Patents Examined by Jennifer M. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 6798038
    Abstract: Forming of a first silicon oxide film is started on an internal surface of a trench formed on a surface or upwardly of a semiconductor substrate according to an HDP technique. Then, deposition of the first silicon oxide film stops before an opening of the trench closes. Further, the first silicon oxide film deposited in the vicinity of an opening is etched, and a second silicon oxide film is formed on the first silicon oxide film deposited on the bottom of the trench according to the HDP technique. In this manner, the first and second silicon oxide films can be laminated on the bottom of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Atsuhiro Sato, Masayuki Ichige, Seiichi Mori, Yuji Takeuchi, Hiroaki Hazama, Yukio Nishiyama, Hirotaka Ogihara, Naruhiko Kaji
  • Patent number: 6797609
    Abstract: After formation of Cu interconnections 46a to 46e each to be embedded in an interconnection groove 40 of a silicon oxide film 39 by CMP and then washing, the surface of each of the silicon oxide film 39 and Cu interconnections 46a to 46e is treated with a reducing plasma (ammonia plasma). Then, without vacuum break, a cap film (silicon nitride film) is formed continuously. This process makes it possible to improve the dielectric breakdown resistance (reliability) of a copper interconnection formed by the damascene method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Junji Noguchi, Naofumi Ohashi, Kenichi Takeda, Tatsuyuki Saito, Hizuru Yamaguchii, Nobuo Owada
  • Patent number: 6794240
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device wherein leakage current of a capacitor is reduced is provided. The method comprises steps of forming a lower electrode of the surface of a semiconductor substrate, forming a silicon nitride film over the lower electrode, applying a first heat treatment whereby the silicon nitride film is annealed in an atmosphere containing oxygen, forming a dielectric film containing alkaline earth metals over the silicon nitride film, applying a second heat treatment whereby the electric film is annealed in an atmosphere containing oxygen, and forming an upper electrode on the surface of the dielectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinobu Takehiro
  • Patent number: 6794245
    Abstract: The invention provides robust and cost effective techniques to fabricate double-sided HSG electrodes for container capacitors. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by forming a layer of hemispherical silicon grain (HSG) polysilicon over interior surfaces of a container formed in a substrate. A barrier layer is then formed over the formed HSG polysilicon layer. Any HSG polysilicon and barrier layers formed over the substrate and around the container opening during the forming of the HSG polysilicon and barrier layers is then removed. A portion of outside surfaces of the formed HSG polysilicon is then exposed by removing the substrate, while the barrier layer is still on the interior surface of the container to prevent formation of sink holes and to prevent stringer problems during removal of the substrate. The barrier layer is then removed to expose the interior surfaces of the HSG polysilicon to form the double-sided HSG electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Lingyi A. Zheng
  • Patent number: 6794248
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of fabricating a semiconductor memory device including the step of irradiating ultraviolet rays on a metal interconnection at a bonding pad part, so that the metal interconnection can be prevented from being corroded because of a corrodent element in the process of erasing charges stored in a charge storage part. An oxide coating film is formed on the surface of the metal interconnection at the bonding pad part, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the oxide coating film for erasing of charges from the floating gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Fujitsu Amd Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Hashimoto, Toshiyuki Maenosono, Taiji Togawa, Takayuki Enda, Hideo Takagi
  • Patent number: 6790726
    Abstract: A method for producing an integrated semiconductor memory configuration includes forming two capacitor modules for each selection transistor from the front and rear side of the substrate wafer respectively. Thus, a higher packing density of memory cells is engendered by the utilization of the rear side of the wafer. A twofold memory read signal can be used for the same cell surface area. Conditions in addition to “0” or “1” can also be saved for each selection transistor in a ferroelectric memory configuration, if the two capacitor modules have a different structure in terms of layer thickness, surface area, or material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Marcus Kastner, Thomas Mikolajick
  • Patent number: 6790675
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a Josephson device includes the steps of forming a first superconducting layer and forming a second superconducting layer to form a Josephson junction therebetween, wherein the step of forming the second superconducting layer includes the steps of conducting a first step of forming the second superconducting layer with improved uniformity and conducting a second step of forming the second superconducting layer on the second superconducting layer formed in the first step with improved film quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignees: International Superconductivity Technology Center, The Juridical Foundation
    Inventors: Seiji Adachi, Hironori Wakana, Yoshihiro Ishimaru, Masahiro Horibe, Osami Horibe, Yoshinobu Tarutani, Keiichi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 6790677
