New TIT capacitor with ZrO2/Al2O3/ZrO2 dielectrics for 60 nm and below DRAMs

New ZrO2/Al2O3/ZrO2 (ZAZ) dielectric film was successfully developed for DRAM capacitor dielectrics of 60 nm and below technologies. ZAZ dielectric film grown by ALD has a mixture structure of crystalline phase ZrO2 and amorphous phase Al2O3 in order to optimize dielectric properties. ZAZ TIT capacitor showed small Tox.eq of 8.5 angstrom and a low leakage current density of 0.35 fA/cell, which meet leakage current criteria of 0.5 fA/cell for mass production. ZAZ TIT capacitor showed a smaller cap leak fail bit than HAH capacitor and stable leakage current up to 550 degrees C anneal. TDDB (time dependent dielectric breakdown) behavior reliably satisfied the 10-year lifetime criteria within operation voltage range. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.