Method of making a semiconductor device having improved contacts
A semiconductor device and fabrication process wherein the device includes a conductive layer with a localized thick region positioned below the contact hole. In one embodiment of the invention, the thick region to which contact is made is formed by means of an opening in an underlayer of material. This embodiment of the device includes an underlayer of material having an opening therein; a layer of thin conductive material formed on the underlayer and in the opening; and overlayer of material having a contact hole therethrough formed on the layer of thin conductive material; a conductor contacting the layer of thin conductive material through the contact hole; and wherein the opening in the underlayer is positioned below the contact hole and sized and shaped to form a localized thick region in the layer of thin conductive material within the opening.
This application is a division of pending application Ser. No. 09/008,531 filed Jan. 16, 1998 (MIO 0012 V2), which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/789,072 filed Feb. 3, 1997 (MIO 0012 F2) now U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,770 issued Oct. 27, 1998, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/399,844 filed Mar. 7, 1995 (MIO 0012 PA).
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates generally to the formation of a semiconductor device and process for making the device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a localized thick region in a thin conductive layer for making electrical contact to a conductor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONGenerally, semiconductor devices are formed by alternately stacking layers of conducting and insulating materials over a semiconductor substrate. Contact holes are etched through some or all of these layers at specific locations and, thereafter, metal conductors are deposited into the holes to provide for electrical contact to external circuits. Contact holes are typically etched down to active areas on the surface of the substrate or to an intervening conductive layer. Variations in the thickness of the layers of material, non-uniformity of the film deposition and planarizing processes and limitations inherent in the etching process make it difficult to ensure the contact hole will stop precisely on the conductive layer to which contact will be made. This is particularly true as the conductive layers are made thinner for the increasingly small memory cell components currently being incorporated into random access semiconductor memory devices. Where contact must be made to a conductive layer that is thin in comparison to the overlaying materials through which the contact hole is etched, the contact hole etch must be precisely controlled to maximize the chances the hole stops on the thin conductive layer.
The problems associated with forming reliable contacts to a thin conductive layer are illustrated below where I have described part of a process for manufacturing a conventional stacked capacitor DRAM.
Referring to
Upper insulating layer 12 and cell poly 2 are typically about 20,000 Angstroms and 1,000 Angstroms thick, respectively. The thickness of upper insulating layer 12 may vary from place to place due to the stepped substrate materials over which it is formed and non-uniformity of the film deposition and planarizing processes. Also, the contact hole etch must continue long enough to expose the deepest contact, bit line contact 15 in this example, at the thickest part of upper insulating layer 12. Hence, the contact hole will be over etched into and sometimes through the thin cell poly as illustrated in
Current methods to reduce the risk of over etching the cell poly contact hole include precisely controlled etch times and the development and use of highly selectively etch processes. Adequate selectivity is difficult to achieve, however, as device geometries shrink, bit line contacts become deeper and the cell poly becomes thinner.
One solution to the problem of shorting a thin conductive layer (described above for the cell poly) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,219, issued to Katayama on Sep. 7, 1993. Katayama discloses an impurity diffused region in the substrate directly below the contact hole. The resulting pn junction between the impurity diffused region and the substrate isolates the conductive layer from the substrate in the event the contact hole is etched through the thin conductive layer. Although the device of Katayama minimized some of the undesirable effects of etching through the thin conductive layer, it does not eliminate this fundamental problem which is inherent in the formation of reliable contacts to a thin conductive layer.
There remains a need for a structure and manufacturing process that lessens or eliminates the risk of etching the contact hole through a thin conductive layer. It is desirable that such structure and process be of practical use in a variety of semiconductor device applications, including those in which the conductive layer is remote from the substrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne object of the invention is to provide an improved contact to a relatively thin conductive layer.
Another object of the invention is to lessen the risk of etching the contact hole through the conductive layer to which contact will be made.
Another object is to prevent a shorting path or current leakage between the metal contact and underlying conductive or semiconductive materials.
According to the present invention, these and other objects are achieved by a semiconductor device having a conductive layer with a localized thick region positioned below the contact hole. In one embodiment of the invention, the thick region to which contact is made is formed by means of an opening in an underlayer of material. In this embodiment, the device includes an underlayer of material having an opening therein; a layer of thin conductive material formed on the underlayer and in the opening; an overlayer of material having a contact hole therethrough formed on the layer of thin conductive material; a conductor contacting the layer of thin conductive material through the contact hole; and wherein the opening in the underlayer is positioned below the contact hole and sized and shaped to form a localized thick region in the layer of thin conductive material within the opening.
