US Patent 8030168 - Nanowhisker DRAM

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8030168.html

This patent from Micron Technology proposes a method to increase the density of DRAM memory cells by growing semiconductor nanowhiskers to form capacitive structures. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of forming a DRAM memory cell, comprising:

forming a wordline over a semiconductor substrate, and forming a capacitor storage node contact proximate the wordline;

growing a nanowhisker to have at least two dimensions of about 100 nanometers or less from beneath a catalytic material and from the capacitor storage node contact, and providing the nanowhisker to be electrically conductive; and

forming a capacitor dielectric layer and an outer capacitor electrode layer over the nanowhisker.