Abstract: A process used during the formation of a semiconductor device comprises the steps of placing a plurality of semiconductor wafers each having a surface into a chamber of a batch wafer processor such as a diffusion furnace. The wafers are heated to a temperature of between about 300° C. and about 550° C. With the wafers in the chamber, at least one of ammonia and hydrazine is introduced into the chamber, then a precursor comprising trimethylethylenediamine tris(dimethylamino)titanium and/or triethylaluminum is introduced into the chamber. In the chamber, a layer comprising aluminum nitride is simultaneously formed over the surface of each wafer. The inventive process allows for the formation of aluminum nitride or titanium aluminum nitride over the surface of a plurality of wafers simultaneously. A subsequent anneal of the aluminum nitride layer or the titanium aluminum nitride layer can be performed in situ.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments of the present invention teach a process for forming a storage capacitor for a semiconductor assembly, by forming a first storage electrode having a top surface consisting of titanium nitride; forming a barrier layer directly on the titanium nitride, the barrier layer (a material containing any one of amorphous silicon, tantalum, titanium, or strontium) being of sufficient thickness to substantially limit the oxidation of the titanium nitride when said semiconductor assembly is subjected to an oxidizing agent (either an oxidizing agent or an nitridizing agent); converting a portion of the barrier layer to a dielectric compound; depositing a storage cell dielectric directly on the dielectric compound, the storage cell dielectric being of the same chemical makeup as the dielectric compound and thereby using the dielectric compound as a nucleation surface; and forming a second capacitor electrode on the storage cell dielectric.

Abstract: An exemplary implementation of the present invention includes a capacitor for a dynamic random access memory cell having a first plate; a second plate; and a dielectric layer interposed between said first and second plates, with the dielectric layer being dominated by electrode-limited conduction, which includes tantalum pentoxide and silicon nitride, or a combination of the two. In a preferred implementation, one of the two capacitor plates is formed from a silicon-germanium layer, the second plate is formed from a metal and the dielectric layer is formed from tantalum pentoxide.

Abstract: Titanium boride (TiB.sub.x), zirconium boride (ZrB.sub.x) and hafnium boride (HfB.sub.x) barriers and electrodes for cell dielectrics for integrated circuits, particularly for DRAM cell capacitors. The barriers protect cell dielectrics from diffusion and other interaction with surrounding materials during subsequent thermal processing.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of semiconductive wafer processing comprising forming a silicon nitride layer over a surface of a semiconductive wafer, the silicon nitride layer comprising at least two portions, one of the at least two portions generating a compressive force against the other of the at least two portions, and the other of the at least two portions generating a tensile force against the one of the at least two portions.

Abstract: A method for conditioning a dielectric material on a semiconductor substrate structure during a semiconductor fabrication process, comprising the steps of: irradiating the dielectric material using ultraviolet light irradiation while in a ambient exhibiting the properties of self-limiting oxidation, during a first annealing period; following the first annealing period by exposing the dielectric material to an oxygen ambient during a second annealing period. This method may be applied to the conditioning of a capacitor dielectric on a capacitor structure, or to the conditioning of a field effect transistor gate dielectric on a field effect transistor gate structure or to the conditioning of insulative spacers about the sidewalls of a field effect transistor gate structure.

Abstract: Capacitor constructions and methods of forming the same are described. In one implementation, a capacitor container is formed over a substrate and includes an internal surface and an external surface. At least some of the external surface is provided to be rougher than at least some of the internal container surface. A capacitor dielectric layer and an outer capacitor plate layer are formed over at least portions of the internal and the external surfaces of the capacitor container. In another implementation, a layer comprising roughened polysilicon is formed over at least some of the external container surface but not over any of the internal container surface. In a preferred aspect, the roughened external surface or roughened polysilicon comprises hemispherical grain polysilicon.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention teaches a method for forming a storage capacitor during semiconductor memory device fabrication, the method comprising the steps of: forming a first capacitor plate structure comprising a polysilicon material having an aspect ratio comprising a vertical component and a horizontal component; wherein the vertical component of the first capacitor plate structure is greater in dimension than the horizontal component of the first capacitor plate structure; depositing a silicon nitride layer over the first capacitor plate structure by exposing the first capacitor plate structure to a gas vapor phase of an organometallic precursor and to an nitrogen based gas in an Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) chamber; and forming a second capacitor plate structure over the silicon nitride layer, the second capacitor plate structure being positioned to span at least a portion of the first capacitor plate structure.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of semiconductive wafer processing comprising forming a silicon nitride layer over a surface of a semiconductive wafer, the silicon nitride layer comprising at least two portions, one of said at least two portions generating a compressive force against the other of the at least two portions, and the other of the at least two portions generating a tensile force against the one of the at least two portions.

Abstract: A method of fabricating capacitors for a dynamic random access memory device reduces double bit failures or shorts in the device. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate underlying an insulative layer having a plurality of storage cells formed therein electrically connected to the substrate. A first conductive layer of rugged polysilicon, which functions as a first capacitor plate, is formed over the insulative layer in an oxygen-free atmosphere such that the first conductive layer is without natural oxides on the surface thereof. The surface of the first conductive layer in the oxygen-free atmosphere is then conditioned by a rapid thermal nitridization process which forms a silicon nitride film thereon. Thereafter, portions of the first conductive layer are removed from the insulative layer such that the plurality of storage cells are electrically isolated from one another.

Abstract: An exemplary implementation of the present invention includes a capacitor for a dynamic random access memory cell having a first plate; a second plate; and a dielectric layer interposed between said first and second plates, with the dielectric layer being dominated by electrode-limited conduction, which includes tantalum pentoxide and silicon nitride, or a combination of the two. In a preferred implementation, one of the two capacitor plates is formed from a silicon-germanium layer, the second plate is formed from a metal and the dielectric layer is formed from tantalum pentoxide.