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US 2003/0224536 A1Published application
Contact formation
OwnerAndreas Hilliger, Rainer Bruchhausinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved process for forming a contact on a top electrode of a capacitor is described. The process includes forming an encapsulation layer on at least the top electrode of the capacitor. When the contact hole is etched, the encapsulation layer is not removed. After the contact hole is formed, the resist mask is removed. Since the encapsulation layer remains on the top electrode, the capacitor is protected from hydrogen resulting from the decomposition of the resist material.
Claims20
A process for fabricating an integrated circuit comprising:
- providing a substrate having a capacitor formed thereon, the capacitor includes a dielectric layer between top and bottom electrodes;
- forming an encapsulation layer over at least the second electrode;
- depositing an interlevel dielectric layer over the capacitor;
- forming a photoresist mask over the dielectric layer, the resist mask includes an opening corresponding to a location a contact hole is to be formed;
- etching the contact in the dielectric layer to expose second electrode without removing the encapsulation layer;
- and
- removing the resist mask, the encapsulation layer protects the capacitor from hydrogen formed during the removal of the resist mask.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.