Oxidizer Engineering of ALD for Efficient Production of ZrO2 Capacitors in DRAM

Abstract

This manuscript aims to enhance the production efficiency while maintaining the electric properties of the dynamic random-access memory capacitor dielectric ZrO2 by optimizing its growth processes. This is achieved through oxidizer engineering by increasing the O3 flux (1k sccm to 10k sccm) and using an extremely fast pulse time (1.5 s) during the atomic layer deposition of ZrO2. This “short pulse - high oxidizer flux” method elevates the k value, effectively reduces leakage, and cuts off the growth time. The application of this method yields ZrO2-based capacitors of low leakage current densities ( ${2}\times {10}^{-{8}}$ A/cm2) and low equivalent oxide thicknesses of 0.55 nm (at 0.5 V, 10k sccm O3 flux), holding significant potential as a key facilitator for future ultra-high-density DRAM systems.