Forming ferroelectric polymer memories

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a ferroelectric polymer memory may be formed of a plurality of stacked layers. Each layer may be separated from the ensuing layer by a polyimide layer. The polyimide layer may provide reduced layer-to-layer coupling, and may improve planarization after the lower layer fabrication.

Description

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/160,641, filed on May 31, 2002.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to ferroelectric polymer memories.

A ferroelectric polymer memory may be used to store data. Data may be stored in layers within the memory. The higher the number of layers, the higher is the capacity of the memory. Each of the polymer layers include polymer chains with dipole moments. Data may be stored by changing the polarization of the polymer between metal lines. No transistors are needed for storage.

As a result, ferroelectric polymer memories are non-volatile memories with relatively fast read and write speeds. For example, microsecond initial reads may be possible with write speeds comparable to those of flash memories.

Generally, in polymer memories, the same material is used for the interlayer dielectric between the various polymer layers and for passivation layers. This results in a relatively thick film to avoid ferroelectric coupling. Moreover, the presence of fluorine in these materials introduces outgasing and degrades reliability. Another approach is to use photoresist, but this material is not stable for long-term operation of devices and it is a reliability liability.

Thus, there is a need for better ways to separate the layers in multiple layer, stacked polymer memories.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 after further processing in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 after further processing in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention prior to patterning the row lines 16;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view after patterning the row lines in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 after additional processing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a first layer 20 of a multi-layer ferroelectric polymer memory includes a semiconductor substrate 10. A plurality of metal bitlines 12 run into the page. A polymer layer 14 may overlap the metal bitlines 12, extending over the bitlines 12 and down to the substrate 12 at locations between proximate metal bitlines 12. Finally, over the polymer layer 14 is a plurality of metal row lines 16 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1) that extend transversely to the bitlines 12. Thus, the polarization of the polymer layer 14 may be changed using the overlying row lines 16 and the underlying bitlines 12 to store data in the polymer layer 14 at the intersections of row lines 16 and bitlines 12.

The polymer layer 14 may be formed of a copolymer of vinyledene fluoride (VDF) and trifluoroethylene (TFE) in one embodiment of the present invention. Before coating the wafer with the layer 14, the wafer may be treated with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) in a vapor prime oven on a conventional photoresist spin track as indicated in FIG. 6. In one embodiment, the oven may be 100 degrees Celsius. Then the wafer may be spin coated with the VDF/TFE copolymer in diethylcarbonate (DEC) and heated to evaporate the DEC.

The HMDS vapor, indicated at V in FIG. 6, may be dispensed with a nitrogen gas purge for sixty seconds in one embodiment, to form the coating 26. The wafer may be cooled to room temperature and then coated with the copolymer/DEC solution. The wafer may be annealed to form a piezoelectric film, in some embodiments, that acts as the polymer layer 14 as shown in FIG. 7. The HMDS treatment may provide a consistent, dry, contamination-free substrate on which to spin coat the VDF/TFE copolymer.

The layer 20 may be replicated a number of times to produce a stack of memory layers 20 that are capable of increasing the amount of data stored by the polymer memory. To this end, as shown in FIG. 2, a polyimide layer 18 may be formed over the metal row lines 16.

The polyimide layer 18 is a very low dielectric constant material that reduces the layer-to-layer coupling between different polymer memory layers 20. It also improves planarization after fabrication of a lower layer 20. The thickness of the polyimide layer 18 may be optimized for planarity and electrical isolation. Because polyimide can be formed at low temperatures, it may be integrated into the memory fabrication process without an excessive thermal burden.

Referring to FIG. 3, over the layer 20, a second layer 22 may be formed. The layer 22 may be formed on top of the polyimide layer 18 and may include metal bitlines 12a, a polymer layer 14a, and metal row lines 16a. A second polyimide layer 18a may be formed over the layer 22 to facilitate the stacking of still subsequent memory layers (not shown). If no subsequent layers are to be provided, the layer 18a acts as a passivation layer.

Referring to FIG. 4, a layer 16 may be deposited for subsequent patterning to form the row lines 16. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a gas mixture may be utilized to etch metal on polymer with improved etch sensitivity and good uniformity. In one embodiment, helium may be included in an etching gas mixture made up of chlorine gas (Cl₂) and BCL₃.

As a result of the etching, the structure shown in FIG. 5, with the defined row lines 16, is created with good sensitivity to the underlying polymer layer 14. In some embodiments, the metal to polymer etch selectivity is above 1:1.

