Abstract: Provided are methods of fabricating capacitors of semiconductor devices, the methods including: forming a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate, performing a pre-process operation on the lower electrode for suppressing deterioration of the lower electrode during a process, forming a dielectric layer on the lower electrode using a source gas and an ozone gas, and forming an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the pre-process operation and the forming of the dielectric layer may be performed in one device capable of atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: In a method of forming a layer, a precursor composition including a metal and a ligand chelating to the metal is stabilized by contacting the precursor composition with an electron donating compound to provide a stabilized precursor composition onto a substrate. A reactant is introduced onto the substrate to bind to the metal in the stabilized precursor composition. The stabilized precursor composition is provided onto the substrate by introducing the precursor composition onto the substrate after the electron donating compound is introduced onto the substrate. The electron donating compound is continuously introduced onto the substrate during and after the precursor composition is introduced.

Abstract: Integrated circuit capacitors have composite dielectric layers therein. These composite dielectric layers include crystallization inhibiting regions that operate to increase the overall crystallization temperature of the composite dielectric layer. An integrated circuit capacitor includes first and second capacitor electrodes and a capacitor dielectric layer extending between the first and second capacitor electrodes. The capacitor dielectric layer includes a composite of a first dielectric layer extending adjacent the first capacitor electrode, a second dielectric layer extending adjacent the second capacitor electrode and an electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer extending between the first and second dielectric layers. The electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer is formed of a material having a higher crystallization temperature characteristic relative to the first and second dielectric layers.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device, a method of fabricating the same, and a semiconductor module, an electronic circuit board, and an electronic system including the device. The semiconductor device includes a lower electrode, a rutile state lower vanadium dioxide layer on the lower electrode, a rutile state titanium oxide on the lower vanadium dioxide layer, and an upper electrode on the titanium oxide layer.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device including an oxide dielectric layer and a non-oxide dielectric layer, a method of fabricating the device, and a semiconductor module, an electronic circuit board, and an electronic system including the device. The semiconductor device may include a lower electrode, an oxide dielectric layer disposed on the lower electrode, a non-oxide dielectric layer disposed on the oxide dielectric layer, and an upper electrode disposed on the non-oxide dielectric layer.

Abstract: In a multilayer structure and a method of forming the same, a conductive layer including a metal nitride and a dielectric layer positioned on a surface of the conductive layer and having a high dielectric constant. The metal nitride comprises one of niobium, vanadium and compositions thereof. Thus, the EOT and leakage current of the multilayer structure may be sufficiently improved.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures including a first conductive layer; a dielectric layer on the first conductive layer; a second conductive layer on the dielectric layer; and a crystallized seed layer in at least one of a first portion between the first conductive layer and the dielectric layer and a second portion between the dielectric layer and the second conductive layer. Related capacitors and methods are also provided herein.

Abstract: A phase-change memory device, including a lower electrode, a phase-change material pattern electrically connected to the lower electrode, and an upper electrode electrically connected to the phase-change material pattern. The lower electrode may include a first structure including a metal semiconductor compound, a second structure on the first structure, the second structure including a metal nitride material, and including a lower part having a greater width than an upper part, and a third structure including a metal nitride material containing an element X, the third structure being on the second structure, the element X including at least one selected from the group of silicon, boron, aluminum, oxygen, and carbon.

Abstract: In a method of forming a layer, a precursor including a metal and a ligand chelating to the metal is stabilized by contacting the precursor with an electron donating compound to provide a stabilized precursor onto a substrate. A reactant is introduced onto the substrate to bind to the metal in the stabilized precursor. The precursor stabilized by the electron donating compound has an improved thermal stability and thus the precursor is not dissociated at a high temperature atmosphere, and the layer having a uniform thickness is formed on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes depositing tungsten on an insulating layer in which a contact hole is formed by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), performing chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) on the tungsten to expose the insulating layer and form a tungsten contact plug, and performing rapid thermal oxidation (RTO) on the tungsten contact plug in an oxygen atmosphere such that the tungsten expands volumetrically into tungsten oxide (W?O?).

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a dielectric layer with improved electrical characteristics and associated methods, the semiconductor device including a lower metal layer, a dielectric layer, and an upper metal layer sequentially disposed on a semiconductor substrate and an insertion layer disposed between the dielectric layer and at least one of the lower metal layer and the upper metal layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a metal oxide film and the insertion layer includes a metallic material film.