In another embodiment, the invention is incorporated into a stacked capacitor DRAM. In this embodiment, the semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor formed in a memory cell array region of a semiconductor substrate, the field effect transistor having a gate electrode formed over the substrate, and first and second source/drain regions formed in the surface of the substrate on opposite sides of the gate electrode; a capacitor formed in the memory cell array region, the capacitor comprising a bottom electrode formed over the substrate in electrical contact with the first source/drain region a dielectric layer formed on the bottom electrode, and a first region of a polysilicon top electrode formed on the dielectric over the bottom electrode; a second region of the polysilicon top electrode formed in a peripheral region of the substrate adjacent to the memory cell array region; and underlayer of material interposed between the substrate and the second region of the polysilicon top electrode into the peripheral region; an opening in the underlayer; an insulating layer formed on the second region of the polysilicon top electrode; a contact hole thought the insulating layer; a conductor contacting the second region of the polysilicon top electrode through the contact hole; and wherein the opening in the underlayer is positioned below the contact hole.
A process for making a semiconductor device according to the invention includes the steps of: forming a first layer of thin conductive material; forming a second layer of material having a contact hole therethrough on the first layer; forming a localized thick region in the first layer and positioning the thick region below the contact hole; and forming a conductor contacting the thick region through the contact hole.
The semiconductor device of the invention, wherein the conductive layer has a localized thick region formed and positioned directly below the contact hole, eliminates the risk of etching the contact hole through the conductive layer, improves the conductive layer/conductor contact and prevents current leakage between the conductor and the substrate or other structure underlying the conductive layer.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The figures are not meant to be actual views of the various embodiments, but merely idealized representations used to depict the structure and process of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTSThe fabrication of semiconductor devices includes etching predetermined patterns into various layers of material formed during fabrication of the device. This process is referred to herein as “patterning and etching.” Photolithography and reactive ion etching, for example, are commonly used pattern and etch processes. These or other pattern and etch processes, well known to those skilled in the art, may be used to implement the present invention.
Reference will now be made to
Referring to
Referring to
Opening 24 is sized and shaped to form localized thick region 34 in conductive layer 26 within opening 24. Opening 24 and thick region 34 are formed subjacent to contact hole 30, that is, below and adjacent to contact hole 30. Opening 24 and thick region 34 are preferably positioned directly below contact hole 30 as shown in
The Conformality of a particular material, as is well known in the art, represents the comparative rate at which a material is simultaneously deposited along the top surface and sidewall of an opening or “step” in the underlying material. Conformality is defined by the ratio of the thickness of the deposited material along the sidewall of a step in the underlying material and its thickness along the surface adjacent to the step. Polysilicon, for example, has a Conformalilty of about 0.80. If conductive layer 26 is made of polysilicon having a thickness of 1,500 angstrom at surface 38 of underlayer 20, then the width of opening 24 preferably is less than or equal to 2,400 Angstroms (2×1,500 angstroms×0.80). This will ensure conductive layer 26 completely fills opening 24 to form a robust thick region 34. Thick region 34 allows for a reliable contact to conductor 32 even in the event of a substantial contact hole overetch as shown in
Opening 24 should be deep enough so that thick region 34 is sufficiently thick to accommodate anticipated overetching of contact hole 30. Overetching, as applied herein to contact hole 30, refers to the continuation of the etch after contact hole 30 has reached the nominal depth of conductive layer 26 below overlayer 28. In many semiconductor device applications, overlayer 28 will be formed over a structure having a stepped topography, resulting in variations in the thickness of overlayer 28. The thickness of overlayer 28 may also vary due to non-uniformity in deposition and planarization processes. Contact hole 30 must overetched as necessary to account for such variations. Other factors may also effect the contact hole etch. For example, the contact hole may be etched simultaneously with a deeper bit line contact as in the stacked capacitor DRAM described below. In this example, the etch must continue until the deeper bit line contact is reached, resulting in a substantial overetch of contact hole 30.
