US 11,239,239 B2 · Semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same

Abstract

Disclosed are semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same. The semiconductor memory devices may include a capacitor including first and second electrodes and a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer may include a zirconium aluminum oxide layer including a first zirconium region adjacent to the first electrode, a first aluminum region, a second aluminum region adjacent to the second electrode, and a second zirconium region between the first and second aluminum regions. The first and second zirconium regions may include zirconium and oxygen and may be devoid of aluminum. The first and second aluminum regions may include aluminum and oxygen and may be devoid of zirconium. The first aluminum region and the first zirconium region may be spaced apart by a first distance, and the first aluminum region and the second zirconium region may be spaced apart by a second distance shorter than the first distance.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device, the method comprising:

depositing a first zirconium oxide layer on a substrate;
depositing a first aluminum oxide layer on the first zirconium oxide layer;
depositing a second zirconium oxide layer on the first aluminum oxide layer;
performing a first annealing process that causes aluminum atoms in the first aluminum oxide layer to diffuse into the first zirconium oxide layer and the second zirconium oxide layer, thereby forming a preliminary dielectric layer that includes a first diffusion region and a second diffusion region;
depositing a third zirconium oxide layer on the preliminary dielectric layer;
and
depositing a second aluminum oxide layer on the third zirconium oxide layer.

4 more elements

A method of fabricating a capacitor of a semiconductor memory device, the method comprising:

forming a first electrode;
and
forming a dielectric layer and a second electrode on the first electrode,
wherein the dielectric layer is between the first electrode and the second electrode and comprises:
a first A-metal oxide region comprising an A-metallic element;
a second A-metal oxide region comprising the A-metallic element on the first A-metal oxide region;
a first B-metal oxide region comprising a B-metallic element between the first A-metal oxide region and the second A-metal oxide region;
and
a second B-metal oxide region comprising the B-metallic element between the second A-metal oxide region and the second electrode,
wherein each of the first A-metal oxide region and the second A-metal oxide region is devoid of the B-metallic element,
wherein each of the first B-metal oxide region and the second B-metal oxide region is devoid of the A-metallic element, and
wherein the first A-metal oxide region and the first B-metal oxide region are spaced apart from each other by a first distance, and the first B-metal oxide region and the second A-metal oxide region are spaced apart from each other by a second distance that is shorter than the first distance.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same

Life of this patent

Semiconductor memory devices and methods of fabricating the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20