PREVENTION OF Ta2O5 MIM CAP SHORTING IN THE BEOL ANNEAL CYCLES

Abstract

The present invention provides a high-performance metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor which contains a high-k dielectric, yet no substantial shorting of the MIM capacitor is observed. Specifically, shorting of the MIM capacitor is substantially prevented in the present invention by forming a passivation layer between the high-k dielectric layer and each of the capacitor“s electrodes. The inventive MIM capacitor includes a first conductor; a first passivation layer located atop the first conductor; a high-k dielectric layer located atop the first passivation layer; a second passivation layer located atop the high k dielectric layer; and a second conductor located atop the second passivation layer.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.