Abstract: An apparatus for treating plasma includes an inner chamber, an outer chamber receiving the inner chamber and including a gas supplier that supplies a gas into the inner chamber, an inner electrode disposed in the inner chamber, and a plasma generator supplying power independently to the inner electrode and the inner chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a method of forming a metal layer using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The method includes using MOCVD to form on a dielectric layer a metal layer having a first thickness, performing a first plasma process on the metal layer, using the MOCVD process to form a metal layer having a second thickness on the metal layer having the first thickness and performing a second plasma process on the metal layer having the second thickness, wherein the second plasma process has an energy level greater than the energy level of the first plasma process.

Abstract: Integrated circuit devices including metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors are provided. The MIM capacitors may include an upper electrode having first and second layers. The first layer of the upper electrode includes a physical vapor deposition (PVD) upper electrode and the second layer of the upper electrode includes an ionized PVD (IPVD) upper electrode on the PVD upper electrode. Related methods are also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first interlayer insulation film having a contact therein. The contact has an upper surface and including a void therein having an open upper portion. The device further includes a plasma damage reduction unit including a lower electrode conformably on the void of the contact and on the upper surface of the contact, a dielectric film on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric film. The thickness of the portion of the dielectric film in the void is smaller than the thickness of the portion of the dielectric film on the upper surface of the contact.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of forming a dielectric thin film and a method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device having the same. Other example embodiments of the present invention relate to a method of forming a ZrO2 thin film and a method of fabricating a capacitor of a semiconductor memory device using the ZrO2 thin film as a dielectric layer. A method of forming a ZrO2 thin film may include supplying a zirconium precursor on a substrate maintained at a desired temperature, thereby forming a chemisorption layer of the precursor on the substrate. The zirconium precursor may be a tris(N-ethyl-N-methylamino)(tert-butoxy) zirconium precursor. The substrate having the chemisorption layer of the precursor may be exposed to the plasma atmosphere of oxygen-containing gas for a desired time, thereby forming a Zr oxide layer on the substrate, and a method of fabricating a capacitor of a semiconductor memory device having the ZrO2 thin film.

Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric layer using a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition technique includes: loading a semiconductor substrate having a three-dimensional structure into a reaction chamber; and repeatedly performing the following steps until a dielectric layer with a desired thickness is formed: supplying a source gas into the reaction chamber; stopping the supply of the source gas and purging the source gas remaining inside the reaction chamber; and supplying oxygen gas into the reaction chamber after purging the source gas, and applying RF power for oxygen plasma treatment, a level of the applied RF power and a partial pressure of the oxygen gas being increased concurrently with an increased aspect ratio of the three-dimensional structure.

Abstract: In a capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric region contacting the lower electrode, an upper dielectric region contacting the upper electrode, and at least one middle dielectric region between the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region, the at least one middle dielectric region having a less crystalline region than both the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region.

Abstract: In a method of fabricating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor and a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor fabricated according to the method, the method comprises: forming an insulating-layer pattern on a semiconductor substrate, the insulating-layer pattern having a plurality of openings that respectively define areas where capacitor cells are to be formed; forming a lower electrode conductive layer on the insulating-layer pattern and on the semiconductor substrate; forming a first sacrificial layer that fills the openings on the lower electrode conductive layer; forming a second sacrificial layer on of the first sacrificial layer; planarizing the second sacrificial layer; exposing an upper surface of the lower electrode conductive layer; removing the exposed lower electrode conductive layer to form a plurality of lower electrodes that are separated from each other, each corresponding to a capacitor cell; and forming dielectric layers and upper electrodes, that are separated from each other, each corres

Abstract: Multi-layered dielectric films which can improve the performance characteristics of a microelectronic device are provided as well as methods of manufacturing the same. The multi-layered dielectric film includes a single component oxide layer made of a single component oxide, and composite components oxide layers made of a composite components oxide including two or more different components formed along either side of the single component oxide layer without a layered structure.

Abstract: In a capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric region contacting the lower electrode, an upper dielectric region contacting the upper electrode, and at least one middle dielectric region between the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region, the at least one middle dielectric region having a less crystalline region than both the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region.

