A capacitor includes a lower electrode, a first dielectric layer provided on the lower electrode including a perovskite structure, an upper electrode including a perovskite structure, a first dielectric layer between provided on the lower electrode and the upper electrode; and a second dielectric layer, having a band gap energy greater than that of the first dielectric layer, provided between on the first dielectric layer and the upper electrode, the capacitor may have a low leakage current density and stable crystallinity, thereby suppressing a decrease in a dielectric constant.

An interconnect structure for use in coupling transistors in an integrated circuit is disclosed, including various configurations in which ferroelectric capacitors exhibiting negative capacitance are coupled in series with dielectric capacitors. In one embodiment, the negative capacitor includes a dielectric/ferroelectric bi-layer. When a negative capacitor is electrically coupled in series with a conventional dielectric capacitor, the series combination behaves like a stable ferroelectric capacitor for which the overall capacitance can be measured experimentally, and tuned to a desired value. The composite capacitance of a dielectric capacitor and a ferroelectric capacitor having negative capacitance coupled in series is, in theory, infinite, and in practice, very large. A series combination of positive and negative capacitors within a microelectronic interconnect structure can be used to make high capacity DRAM memory cells.

The disclosed technology relates to a structure for use in a metal-insulator-metal capacitor. In one aspect, the structure comprises a bottom electrode formed of a Ru layer. The Ru layer has a top surface characterized by a grazing incidence X-ray diffraction spectrum comprising a first intensity and a second intensity, the first intensity corresponding to a diffracting plane of Miller indices (0 0 2) being larger than the second intensity corresponding to a diffracting plane of Miller indices (1 0 1). The structure further comprises an interlayer on the top surface of the Ru layer, the interlayer being formed of an oxide of Sr and Ru having a cubic lattice structure, and a dielectric layer on the interlayer, the dielectric layer being formed of an oxide of Sr and Ti.

A thin-film structure includes a support layer and a dielectric layer on the support layer. The support layer includes a material having a lattice constant. The dielectric layer includes a compound having a Ruddlesden-Popper phase (A.sub.n+1B.sub.nX.sub.3n+1). where A and B each independently include a cation, X is an anion, and n is a natural number. The lattice constant of the material of the support layer may be less than a lattice constant of the compound.

A semiconductor device includes a capacitor including a lower electrode an upper electrode, and a dielectric layer between the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The lower electrode includes ABO.sub.3 where ‘A’ is a first metal element and ‘B’ is a second metal element having a work function greater than that of the first metal element. The dielectric layer includes CDO.sub.3 where ‘C’ is a third metal element and ‘D’ is a fourth metal element. The lower electrode includes a first layer and a second layer which are alternately and repeatedly stacked. The first layer includes the first metal element and oxygen. The second layer includes the second metal element and oxygen. The dielectric layer is in contact with the lower electrode at a first contact surface the first contact surface corresponding to the second layer.

A thin-film structure includes a support layer and a dielectric layer on the support layer. The support layer includes a material having a lattice constant. The dielectric layer includes a compound having a Ruddlesden-Popper phase (A.sub.n+1B.sub.nX.sub.3n+1). where A and B each independently include a cation, X is an anion, and n is a natural number. The lattice constant of the material of the support layer may be less than a lattice constant of the compound.

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a thin film capacitor a silicon substrate having a silicon dioxide layer; an adhesion layer on the silicon dioxide layer, wherein the adhesion layer is a polar dielectric; a first electrode layer on the adhesion layer; a dielectric layer on the first electrode layer; and a second electrode layer on the dielectric layer. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Described is a low power, high-density non-volatile differential memory bit-cell. The transistors of the differential memory bit-cell can be planar or non-planer and can be fabricated in the frontend or backend of a die. A bit-cell of the non-volatile differential memory bit-cell comprises first transistor first non-volatile structure that are controlled to store data of a first value. Another bit-cell of the non-volatile differential memory bit-cell comprises second transistor and second non-volatile structure that are controlled to store data of a second value, wherein the first value is an inverse of the second value. The first and second volatile structures comprise ferroelectric material (e.g., perovskite, hexagonal ferroelectric, improper ferroelectric).

Described is a low power, high-density non-volatile differential memory bit-cell. The transistors of the differential memory bit-cell can be planar or non-planer and can be fabricated in the frontend or backend of a die. A bit-cell of the non-volatile differential memory bit-cell comprises first transistor first non-volatile structure that are controlled to store data of a first value. Another bit-cell of the non-volatile differential memory bit-cell comprises second transistor and second non-volatile structure that are controlled to store data of a second value, wherein the first value is an inverse of the second value. The first and second volatile structures comprise ferroelectric material (e.g., perovskite, hexagonal ferroelectric, improper ferroelectric).

A method for processing a substrate includes positioning a silicon substrate in a deposition chamber. One or more intermediate layers are deposited on a surface of the silicon. The one or more intermediate layers can include strontium, which combines with the silicon to form strontium silicide. Alternatively, the one or more intermediate layers comprise germanium. A layer of amorphous strontium titanate is deposited on the one or more intermediate layers in a transient environment in which oxygen pressure is reduced while temperature is increased. The substrate is then exposed to an oxidizing and annealing atmosphere that oxidizes the one or more intermediate layers and converts the layer of amorphous strontium titanate to crystalline strontium titanate.