Patent ID: 8647943

Claim:
A method for forming a capacitor stack, the method comprising: forming a first electrode structure above a substrate, wherein the first electrode structure comprises a first dopant, wherein a concentration of the first dopant has a gradient throughout a thickness of the first electrode structure, and wherein the first electrode structure comprises a surface; annealing the first electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure exhibits ≧30% crystallinity after the annealing; forming a dielectric material on the surface of the first electrode structure, wherein the first electrode structure is annealed prior to forming the dielectric material, wherein the surface of the first electrode structure serves as a template for forming a rutile phase of the dielectric material; and forming a second electrode structure above the dielectric material; and wherein the first dopant comprises at least one of a Group-5 element, a Group-13 element, a Group-15 element, a Group-17 element, or combinations thereof.