Abstract: In a method of fabricating a capacitor, a lower electrode is formed, and a dielectric layer is formed on the lower electrode. An upper electrode is foamed on the dielectric layer opposite the lower electrode. A low-temperature capping layer is formed on the upper electrode at a temperature of less than about 300° C. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

Abstract: Integrated circuit capacitors have composite dielectric layers therein. These composite dielectric layers include crystallization inhibiting regions that operate to increase the overall crystallization temperature of the composite dielectric layer. An integrated circuit capacitor includes first and second capacitor electrodes and a capacitor dielectric layer extending between the first and second capacitor electrodes. The capacitor dielectric layer includes a composite of a first dielectric layer extending adjacent the first capacitor electrode, a second dielectric layer extending adjacent the second capacitor electrode and an electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer extending between the first and second dielectric layers. The electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer is formed of a material having a higher crystallization temperature characteristic relative to the first and second dielectric layers.

Abstract: Integrated circuit capacitors have composite dielectric layers therein. These composite dielectric layers include crystallization inhibiting regions that operate to increase the overall crystallization temperature of the composite dielectric layer. An integrated circuit capacitor includes first and second capacitor electrodes and a capacitor dielectric layer extending between the first and second capacitor electrodes. The capacitor dielectric layer includes a composite of a first dielectric layer extending adjacent the first capacitor electrode, a second dielectric layer extending adjacent the second capacitor electrode and an electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer extending between the first and second dielectric layers. The electrically insulating crystallization inhibiting layer is formed of a material having a higher crystallization temperature characteristic relative to the first and second dielectric layers.

Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer, and an upper electrode. The lower electrode includes a first conductive layer, a chemical barrier layer on the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer on the chemical barrier layer. The chemical barrier layer is between the first and second conductive layers and is a different material than the first and second conductive layers. The dielectric layer is on the lower electrode. The upper electrode is on the dielectric layer opposite to the lower electrode. The first and second conductive layers can have the same thickness. The chemical barrier layer can be thinner than each of the first and second conductive layers. Related methods are discussed.

Abstract: In a method of forming a layer, a precursor including a metal and a ligand coordinating to the metal is stabilized by contacting the precursor with an electron donating compound to provide a stabilized precursor into a substrate. A reactant is introduced into the substrate to bind to the metal in the stabilized precursor. The precursor stabilized by the electron donating compound has an improved thermal stability and thus the precursor is not dissociated at a high temperature atmosphere, and the layer having a uniform thickness is formed on the substrate.

Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer, and an upper electrode. The lower electrode includes a first conductive layer, a chemical barrier layer on the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer on the chemical barrier layer. The chemical barrier layer is between the first and second conductive layers and is a different material than the first and second conductive layers. The dielectric layer is on the lower electrode. The upper electrode is on the dielectric layer opposite to the lower electrode. The first and second conductive layers can have the same thickness. The chemical barrier layer can be thinner than each of the first and second conductive layers. Related methods are discussed.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a dielectric structure, after a first dielectric layer is formed on a substrate by using a metal oxide doped with silicon, the substrate is placed on a susceptor of a chamber. By treating the first dielectric layer with a plasma in controlling a voltage difference between the susceptor and a ground, a second dielectric layer is formed on the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer including a metal oxynitride doped with silicon having enough content of nitrogen is formed on the first dielectric layer. Therefore, dielectric properties of the dielectric structure comprising the first and the second dielectric layers can be improved and a leakage current can be greatly decreased. By adapting the dielectric structure to a gate insulation layer and/or to a dielectric layer of a capacitor or of a non-volatile semiconductor memory device, capacitances and electrical properties can be improved.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device including a multi-layer dielectric structure and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. According to one example embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a capacitor comprising: first and second electrodes facing each other; at least one first dielectric layer that is disposed between the first and second electrodes, the at least one first dielectric layer comprising a first high-k dielectric layer doped with silicon; and at least one second dielectric layer that is disposed between the at least one first dielectric layer and any of the first and second electrodes, the at least one second dielectric layer having a higher crystallization temperature than that of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device include forming an absorption layer on a surface of a substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to a first reaction gas at a first temperature. A metal oxide layer is then formed on the surface of the substrate by exposing the absorption layer to a second reaction gas at a second temperature. The first reaction gas may include a precursor containing zirconium (e.g., tetrakis(ethylmethylamino)zirconium) and the second reaction gas may include an oxidizing agent.