# US 5,701,647 A · Method for making an isolated sidewall capacitor having a compound plate electrode

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- Number: US 5,701,647 A
- Document ID: US5701647A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/787,072
- Filed: 1997-01-22
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1995-12-22
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Katherine Lynn Saenger; David Edward Kotecki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5701647A

## CPC

- H10B 12/03: {Making the capacitor or connections thereto}
- H10B 12/033: {the capacitor extending over the transistor}
- H10D 1/68: Capacitors having no potential barriers
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A capacitor structure is provided, with a first conductor on top of a substrate having at least one layer of dielectric material thereon; a first non-conductor on top of and substantially in register with the first conductor, the first conductor and first non-conductor having a first opening formed therein; a second conductor, in electrical contact with the first conductor, formed on the sidewalls of the first opening; a non-conductive sidewall spacer formed in the first opening and contacting the second conductor, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein; and a third conductor formed in the second opening.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for making a capacitor structure, comprising the steps of:
forming a first conductor on a substrate having at least one layer of dielectric material thereon;
forming a first non-conductor on top of and substantially in register with the first conductor, the first conductor and first non-conductor having a first opening formed therein;
forming a second conductor, in electrical contact with the first conductor, on the sidewalls of the first opening;
forming a non-conductive sidewall spacer in the first opening on the exposed sidewalls of the second conductor, the non-conductive sidewall spacer having a second opening formed therein; and
forming a third conductor in the second opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the second conductor forms approximately a 90 degree angle with the first conductor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
forming a third opening in the third conductor; and
filling the third opening with a fill material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a second non-conductor below the first conductor prior to the step of forming the first conductor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the second non-conductor is substantially in register with the first conductor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a conductive plug in the substrate to provide electrical contact between the third conductor and circuit elements in the substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of forming a diffusion barrier layer between the conductive plug and the third conductor, the diffusion barrier being substantially in register with the conductive plug.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a conductive sidewall spacer in between the non-conductive sidewall spacer and the third conductor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the substrate dielectric layer has a third opening in line with the second opening, and further comprising the step of simultaneously filling the second and third openings with the third conductor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate dielectric layer has a third opening in line with the second opening, and further comprising the step of simultaneously filling the second and third openings with the third conductor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a second non-conductor on top of and substantially in register with the first non-conductor.

### Claim 12

A method for making a capacitor structure, comprising the steps of:
forming a layer of disposable material on a substrate having at least one layer of dielectric material thereon; patterning said layer of disposable material to leave a disposable plug;
forming a layer of conductive material over said disposable plug and said substrate;
forming a layer of dielectric material over said layer of conductive material, said layer of dielectric material being thick enough to fill and completely cover the conductive layer;
planarizing said layer of dielectric material to expose a horizontal portion of the conductor material which overlies the disposable plug;
removing the horizontal portion of the conductor material which overlies the disposable plug;
removing the disposable plug to leave a dielectric-filled conductive structure which has an opening formed therein exposing a conductive sidewall;
reducing the height of the conductive sidewall to bring it below the level of the dielectric fill;
forming a non-conductive sidewall spacer on the conductive sidewall, the non-conductive sidewall having an opening formed therein; and
forming a conductor in the non-conductive sidewall opening.