US 8,283,236 B2 · Methods of forming capacitors

Abstract

Some embodiments include capacitors. The capacitors may include container-shaped storage node structures that have, along a cross-section, a pair of upwardly-extending sidewalls. Individual sidewalls may have a narrower segment over a wider segment. Capacitor dielectric material and capacitor electrode material may be along the narrower and wider segments of the sidewalls. Some embodiments include methods of forming capacitors in which an initial container-shaped storage node structure is formed to have a pair of upwardly-extending sidewalls along a cross-section, with the sidewalls being of thickness that is substantially constant or increasing from a base to a top of the initial structure. The initial structure is then converted into a modified storage node structure by reducing thicknesses of upper segments of the sidewalls while leaving thicknesses of lower segments of the sidewalls substantially unchanged. Capacitor dielectric material and capacitor electrode material are formed along the modified storage node structure.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A method of forming a capacitor, comprising:

forming an initial storage node structure over a semiconductor substrate;
the initial storage node structure being container-shaped and having a bottom, a top, and a height from the bottom to the top;
the initial storage node structure comprising a base at said bottom;
the initial storage node structure comprising, along a cross-section, a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from said base to said top;
converting the initial storage node structure into a modified storage node structure by reducing thicknesses of upper segments of the sidewalls while leaving thicknesses of lower segments of the sidewalls substantially unchanged;
the modified storage node structure being container-shaped, having an upper region and a lower region, and having wider sidewall segments in the lower region and narrower sidewall segments in the upper region;
forming capacitor dielectric material along a surface of the modified storage node structure;
and
forming capacitor electrode material over the capacitor dielectric material, with the capacitor electrode material being capacitively coupled to the modified storage node structure through the capacitor dielectric material.

6 more elements

A method of forming a capacitor, comprising:

forming a container-shaped initial storage node structure over a semiconductor substrate;
the initial storage node structure having a top, a bottom, and a height from the bottom to the top;
the initial storage node structure comprising a base at said bottom;
the initial storage node structure comprising, along a cross-section, a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from said base to said top;
converting the initial storage node structure to a container-shaped modified storage node structure by reducing the thicknesses of the sidewalls along at least about a top half of the height while leaving the thicknesses of the sidewalls substantially unchanged within a region adjacent the base;
forming capacitor dielectric material along a surface of the modified storage node structure;
and
forming capacitor electrode material over the capacitor dielectric material, with the capacitor electrode material being capacitively coupled to the modified storage node structure through the capacitor dielectric material.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods of forming capacitors

Life of this patent

Methods of forming capacitors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24