# US 12,113,097 B2 · Ferroelectric capacitor integrated with logic

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- Number: US 12,113,097 B2
- Document ID: US12113097B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/056,240
- Filed: 2022-11-16
- Published: 2023-03-16
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-27
- Assignees: Kepler Computing Inc.
- Applicants: Kepler Computing Inc.
- Inventors: Gaurav Thareja; Sasikanth Manipatruni; Rajeev Kumar Dokania; Ramamoorthy Ramesh; Amrita Mathuriya
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113097B2

## CPC

- H10D 1/684: {the dielectrics comprising multiple layers, e.g. comprising buffer layers, seed layers or gradient layers}
- G11C 11/221: {using ferroelectric capacitors}
- H10B 53/00: Ferroelectric RAM [FeRAM] devices comprising ferroelectric memory capacitors
- H10D 1/682: {having dielectrics comprising perovskite structures}
- H10D 1/696: {comprising multiple layers, e.g. comprising a barrier layer and a metal layer (barrier layers to prevent diffusion of hydrogen or oxygen in perovskite based capacitors H10D1/688)}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

Ferroelectric capacitor is formed by conformably depositing a non-conductive dielectric over the etched first and second electrodes, and forming a metal cap or helmet over a selective part of the non-conductive dielectric, wherein the metal cap conforms to portions of sidewalls of the non-conductive dielectric. The metal cap is formed by applying physical vapor deposition at a grazing angle to selectively deposit a metal mask over the selective part of the non-conductive dielectric. The metal cap can also be formed by applying ion implantation with tuned etch rate. The method further includes isotopically etching the metal cap and the non-conductive dielectric such that non-conductive dielectric remains on sidewalls of the first and second electrodes but not on the third and fourth electrodes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a first electrode comprising a first conductive material;
a first structure comprising a non-linear polar material, the first structure adjacent to the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is laterally on the first structure;
a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode adjacent to the first structure, wherein the first structure is laterally on the second electrode;
a dielectric which abuts to sidewalls of the first electrode, wherein the dielectric is directly adjacent to sidewalls of the first structure, and wherein the dielectric does not abut to sidewalls of the second electrode; and
a cap or a helmet, wherein the cap or the helmet circumscribes the dielectric, and wherein the cap or the helmet does not extend below the first structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-linear polar material includes one of:
bismuth ferrite (BFO) or BFO with a first doping material, wherein the first doping material is one of Lanthanum or elements from lanthanide series of periodic table, Mn, or Sc;
lead zirconium titanate (PZT) or PZT with a second doping material, wherein the second doping material is one of La or Nb;
a relaxor ferroelectric, which includes one of; lead magnesium niobate (PMN), lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT), lead scandium niobate (PSN), barium titanium-bismuth zinc niobium tantalum (BT-BZNT), or barium titanium-barium strontium titanium (BT-BST);
a perovskite which includes one of: BaTiO3, PbTiO3, KNbO3, or NaTaO3;
a first hexagonal ferroelectric which includes one of: YMnO3 or LuFeO3;
a second hexagonal ferroelectric of a type h-RMnO3, where R is a rare earth element which includes one of cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), or yttrium (Y);
hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), their oxides, or their alloyed oxides;
hafnium oxides of a form Hf1-xExOy where E includes one of Al, Ca, Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, Ge, La, Sc, Si, Sr, Sn, or Y, where x and y are first and second fractions, respectively;
Al(1-x)SC(x)N, Ga(1-x)Sc(x)N, Al(1-x)Y(x)N or Al(1-x-y)Mg(x)Nb(y)N, wherein x and y are third and fourth fractions, respectively;
doped HfO2;
niobate type compounds LiNbO3, LiTaO3, lithium iron tantalum oxyfluoride, barium strontium niobate, sodium barium niobate, or potassium strontium niobate; or
an improper ferroelectric which includes one of: [PTO/STO]n or [LAO/STO]n, where ‘n’ is between 1 and 100.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric comprises a substantially uniform thickness on vertical sidewalls of the first electrode, and on the sidewalls of the first structure.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dielectric is on at least a portion of an uppermost surface of the second electrode, and wherein the dielectric comprises a sidewall that is substantially aligned with vertical sidewalls of the second electrode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode comprises a first length measured orthogonally with respect to the sidewalls of the first electrode, wherein the dielectric comprises a second length measured orthogonally away from the sidewalls of the first structure, wherein the second electrode comprises a third length measured orthogonally with respect to the sidewalls of the first electrode, and wherein the third length is substantially equal to a sum of the first length and two times the second length.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dielectric includes one or more of: HfO, SiN, SiO, AlO, MgO, Mg2AlO3, or SiC.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap laterally extends beyond vertical sidewalls of the second electrode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap does not extend to the first structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises an oval, rectangular or circular structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cap comprises a thickness measured vertically upwards from an upper surface of the dielectric, wherein the thickness is in a range of 20 Angstroms to 500 Angstroms.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode comprise one of Ti, TiN, Ru, RuO2, IrO2, PdO2, OsO2, or ReO3, TaN, SrO, Ta, Cu, Co, W, or WN; or conductive perovskites including one or more of LaCoO3, SrCoO3, SrRuO3, LaMnO3, SrMnO3, YBa2Cu3O7, BizSr2CaCu2O8, or LaNiO3; hexagonal metals including one or more of PtCoO2 or PdCoO2; delafossite structured hexagonal conductive oxides including Al-doped ZnO; spinels including one or more of Fe3O4 or LiV2O4; or cubic oxides including indium tin oxide or Sn-doped In2O3.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrode comprise one of Ti, TiN, Ru, RuO2, IrO2, PdO2, OsO2, or ReO3, TaN, SrO, Ta, Cu, Co, W, or WN; or conductive perovskites including one or more of LaCoO3, SrCoO3, SrRuO3, LaMnO3, SrMnO3, YBa2Cu3O7, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, or LaNiO3; hexagonal metals including one or more of PtCoO2 or PdCoO2; delafossite structured hexagonal conductive oxides including Al-doped ZnO; spinels including one or more of Fe3O4 or LiV2O4; cubic oxides including indium tin oxide or Sn-doped In2O3, and the second electrode comprises one of Ti, TiN, Ru, RuO2, IrO2, PdO2, OsO2, or ReO3, TaN, SrO, Ta, Cu, Co, W, or WN; or conductive perovskites including one or more of: LaCoO3, SrCoO3, SrRuO3, LaMnO3, SrMnO3, Yba2Cu3O7, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, or LaNiO3; hexagonal metals including one or more of PtCoO2 or PdCoO2; delafossite structured hexagonal conductive oxides including Al-doped ZnO; spinels including one or more of Fe3O4 or LiV2O4; or cubic oxides including indium tin oxide or Sn-doped In2O3.

