Metal-Containing Conductive Structures: Grain Growth and Contaminant Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods fail to effectively increase grain size and reduce contaminant concentration in metal-containing structures such as wordlines and bitlines in three-dimensional NAND assemblies, leading to suboptimal conductivity.
Innovation Solution
A treatment process involving exposure of metal-containing materials to oxidants and reductants, specifically hydrogen radicals, to alter the material's structure, increasing grain size and reducing contaminant concentration, thereby enhancing conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional metal-containing structures are used in three-dimensional NAND assemblies, then manufacturing is simpler, but conductivity is suboptimal due to small grain size and high contaminant concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by exposing metal-containing structures to controlled oxidation and reduction treatments. The oxidation step converts metal to metal oxide, and the reduction step converts metal oxide back to metal, thereby altering the physical and chemical parameters of the material to increase grain size and reduce contaminant concentration, ultimately improving conductivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses metal oxide as an intermediary substance in the treatment process. The metal-containing structure is first oxidized to form metal oxide, which then serves as an intermediate state before being reduced back to metal. This intermediary transformation enables grain growth and contaminant removal that cannot be achieved through direct conventional processing
2Reliability
If metal-containing structures undergo treatment to increase grain size, then conductivity improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action through cyclic oxidation and reduction treatments. The metal-containing structure undergoes repeated cycles of oxidation (converting metal to metal oxide) and reduction (converting metal oxide back to metal), with each cycle progressively increasing grain size and reducing contaminants, thereby systematically improving conductivity through periodic transformations
3Reliability
If contaminant concentration is reduced through treatment, then conductivity enhances, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of oxidation (which can degrade metal structures) into a beneficial process. By deliberately oxidizing the metal-containing structure and then reducing it back, the process utilizes oxidation as a mechanism to facilitate grain growth and contaminant removal, transforming what would normally be a harmful degradation process into a useful treatment that enhances conductivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The process improves the conductivity of conductive structures by increasing grain size and reducing contaminant levels, enhancing the operational characteristics of integrated architectures, particularly in wordlines and bitlines of three-dimensional NAND memory devices.
Implementation Method 1
A metal-containing material is exposed to at least one oxidant to convert the metal to a metal oxide
Implementation Method 2
The metal oxide is exposed to at least one reductant to convert the metal oxide to the metal
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments include a method of forming a conductive structure. A metal-containing conductive material is formed over a supporting substrate. A surface of the metal-containing conductive material is exposed to at least one radical form of hydrogen and to at least one oxidant. The exposure alters at least a portion of the metal-containing conductive material to thereby form at least a portion of the conductive structure. Some embodiments include a conductive structure which has a metal-containing conductive material with a first region adjacent to a second region. The first region has a greater concentration of one or both of fluorine and boron relative to the second region.