# US 2012/0074537 A1 · Dielectric stack

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- Number: US 2012/0074537 A1
- Document ID: US20120074537A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/888,434
- Filed: 2010-09-23
- Published: 2012-03-29
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-23
- Assignees: Globalfoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.
- Inventors: Sung Mun JUNG; Swee Tuck WOO; Sanford CHU; Liang Choo HSIA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120074537A1

## CPC

- H10D 64/681: {having a compositional variation, e.g. multilayered}
- H10D 30/69: IGFETs having charge trapping gate insulators, e.g. MNOS transistors
- H10D 64/037: {comprising charge-trapping insulators}
- H10P 14/6522: {introduced into a nitride material, e.g. changing SiN to SiON}
- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- H10P 74/23: {characterised by multiple measurements, corrections, marking or sorting processes}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A method of forming a device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate and forming a device layer on the substrate having a formed thickness TFD. A capping layer is formed on the substrate having a formed thickness TFC. Forming the capping layer consumes a desired amount of the device layer to cause the thickness of the device layer to be about the target thickness TTD. The thickness of the capping layer is adjusted from TFC to about a target thickness TTC.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a device comprising:
providing a substrate;
forming a device layer on the substrate having a formed thickness TFD;
forming a capping layer on the substrate having a formed thickness TFC, wherein forming the capping layer consumes a desired amount of the device layer to cause the thickness of the device layer to be about the target thickness TTD; and
adjusting the thickness of the capping layer from TFC to about a target thickness TTC.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprises thermally forming a dielectric layer prior to forming the device layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprises measuring the TFD to obtain a measured thickness of the device layer TMD.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein the TFC is determined or calculated from the TMD.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the TFC to about the TTC comprises etching.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the device layer comprises a charge storage layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the device layer comprises a nitride material and the capping layer comprises a thermally grown oxide material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the amount of consumption of the device layer depends on the amount of growth of the capping layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the capping layer is formed by thermal oxidation.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein forming the capping layer comprises selecting a recipe which determines the TFC and an amount of consumption of the device layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein adjusting the TFC to about the TTC comprises wet etch or wet clean.

### Claim 12

A device comprising:
a substrate;
a first device layer on the substrate comprising a target thickness TTFD; and
a second device layer on the substrate over the first device layer having a target thickness TTSD, wherein a lower portion of the second device layer comprises a consumed upper portion of the first device layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 wherein:
the first device layer comprises a first dielectric material; and
the second device layer comprises a second dielectric material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 wherein a top surface of the second device layer comprises an etch surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 comprises a third device layer below the first device layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15 wherein the first, second and third device layers form a dielectric stack.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12 wherein the thicknesses TTFD and TTSD are tightly controlled.

### Claim 18

A method of forming a device comprising:
forming a base dielectric layer on the substrate having a base target thickness TTB;
forming a storage dielectric layer over the base dielectric layer, the storage dielectric layer having a storage formed thickness TFS;
forming an upper dielectric layer over the storage dielectric layer having a upper formed thickness TFU, wherein forming the upper dielectric layer consumes a desired amount of the storage dielectric layer to produce a storage dielectric layer with a storage target thickness TTS; and
adjusting TFU of the upper dielectric layer to about an upper target thickness TTU.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18 wherein adjusting TFU comprises etching the upper dielectric layer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein the base, storage and upper dielectric layers form a dielectric stack of a non-volatile memory.