### Claim 13

An apparatus comprising:
logic over a substrate, wherein the logic is coupled to one or more vias through one or more interlayer dielectric (ILD);
a capacitor comprising non-linear polar material, wherein the capacitor is above and in contact with the one or more vias, and wherein the capacitor includes:
a first electrode comprising a first conductive material;
a first structure comprising the non-linear polar material, the first structure adjacent to the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is laterally on the first structure;
a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode adjacent to the first structure, wherein the first structure is laterally on the second electrode;
a dielectric which abuts to vertical sidewalls of the first electrode, wherein the dielectric is directly adjacent to sidewalls of the first structure, and wherein the dielectric does not abut to vertical sidewalls of the second electrode; and
a cap or a helmet, wherein the cap or the helmet circumscribes the dielectric, and wherein the cap or the helmet does not extend below the first structure;
a first interconnect or a first via coupled with the first electrode; and
a second interconnect or a second via coupled with the second electrode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first via is on at least a portion of the first electrode, wherein the first via comprises one or more of W, Cu, Ta, Ti, Co, Al, Ag, or TaN, and wherein the second via comprises one or more of W, Cu, Ta, Ti, Co, Al, Ag, or TaN.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-linear polar material includes one of:
bismuth ferrite (BFO) or BFO with a first doping material, wherein the first doping material is one of Lanthanum or elements from lanthanide series of periodic table, Mn, or Sc;
a class of materials comprising La or rare earth elements substituted into Bi site in BiFeO3, BiCrO3, or BiCoO3;
lead zirconium titanate (PZT) or PZT with a second doping material, wherein the second doping material is one of La or Nb;
a relaxor ferroelectric, which includes one of; lead magnesium niobate (PMN), lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT), lead scandium niobate (PSN), barium titanium-bismuth zinc niobium tantalum (BT-BZNT), or barium titanium-barium strontium titanium (BT-BST);
a perovskite which includes one of: BaTiO3, PbTiO3, KNbO3, or NaTaO3;
a first hexagonal ferroelectric which includes one of: YMnO3 or LuFeO3;
a second hexagonal ferroelectrics of a type h-RMnO3, where R is a rare earth element which includes one of cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), or yttrium (Y);
hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), their oxides, or their alloyed oxides;
hafnium oxides of a form Hf1-xExOy, where E includes one of Al, Ca, Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, Ge, La, Sc, Si, Sr, Sn, or Y, wherein x and y are first and second fractions respectively;
Al(1-x)Sc(x)N, Ga(1-x)Sc(x)N, Al(1-x)Y(x)N or Al(1-x-y)Mg(x)Nb(y)N, wherein x and y are third and fourth fractions, respectively;
doped HfO2;
niobate type compounds LiNbO3, LiTaO3, lithium iron tantalum oxyfluoride, barium strontium niobate, sodium barium niobate, or potassium strontium niobate; or
an improper ferroelectric which includes one of: [PTO/STO]n or [LAO/STO]n, where ‘n’ is between 1 and 100.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a layer between the second electrode and the first structure, wherein the layer comprises LaCoO3, SrCoO3, SrRuO3, LaMnO3, SrMnO3, YBa2Cu3O7, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8, or LaNiO3, and wherein the second electrode comprises IrO2, RuO2, PdO2, or PtO2.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the layer comprises a thickness of 10 nm or less.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a first etch stop layer adjacent to the first interconnect or the first via, wherein a portion of the first etch stop layer is in contact with the dielectric and the cap, and wherein the first etch stop layer comprises a material that has very different etch characteristics than materials of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the first structure.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a second etch stop layer adjacent to the second interconnect or the second via, wherein the second etch stop layer comprises a material that has very different etch characteristics than materials of the first electrode, the second electrode, and the first structure.

