Patent ID: 7745279

Claim:
A method of forming a decoupling capacitor, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate that includes a silicon surface layer; forming a substantially flat bottom electrode in a portion of the silicon surface layer, the bottom electrode being doped to a first conductivity type; pre-treating the bottom electrode with a non-metal gas prior to forming an interfacial layer between the bottom electrode and a high permittivity capacitor dielectric; forming the interfacial layer over the pre-treated surface of the bottom electrode; simultaneously forming the high permittivity capacitor dielectric and a gate dielectric from a high permittivity dielectric with a relative permittivity greater than about 5, the high permittivity capacitor dielectric formed over the interfacial layer; forming a substantially flat top electrode over the high permittivity capacitor dielectric; forming a doped region within the silicon surface layer adjacent to the bottom electrode, the doped region doped to a second conductivity type; electrically coupling the top electrode to a first reference voltage line; and electrically coupling the bottom electrode to a second reference voltage line.