 14 An image sensor comprising: at least one selected from the group consisting of a photoelectric transducer and a photodiode; and a capacitor, wherein: the capacitor includes: a first electrode; a second electrode facing the first electrode; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes and being in contact with each of the first and second electrodes, the dielectric layer has a thickness of 16 nm or more, the first electrode contains carbon, the dielectric layer contains carbon, and in an uppermost surface of the first electrode facing the dielectric layer, an elemental percentage of carbon is 3 atomic % or more and 30 atomic % or less.