Patent ID: 6559001
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
A method of forming a lower electrode of a capacitor, the method comprising:forming a barrier film on a semiconductor substrate, the barrier film comprising one or more layers of a compound selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, titanium silicate, titanium silicate nitride, titanium aluminum nitride, tantalum silicate and tantalum silicate nitride, iridium, iridium oxide and mixtures thereof; forming a conductive film containing a metal on the barrier film, the conductive film comprising one or more layers of a noble metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, gold, silver, ruthenium, osmium, rhenium, rhodium, iridium, oxides of these noble metals and alloys thereof; forming a patterned mask layer on the conductive film, wherein the mask layer selectively exposes portions of the conducting film; and etching with a plasma the exposed portions of the conductive film to a surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the plasma removes the exposed portions of the conductive film and respective portions of the underlying barrier film, the plasma being formed from an excitable gas mixture essentially free from a hydrogen bearing gas, the excitable gas mixture comprising argon gas, a chlorine bearing gas, a carbon bearing gas and a fluorine bearing gas.