Rugged Metal Electrode (RME) for High Density Memory Devices

Rugged metal electrode (RME) was suggested and evaluated as a bottom electrode of high-density memory capacitors. Rugged ruthenium films (RME-Ru) were successfully fabricated through volume shrinking of ruthenium oxide films under reduction ambient (RuO x +H 2 =Ru+H 2 O). The effective surface area of RME-Ru films was significantly enlarged due to the formation of wrinkle on its surface, which resulted in low SiO 2 equivalent thickness (Tox) as low as ∼ 6 Å with Ru/TaO x (110 Å)/RME-Ru capacitor. It is believed that RME technique will be very useful to realize and extend MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) capacitor era in the mass production of high density memory devices.