Patent ID: 8546915

Claim:
An integrated circuit having a place-efficient capacitor comprising: a lower capacitor electrode having a surface area comprising an inner surface area of both a partial opening and a via opening formed in a patterned dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate, wherein: the inner surface area of the partial opening is comprising a first portion and a second portion, the via opening separates the first portion from the second portion, the via opening is formed over a conductive feature, the via opening extends downward from the partial opening toward the conductive feature in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate and for a first length sufficiently long that at least of portion of the lower capacitor electrode in the via opening is in direct contact with the conductive feature, the first portion and the second portion each comprises a substrate-parallel surface that is parallel to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the patterned dielectric layer comprises a patterned porosity, the patterned porosity comprises at least one extended opening that extends downward from the substrate-parallel surface of the first portion and parallel to the via opening and at least one extended opening that extends downward from the substrate-parallel surface of the second portion and parallel to the via opening, and each of the at least one extended openings extends downward for a second length that is insufficiently long to allow any portion of the lower capacitor electrode therein to directly contact the conductive feature; a capacitor insulating layer overlying the lower capacitor electrode; and an upper capacitor electrode comprising a metal fill material filling a remaining portion of the partial opening and the via opening and having a surface area comprising the inner surface area of an outer surface of the capacitor insulating layer.