# US 11,444,203 B2 · Doped polar layers and semiconductor device incorporating same

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- Number: US 11,444,203 B2
- Document ID: US11444203B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/842,571
- Filed: 2020-04-07
- Published: 2020-10-08
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-08
- Assignees: Kepler Computing Inc.
- Applicants: Kepler Computing Inc.
- Inventors: Ramesh Ramamoorthy; Sasikanth Manipatruni; Gaurav Thareja
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444203B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/6713: {characterised by the properties of the source or drain regions, e.g. compositions or sectional shapes}
- H10B 53/30: characterised by the memory core region
- H10D 1/684: {the dielectrics comprising multiple layers, e.g. comprising buffer layers, seed layers or gradient layers}
- H10D 1/688: {comprising barrier layers to prevent diffusion of hydrogen or oxygen}
- H10D 1/692: {Electrodes}
- H10D 1/694: {comprising noble metals or noble metal oxides}
- H10D 10/861: {having an emitter region comprising one or more non-monocrystalline elements of Group IV, e.g. amorphous silicon}
- H10D 30/0415: {of FETs having ferroelectric gate insulators}
- H10D 30/6755: {Oxide semiconductors, e.g. zinc oxide, copper aluminium oxide or cadmium stannate}
- H10D 62/8503: {Nitride Group III-V materials, e.g. AlN or GaN}
- H10D 84/133: {the built-in components being capacitors or resistors}
- H10B 12/312: {with a bit line higher than the capacitor}
- H10B 12/36: {the transistor being a FinFET}
- H10D 30/62: Fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

The disclosed technology generally relates to ferroelectric materials and semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor memory devices incorporating doped polar materials. In one aspect, a capacitor comprises a crystalline polar layer comprising a base polar material substitutionally doped with a dopant. The base polar material comprises one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen. The dopant comprises a metal element of one of 4d series, 5d series, 4f series or 5f series that is different from the one or more metal elements, such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is different from that of the capacitor having the base polar material without being doped with the dopant by more than about 100 mV.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A capacitor, comprising:
a crystalline polar layer comprising a base polar material substitutionally doped with a dopant;
the base polar material comprising one or more metal elements and one or both of oxygen or nitrogen; and
the dopant comprising a metal element of one of 4d series, 5d series, 4f series or 5f series that is different from the one or more metal elements, such that a ferroelectric switching voltage of the capacitor is lower than that of a reference capacitor that is the same as the capacitor except for being doped with the dopant,
wherein a concentration of the dopant is graded in a layer normal direction of the polar layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the base polar material comprises a base ferroelectric material, and wherein increasing the concentration of the dopant decreases a ferroelectric switching voltage of the base ferroelectric material.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The capacitor of claim 2, wherein the ferroelectric switching voltage is lower than about 1200 mV.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the base polar material comprises a base ferroelectric material, and wherein increasing the concentration of the dopant decreases a remnant polarization of the base ferroelectric material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the polar layer has a perovskite crystal structure and comprises a ferroelectric oxide having a chemical formula represented by A(m-x)A′xB(n-y)B′yOz, wherein A and A′ occupy interchangeable atomic positions in the perovskite crystal structure, wherein B and B′ occupy interchangeable atomic positions in the perovskite crystal structure, wherein one or both of the A′ and the B′ are dopants, wherein m, n and z are integers, and wherein one or both of x and y are greater than zero.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the polar layer comprises a ferroelectric oxide selected from the group consisting of BaTiO3, PbTiO3, KNbO3, NaTaO3, BiFeO3 and PbZrTiO3.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the polar layer comprises a ferroelectric oxide selected from the group consisting of Pb(Mg,Nb)O3, Pb(Mg,Nb)O3—PbTiO3, PbLaZrTiO3, Pb(Sc,Nb)O3, BaTiO3—Bi(Zn(Nb,Ta))O3 and BaTiO3—BaSrTiO3, Bi1-xLax)FeO3, Bi1-xCexFeO3 and BiFe1-yCoyO3.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the polar layer comprises a ferroelectric oxide selected from the group consisting of LiNbO3, LiTaO3, LiFeTaOF, SrBaNbO, BaNaNbO and KNaSrBaNbO.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the dopant comprises a lanthanide element or niobium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The capacitor of claim 1, wherein the dopant is present at a concentration such that the polar layer is paraelectric and has substantially zero remnant polarization.