### Claim 20

A system comprising:
a processor;
a communication interface communicatively coupled to the processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes bit-cells, wherein one of the bit-cells includes:
a transistor having a source, a drain, and a gate;
a word-line coupled to the gate;
a bit-line coupled to one of the source or the drain of the transistor;
logic over a substrate, wherein the logic is coupled to one or more vias through one or more interlayer dielectric (ILD);
a capacitor comprising non-linear polar material, wherein the capacitor is adjacent to the one or more vias, wherein the capacitor is coupled to one of the drain or the source of the transistor, and wherein the capacitor comprises:
a first electrode comprising a first conductive material;
a first structure comprising the non-linear polar material, the first structure adjacent to the first electrode, wherein the first electrode is laterally on the first structure;
a second electrode comprising a second conductive material, the second electrode adjacent to the first structure, wherein the first structure is laterally on the second electrode;
a dielectric which abuts to vertical sidewalls of the first electrode, wherein the dielectric is directly adjacent to sidewalls of the first structure, and wherein the dielectric does not abut to vertical sidewalls of the second electrode; and
a cap or a helmet, wherein the cap or the helmet circumscribes the dielectric, and wherein the cap or the helmet does not extend below the first structure;
a first interconnect or a first via coupled with the first electrode; and
a second interconnect or a second via coupled with the second electrode.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the processor comprises a second transistor, wherein the second transistor includes tunneling FET (TFET), ferroelectric FET (FeFETs), bi-polar (BJT), BiCMOS, carbon nanotubes, or spintronic devices, and wherein the transistor comprises a square wire, rectangular ribbon transistor, tri-gate, or gate all around cylindrical geometry.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The system of claim 20, wherein the non-linear polar material includes one of:
bismuth ferrite (BFO) or BFO with a first doping material, wherein the first doping material is one of Lanthanum or elements from lanthanide series of periodic table, Mn, or Sc;
lead zirconium titanate (PZT) or PZT with a second doping material, wherein the second doping material is one of La or Nb;
a relaxor ferroelectric, which includes one of; lead magnesium niobate (PMN), lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT), lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT), lead scandium niobate (PSN), barium titanium-bismuth zinc niobium tantalum (BT-BZNT), or barium titanium-barium strontium titanium (BT-BST);
a perovskite which includes one of: BaTiO3, PbTiO3, KNbO3, or NaTaO3;
a first hexagonal ferroelectric which includes one of: YMnO3 or LuFeO3;
a second hexagonal ferroelectrics of a type h-RMnO3, where R is a rare earth element which includes one of cerium (Ce), dysprosium (Dy), erbium (Er), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), holmium (Ho), lanthanum (La), lutetium (Lu), neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), promethium (Pm), samarium (Sm), scandium (Sc), terbium (Tb), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), or yttrium (Y);
hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), their oxides, or their alloyed oxides;
hafnium oxides of a form Hf1-xExOy where E includes one of Al, Ca, Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, Ge, La, Sc, Si, Sr, Sn, or Y, wherein x and y are first and second fractions, respectively;
Al(1-x)Sc(x)N, Ga(1-x)Sc(x)N, Al(1-x)Y(x)N or Al(1-x-y)Mg(x)Nb(y)N, wherein x and y are third and fourth fractions, respectively;
doped HfO2;
niobate type compounds LiNbO3, LiTaO3, lithium iron tantalum oxyfluoride, barium strontium niobate, sodium barium niobate, or potassium strontium niobate; or
an improper ferroelectric which includes one of: [PTO/STO]n or [LAO/STO]n, where ‘n’ is between 1 and 100.