Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric film composed of metal oxide under an atmosphere of activated vapor containing oxygen. In the method of forming the dielectric film, a metal oxide film is formed on a semiconductor substrate using a metal organic precursor and O2 gas while the semiconductor substrate is exposed under activated vapor atmosphere containing oxygen, and then, the metal oxide film is annealed while the semiconductor substrate is exposed under activated vapor containing oxygen. The annealing may take place in situ with the formation of the metal oxide film, at the same or substantially the same temperature as the metal oxide forming, and/or at least one of a different pressure, oxygen concentration, or oxygen flow rate as the metal oxide forming.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for cleaning a deposition chamber by removing attached metal oxides, and a deposition apparatus for performing in situ cleaning. A first gas and a second gas are provided into the deposition chamber. The first gas is reacted with metal included in the metal oxide to generate reacting residues. The second gas then decomposes the reacting residues, and the decomposed residues are exhausted out of the chamber. Thus, this cleaning process can be rapidly accomplished while the deposition chamber is not opened or separated from a deposition apparatus.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a floating trap type nonvolatile memory device is provided. The method includes forming a cell gate insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, the cell gate insulating layer being comprised of a lower insulating layer, a charge storage layer and an upper insulating layer sequentially stacked; thermally annealing a resultant substrate including the cell gate insulating layer in a temperature range of 810-100° C.; and forming a gate electrode on the thermally annealed cell gate insulating layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods of manufacturing memory devices including forming floating gate patterns on a semiconductor substrate having active regions thereon, wherein the floating gate patterns cover the active regions and are spaced apart from the active regions; forming an inter-gate dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate having the floating gate patterns by alternately stacking a zirconium oxide layer and an aluminum oxide layer at least once, wherein the inter-gate dielectric layer is formed by a deposition process using O3 gas as a reactive gas; forming a control gate layer on the inter-gate dielectric layer; and forming a control gate, an inter-gate dielectric layer pattern and a floating gate by sequentially patterning the control gate layer, the inter-gate dielectric layer and the floating gate pattern, wherein the inter-gate dielectric layer pattern and the control gate are sequentially stacked across the active regions, and the floating gate is formed between the

Abstract: Multi-layered structures formed using atomic-layer deposition processes include multiple metal oxide layers wherein the metal oxide layers are formed without the presence of interlayer oxide layers and may include different metal oxide compositions.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and/or gate structure having a composite dielectric layer and methods of manufacturing the same is provided. In the semiconductor device, gate structure, and methods provided, a first conductive layer may be formed on a substrate. A native oxide layer formed on the first conductive layer may be removed. A surface of the first conductive layer may be nitrided so that the surface may be altered into a nitride layer. A composite dielectric layer including the first and/or second dielectric layers may be formed on the nitride layer. A second conductive layer may be formed on the composite dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer may include a material having a higher dielectric constant. The second dielectric layer may be capable of suppressing crystallization of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming a lower electrode on a substrate using a titanium chloride pulsed deposition (TPD) process, forming a high-k dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and forming an upper electrode on the dielectric layer using a TPD process. The method further comprises forming a reaction barrier layer between the upper or lower electrode and the dielectric layer using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. The upper electrode is preferably formed with a processing temperature between 350 and 500° C., and the dielectric layer preferably comprises zirconium oxide.

Abstract: In a gate structure of a non-volatile memory device is formed, a tunnel insulating layer and a charge trapping layer are formed on a substrate. A composite dielectric layer is formed on the charge trapping layer and has a laminate structure in which first material layers including aluminum oxide and second material layers including hafnium oxide or zirconium oxide are alternately stacked. A conductive layer is formed on the composite dielectric layer and then a gate structure is formed by patterning the conductive layer, the composite dielectric layer, the charge trapping layer, and the tunnel insulating layer.

Abstract: Methods of forming a zirconium hafnium oxide thin layer on a semiconductor substrate by supplying tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)zirconium ([Zr{N(C2H5)(CH3)}4], TEMAZ) and tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)hafnium ([Hf{N(C2H5)(CH3)}4], TEMAH) to a substrate are provided. The TEMAZ and the TEMAH may be reacted with an oxidizing agent. The thin layer including zirconium hafnium oxide may be used for a gate insulation layer in a gate structure, a dielectric layer in a capacitor, or a dielectric layer in a flash memory device.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention disclose a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, which may include a dielectric layer having an enhanced dielectric constant. A tunnel oxide layer pattern and a floating gate may be sequentially formed on a substrate. A dielectric layer pattern including metal oxide doped with Group III transition metals may be formed on the floating gate using a pulsed laser deposition process. The dielectric layer pattern having an increased dielectric constant may be formed of metal oxide doped with a transition metal such as scandium, yttrium, or lanthanum.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device can include forming a tunnel oxide layer on a substrate, forming a floating gate on the tunnel oxide layer and forming a dielectric layer pattern on the floating gate using an ALD process. The dielectric layer pattern can include a metal precursor that includes zirconium and an oxidant. A control gate can be formed on the dielectric layer pattern. The semiconductor device can include the dielectric layer pattern provided herein.

