Patent ID: 8440537

Claim:
A method for forming a capacitor stack comprising: (i) forming a first material on a substrate, wherein the first material is operable as a first electrode of the capacitor stack; (ii) forming a second material on the first material, wherein the second material is operable as a first dielectric of the capacitor stack; (iii) forming a third material on the second material, wherein the third material is operable as a second dielectric of the capacitor stack and the third material is formed using a method comprising the steps of: a) applying a pulse of a first precursor to the surface of the second material, wherein a portion of the first precursor adsorbs on the surface of the second material; b) applying a pulse of a second precursor to the surface of the second material after step a), wherein a portion of the second precursor adsorbs on the surface of the second material, and wherein an ionic radius of a metal ion in one of the first precursor or the second precursor is larger than an ionic radius of a metal ion in the first dielectric and the ionic radius of the metal ion in the other precursor is smaller than the ionic radius of the metal ion in the first dielectric; c) applying a pulse of an oxidant to the surface of the second material after step b), wherein the oxidant reacts with the adsorbed first precursor and the adsorbed second precursor; (iv) forming a fourth material on the third material, and the fourth material is operable as a third dielectric of the capacitor stack; and (v) forming a fifth material on the fourth material, wherein the fifth material is operable as a second electrode of the capacitor stack.