Conventional metal patterning on polymer uses gas mixtures of BCL₃ and Cl₂ at high radio frequency bias power to produce an anisotropic metal profile. By lowering the radio frequency bias the extent of bombardment may be reduced. For example, radio frequency bias power may be less than 50 Watts and advantageously from about 20 to about 30 Watts in some embodiments. In addition, helium gas may be added to improve the metal etch uniformity and to reduce heavy bombardment on the wafer.

In some embodiments, a radio frequency plasma etcher having a magnetron current of 200 milliamps, and a radio frequency bias of 25 Watts. A BCL₃ gas flow rate at 35 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm), Cl₂ gas flow rate at 35 sccm, and helium flow rate at 100 sccm may be used. The aluminum etch rate is then 159.6 nm. per minute with a ferroelectric polymer etch rate of 57.2 nm. per minute resulting in a selectivity of 2.8. In general, selectivity greater than 1.25 is advantageous and selectivity greater than 2 may be particularly advantageous in some embodiments.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

coating a first metal layer with hexamethyldisilazane;

forming a layer of polymer over said coating, said polymer to act as a ferroelectric polymer in a ferroelectric polymer memory; and

plasma etching a second metal layer formed over said polymer using a gas mixture including helium, said metal layers and polymer layer to form a first layer of ferroelectric polymer memory.

2. The method of claim 1 including forming a polyimide layer over said first layer of ferroelectric polymer memory.

3. The method of claim 2 including forming a second layer of a ferroelectric polymer memory and forming another polyimide layer over said second memory layer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forming a layer of polymer over said coating includes forming a copolymer layer including vinyledene fluoride and trifloroethylene over said coating.

5. The method of claim 4 including spin coating the copolymer in an organic solvent.

6. The method of claim 5 including evaporating the organic solvent using heat.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein plasma etching a second metal layer includes etching said metal layer with a selectivity greater then 1.25.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein plasma etching a second metal layer includes etching said metal layer with a selectivity greater than 2.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein plasma etching a second metal layer includes using a radio frequency bias from about 20 to about 30 Watts.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein plasma etching a second metal layer includes using a gas mixture including Cl2 and BCL3.

11. A method comprising:

forming a ferroelectric polymer over a first metal layer, said first metal layer patterned to form metal bitlines, said ferroelectric polymer to extend over said bitlines and downward between said bitlines toward an underlying substrate; and

forming a second metal layer over said ferroelectric polymer layer, said second metal layer to be patterned to form row lines that extend transverse to said bitlines.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein forming a ferroelectric polymer over a first metal layer includes forming a ferroelectric copolymer of vinyledene fluoride and trifluoroethylene over said first metal layer.

13. The method of claim 11 further including before forming said ferroelectric polymer, coating said bitlines with hexamethyldisilazane.

14. The method of claim 13 further including using a solution including diethylcarbonate to coat said bitlines.

15. The method of claim 13 further including annealing to form a piezoelectric film.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said first and second metal layers and said ferroelectric polymer form a first layer of a ferroelectric polymer memory.

17. The method of claim 16 further including forming a polyimide layer over said metal row lines.

18. The method of claim 17 further including forming a second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory over said polyimide layer, said second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory including a ferroelectric polymer formed over metal bitlines and metal row lines formed over said ferroelectric polymer.

19. The method of claim 18 including forming another polyimide layer over said second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory.

20. A method comprising:

forming a layer of a polymer over a first metal layer coated with hexamethyldisilazane, said polymer to enable data storage in a ferroelectric polymer memory;

plasma etching a second metal layer formed over said polymer, said plasma etching using a gas mixture including helium; and

after said etching, forming a polyimide layer over said second metal layer.

21. The method of claim 21 including forming a plurality of bitlines over a semiconductor structure.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein plasma etching includes etching a plurality of row lines extending generally transverse to said bitlines.

23. The method of claim 20 including etching said second metal layer with a selectivity greater than 2.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein plasma etching includes plasma etching using a radio frequency bias of from about 20 Watts to about 30 Watts.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein plasma etching includes plasma etching using a gas mixture including Cl2 and BCL3.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein forming a layer of a polymer includes forming a copolymer including vinyledene fluoride and trifluroethylene.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein said polymer and said first and second metal layers form a first layer of a ferroelectric polymer memory, and including forming a second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory over said polyimide layer, the polymer layer of the second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory formed; over a metal layer, and a hexamethyldisilazane layer between said polymer layer and said metal layer of said second layer of ferroelectric polymer memory.