Abstract: Methods of forming a thin film by atomic layer deposition are disclosed. These methods generally include the steps of loading a substrate into a reaction chamber, and injecting a first source gas containing a first atom into the reaction chamber to form a chemical adsorption layer containing the first atom on the substrate. In one representative embodiment, a first reaction gas is then injected into the reaction chamber while a first plasma power is applied to the reaction chamber such that the first reaction gas reacts with the chemical adsorption layer containing the first atom to form a first thin film on the substrate. A second source gas containing a second atom is then injected into the reaction chamber to form a chemical adsorption layer containing the second atom on the substrate having the first thin film.

Abstract: In a capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric region contacting the lower electrode, an upper dielectric region contacting the upper electrode, and at least one middle dielectric region between the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region, the at least one middle dielectric region having a less crystalline region than both the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region.

Abstract: An analog capacitor capable of reducing the influence of an applied voltage on a capacitance and a method of manufacturing the analog capacitor are provided. The analog capacitor includes a lower electrode which is formed on a substrate, a multi-layered dielectric layer which includes at least one oxide layer and at least one oxynitride layer which are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Hf, Al, Zr, La, Ba, Sr, Ti, Pb, Bi and a combination thereof and is formed on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode which is formed on the multi-layered dielectric layer.

Abstract: In a capacitor of an analog semiconductor device having a multi-layer dielectric film and a method of manufacturing the same, the multi-layer dielectric film can be readily manufactured, has weak reactivity with corresponding electrodes and offers excellent leakage current characteristics. In order to obtain these advantages, a lower dielectric film having a negative quadratic VCC, an intermediate dielectric film having a positive quadratic VCC, and an upper dielectric film having a negative quadratic VCC are sequentially formed between a lower electrode and an upper electrode. The lower dielectric film and the upper dielectric film may be composed of SiO2. The intermediate dielectric film may be composed of HFO2.

Abstract: A method of forming a dielectric layer using a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition technique includes: loading a semiconductor substrate having a three-dimensional structure into a reaction chamber; and repeatedly performing the following steps until a dielectric layer with a desired thickness is formed: supplying a source gas into the reaction chamber; stopping the supply of the source gas and purging the source gas remaining inside the reaction chamber; and supplying oxygen gas into the reaction chamber after purging the source gas, and applying RF power for oxygen plasma treatment, a level of the applied RF power and a partial pressure of the oxygen gas being increased concurrently with an increased aspect ratio of the three-dimensional structure.

Abstract: In semiconductor integrated circuit devices having a hybrid dielectric layer and methods of fabricating the same, the hybrid dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric layer, an intermediate dielectric layer and an upper dielectric layer which are sequentially stacked. The lower dielectric layer contains hafnium (Hf) or zirconium (Zr). The upper dielectric layer also contains Hf or Zr. The intermediate dielectric layer is formed of a material layer having a voltage dependent capacitance variation lower than that of the lower dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method of cleaning a reaction chamber using a substrate having a metal catalyst thereon is disclosed. The method includes preparing a substrate having a catalyst layer to activate a cleaning gas. The substrate is introduced into the reaction chamber. Next, a cleaning gas is introduced into the reaction chamber. Contaminations in the reaction chamber are exhausted. The substrate having a metal catalyst layer is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a capacitor, and a method of fabricating the same, the capacitor includes a lower electrode, a dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer includes a lower dielectric region contacting the lower electrode, an upper dielectric region contacting the upper electrode, and at least one middle dielectric region between the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region, the at least one middle dielectric region having a less crystalline region than both the lower dielectric region and the upper dielectric region.

Abstract: A logic device having a vertically extending MIM capacitor between interconnect layers includes a semiconductor substrate. A lower interconnect layer is located over the semiconductor substrate, and an upper interconnect layer is located over the lower interconnect layer. A U-shaped lower metal plate is interposed between the lower interconnect layer and the upper interconnect layer. The U-shaped lower metal plate directly contacts the lower interconnect layer. The capacitor dielectric layer covers the inner surface of the lower metal plate. Further, the capacitor dielectric layer has an extension portion interposed between the brim of the lower metal plate and the upper interconnect layer. An upper metal plate covers the inner surface of the capacitor dielectric layer. The upper metal plate is in contact with the upper interconnect layer and is confined by the capacitor dielectric layer.