In general, the depth of opening 24 will depend upon the nominal depth of contact hole 30, the total effective depth of the etch during which contact hole 30 is formed, and the selectivity of the etch. The total effective depth of this etch will be determined by the depth of the deepest contact being etched and any overetch of that deep contact. Selectivity is a measure of the etch rate of the target material (overlayer 28 in this example) relative to other materials of interest exposed to the etchant (conductive layer 26). Selectivity is defined by the following equation: SAB=EA/EB, where EA is the etch rate of the target material to be etched and EB is the etch rate of the second material of interest exposed to the etchant. For a contact hole having a nominal depth DCH, a total etch depth DTE, and etch selectivity S, the thickness TTR of thick region 34 is determined according to the following equation: TTR≧(DTE−DCH)/S. The corresponding depth DO of opening 24 is determined according to the following equation: DO≧(DTE−DCH)/S−TCL, where TCL is the thickness of conductive layer 26.
In another embodiment of the invention, illustrated in
Referring to
Reference will now be made to
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Assuming a 4 Mbit DRAM having an access transistor gate about 0.6 μm wide, silicon dioxide insulating layer 71 has a thickness TI of approximately 3,000 Angstroms and Conformality CI of 0.67, second polysilicon layer 73 has a thickness TPL of approximately 2,000 Angstroms and Conformality CPL of 0.80, dielectric layer 76 has a thickness TD of approximately 100 Angstroms and Conformality CD of 0.90, and cell poly 80 has a thickness TCP of approximately 1,000 Angstroms and Conformality CCP of 0.80. Therefore, opening 68 preferably is no more than 9,000 Angstroms wide.
Referring to
There has been shown and described a novel semiconductor device wherein a conductive layer has a localized thick region formed and positioned below the contact hole, thus eliminating the risk of etching the contact hole through the thin conductive layer. The particular embodiments shown in the drawings and described herein are for purposes of example and should not be construed to limit the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Those skilled in the art may now make numerous uses and modifications of the specific embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, the invention could be readily incorporated into trench capacitor DRAMs, Static Random Access Memories (SRAMs), logic circuit semiconductor devices and other such devices where a contact via is formed on a layer of relatively thin conductive material. The process steps described may in some instances be performed in a different order and/or equivalent structures and processes may be substituted for the various structures and processes described.
Claims
1. A process for making a semiconductor device having an improved contact to a conductive layer comprising the steps of:
- providing a first layer of material and forming an opening therein, said opening including sidewalls;
- forming a layer of a first conductive material on said first layer of material and along the surfaces of said sidewalls of said opening to form a localized thick region;
- forming an overlayer of material on said layer of said first conductive material;
- etching a contact hole in said overlayer and an overetch amount of said layer of said first conductive material, wherein said overetch amount is an amount necessary to account for variations in the thickness of said overlayer in forming said first layer of material and said layer of said first conductive material; and
- substantially filling said contact hole in said overlayer with a second conductive material which differs in composition from said first conductive layer and which contacts said first conductive material.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which said first conductive material forms spacers on said sidewalls of said opening.
3. A process as claimed in claim 2 in which said second conductive material contacts at least said spacers.
4. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which said first conductive material comprises polysilicon and said second conductive material comprises a metal.
5. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which said first layer and said overlayer comprise insulating materials.
6. A process for making a semiconductor device having an improved contact to a conductive layer comprising:
- providing a first layer of material and forming an opening therein, said opening including sidewalls;
- forming a layer of a first conductive material on said first layer of material and along the surfaces of said sidewalls of said opening to form a localized thick region, wherein said first conductive material forms spacers on said sidewalls;
- forming an overlayer of material on said layer of said first conductive material;
- forming a contact hole in said overlayer and in said localized thick region which communicates with said layer of said first conductive material, wherein said contact hole is etched in said overlayer and an overetch amount of said layer of said first conductive material, wherein said overetch amount is an amount necessary to account for variations in the thickness of said overlayer in forming said first layer of material and said layer of said first conductive material; and
- substantially filling said contact hole in said overlayer with a second conductive material which differs in composition from said first conductive layer and which contacts at least said spacers.
7. A process as claimed in claim 6 in which said first layer and said overlayer comprise insulating materials.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 26, 2005
Publication Date: Dec 22, 2005
Inventors: Howard Rhodes (Boise, ID), Luan Tran (Boise, ID)
Application Number: 11/213,278