Abstract: The present invention can provide methods of forming a layer including lanthanum by utilizing a lanthanum precursor existing in a liquid phase at a room temperature. The present invention can further provide methods of forming layers including lanthanum on objects and methods of manufacturing a capacitor.

Abstract: In a method of forming a layer using an atomic layer deposition process, after a substrate is loaded into a chamber, a reactant is provided onto the substrate to form a preliminary layer. Atoms in the preliminary layer are partially removed from the preliminary layer using plasma formed from an inert gas such as an argon gas, a xenon gas or a krypton gas, or an inactive gas such as an oxygen gas, a nitrogen gas or a nitrous oxide gas to form a desired layer. Processes for forming the desired layer may be simplified. A highly integrated semiconductor device having improved reliability may be economically manufactured so that time and costs required for the manufacturing of the semiconductor device may be reduced.

Abstract: A conductive contact plug extends through an opening in the dielectric layer to contact the substrate and includes a widened pad portion extending onto the dielectric layer adjacent the opening. An ohmic pattern is disposed on the pad portion of the plug, and a barrier pattern is disposed on the ohmic pattern. A concave first capacitor electrode is disposed on the barrier pattern and defines a cavity opening away from the substrate. A capacitor dielectric layer conforms to a surface of the first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode is disposed on the capacitor dielectric layer opposite the first capacitor electrode. Sidewalls of the ohmic pattern, the barrier pattern and the pad portion of the contact plug may be substantially coplanar, and the device may further include an etch stopper layer conforming to at least sidewalls of the ohmic pattern, the barrier pattern and the pad portion of the contact plug. Related fabrication methods are described.

Abstract: Flash memory devices include a semiconductor substrate having an active region. A gate pattern on the active region includes a floating gate pattern and a control gate pattern with an inter-gate dielectric layer pattern therebetween. The inter-gate dielectric layer pattern includes a plurality of hafnium oxide layers and a plurality of aluminum oxide layers, ones of which are alternately arrayed.

Abstract: A conductive contact plug extends through an opening in the dielectric layer to contact the substrate and includes a widened pad portion extending onto the dielectric layer adjacent the opening. An ohmic pattern is disposed on the pad portion of the plug, and a barrier pattern is disposed on the ohmic pattern. A concave first capacitor electrode is disposed on the barrier pattern and defines a cavity opening away from the substrate. A capacitor dielectric layer conforms to a surface of the first capacitor electrode and a second capacitor electrode is disposed on the capacitor dielectric layer opposite the first capacitor electrode. Sidewalls of the ohmic pattern, the barrier pattern and the pad portion of the contact plug may be substantially coplanar, and the device may further include an etch stopper layer conforming to at least sidewalls of the ohmic pattern, the barrier pattern and the pad portion of the contact plug. Related fabrication methods are described.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for forming a multi-layered structure having at least two films on a semiconductor substrate. The substrate is disposed on a thermally conductible stage for supporting the substrate. After the distance between the stage and the substrate is adjusted to a first interval so that the substrate has a first temperature by heat transferred from the stage, a first thin film is formed on the substrate at the first temperature. The distance is then adjusted from the first interval to a second interval so that the substrate reaches a second temperature, and then a second thin film is formed on the first thin film at the second temperature, thereby forming the multi-layered structure on the substrate. The multi-layered structure can be employed for a gate insulation film or the dielectric film of a capacitor.

Abstract: In a method of forming a layer using an atomic layer deposition process, after a substrate is loaded into a chamber, a first reactant is provided onto the substrate. The first reactant is partially chemisorbed on the substrate. A second reactant is introduced into the chamber to form a preliminary layer on the substrate by chemically reacting the second reactant with the chemisorbed first reactant. Impurities in the preliminary layer and unreacted reactants are simultaneously removed using a plasma for removing impurities to thereby form the layer on the substrate. The impurities in the layer may be effectively removed so that the layer may have reduced leakage current.

Abstract: A capacitor including a dielectric structure, a lower electrode may be formed on a substrate. The dielectric structure may be formed on the lower electrode, and may include a first thin film, which may improve a morphology of the dielectric structure, and a second thin film, which may have at least one of an EOT larger than that of the first thin film and a dielectric constant higher than that of the first thin film. An upper electrode may be formed on the dielectric structure, and the dielectric structure may have an improved morphology and/or a higher dielectric constant.

Abstract: A thin film structure and a capacitor using the film structure and methods for forming the same. The thin film structure may include a first film formed on a substrate using a first reactant and an oxidant for oxidizing the first reactant. A second film may be formed on the first film to suppress crystallization of the first film. A capacitor may include a dielectric layer, which may further include the first thin film and the second thin film.