MOCVD of SrBi2Ta2O9 for integrated ferroelectric capacitors

SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) is a promising material for ferroelectric random access memories (FERAM's) because it has high resistance to fatigue and imprint combined with low coercive field. Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) offers the ability to produce high quality, conformal SBT films for both high and low density memory applications. An MOCVD process based on liquid delivery and flash vaporization has been developed which allows precise delivery of low vapor pressure precursors to the process. Precursor decomposition has been examined over a wide temperature range and the effects of process pressure have been examined. it is shown that Bi(thd)(3) is superior to Bi(Ph)(3) as a source of Bi, offering a wide decomposition window with compatible Sr and Ta precursors so that a simple, well-controlled, and repeatable process is achieved at low temperatures. Films with 90% control conformallity have been grown on 0.6 mu m structures with a 1:1 aspect ratio. The MOCVD process yields the fluorite phase, which is transformed to the ferroelectric layered perovskite phase upon annealing in oxygen. Dielectric constants (epsilon) of 200 and remanent polarization (2P(r)) up to 16 mu C/cm(2) have been achieved on 150 mm waters.