High dielectric constant metal silicates formed by controlled metal-surface reactions
AssigneeNorth Carolina State University
InventorsGregory N. Parsons, James J. Chambers, M. Jason Kelly
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Abstract
A method of forming an insulation layer on a semiconductor substrate includes modifying a surface of a semiconductor substrate with a metal or a metal-containing compound and oxygen to form an insulation layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the insulation layer comprises the metal or metal-containing compound, oxygen, and silicon such that the dielectric constant of the insulation layer is greater relative to an insulation layer formed of silicon dioxide, and wherein the insulation layer comprises metal-oxygen-silicon bonds.
Claims40
A method of forming an insulation layer on a semiconductor substrate, said method comprising:
- oxidizing a surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a silicon dioxide layer thereon;
- after said oxidizing step, depositing at least one metal or metal-containing compound on the surface of the silicon dioxide layer;
- and
- annealing the semiconductor substrate to modify the surface of the semiconductor substrate to form a noncrystalline insulation layer on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the insulation layer comprises the metal or metal-containing compound, oxygen, and silicon such that the dielectric constant of the insulation layer is greater relative to an insulation layer formed of silicon dioxide, and wherein the insulation layer comprises metal-oxygen-silicon bonds.
A surface-modified semiconductor substrate comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate comprising silicon;
- and
- a noncrystalline insulation layer formed on an oxidized surface of the semiconductor substrate, said insulation layer comprises a metal or metal-containing compound, oxygen, and silicon such that the dielectric constant of the insulation layer is greater relative to an insulation layer formed of silicon dioxide, and wherein the insulation layer comprises metal-oxygen-silicon bonds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.