    Abstract: A method of forming a ferroelectric film includes the steps of forming a layer by a material that takes a metal state in a reducing ambient and an oxide state in an oxidizing ambient, and depositing a ferroelectric film on a surface of the layer by supplying gaseous sources of the ferroelectric film and an oxidizing gas and causing a decomposition of the gaseous sources at the surface of said layer, wherein the step of depositing the ferroelectric film is started with a preparation step in which the state of the surface of said layer is controlled substantially to a critical point in which the layer changes from the metal state to the oxide state and from the oxide state to the metal state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Hideki Yamawaki
  • Patent number: 6787414
    Abstract: Disclosed is a capacitor for semiconductor device with a dielectric layer having low leakage current and high dielectric constant. The capacitor includes: a lower electrode; a dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is a TiON layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries
    Inventor: Kee Jeung Lee
  • Patent number: 6787482
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention teaches a capacitor dielectric in a wafer cluster tool for semiconductor device fabrication formed by a method by the steps of: forming nitride adjacent a layer by rapid thermal nitridation; and subjecting the nitride to an ozone ambient, wherein the ozone ambient is selected from the group consisting of an ambient containing an ultraviolet/ozone mixture, an ambient containing an ozone or an ambient containing an NF3/ozone mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Randhir P. S. Thakur, Brett Rolfson
  • Patent number: 6784049
    Abstract: A method of forming (and apparatus for forming) refractory metal oxide layers, such as tantalum pentoxide layers, on substrates by using vapor deposition processes with refractory metal precursor compounds and ethers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian A. Vaartstra
  • Patent number: 6783998
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a capacitor and a method of manufacturing the same having an electrode made of material(s) capable of carrying a fine work through etching while withstanding a high temperature thermal treatment for crystallizing dielectric materials such as ferroelectric materials and the like. The capacitor comprises a dielectric material composed by using at least a ferroelectric material or a high-dielectric material, and an electrode composed by using a material containing a noble metal, the electrode being formed on at least one side of the dielectric material, and the material of the electrode contains rhenium (Re). The capacitor is fabricated by patterning the material of the electrode contains rhenium (Re) using dry-etching method by introducing either of fluorine gas or chlorine gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6780717
    Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method of a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a plurality of first MISFETs in a first region and a plurality of second MISFETs in a second region, which comprises forming a first insulating film between two adjacent regions of the first MISFET forming regions in the first region and the second MISFET forming regions in the second region; forming a second insulating film over the surface of the semiconductor substrate between the first insulating films in each of the first and second regions; depositing a third insulating film over the second insulating film; forming a first conductive film over the third insulating film in the second region; forming, after removal of the third and second insulating films from the first region, a fourth insulating film over the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first region; and forming a second conductive film over the fourth insulating film; wherein the third insulating film remains over the first insulating film in the se
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi Device Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideki Yasuoka, Masami Kouketsu, Susumu Ishida, Kazunari Saitou
  • Patent number: 6780715
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for fabricating an MDL (Merged DRAM Logic) semiconductor device, in which silicide is formed on a logic region and a memory region selectively for enhancing device reliability. The method includes the steps of (a) providing a substrate having a first region and a second region adjoining the first region, (b) forming a first gate forming material layer in the first region, (c) forming a second gate forming material layer in the first region having the first gate forming material layer formed therein and the second region, (d) selectively patterning the second gate forming material layer to form second gates in the second region and a boundary dummy pattern layer at a boundary area of the first and second regions, and (e) selectively patterning the first gate forming material layer to form first gates in the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Sik Jeong
  • Patent number: 6780692
    Abstract: In a method of fabricating a thin film transistor through conversion of an amorphous silicon film into a polysilicon film to be an active layer of the thin film transistor by a laser annealing treatment, a laser annealing apparatus comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices arranged performs the laser annealing treatment by irradiating the surface of the amorphous silicon film with laser light uniformized in the light intensity of the laser light radiated onto the surface of the amorphous silicon film, whereby the crystal grain diameter of the polysilicon film obtained through recrystallization is uniformized, and it is possible to obtain a thin film transistor with transistor characteristics enhanced by using the polysilicon film as the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Tatsuki, Koichi Tsukihara, Naoya Eguchi
  • Patent number: 6780702
    Abstract: When InP DHBTs are located in parallel to a crystallographical direction of <011>, there are several advantages in the aspect of device property such as reliability. But, in case of a direction parallel to a general <011>, there exists the limitation in reducing base-collector parasitic capacitance only by collector over-etching technique due to poor lateral-etching characteristic of the InP collector. To overcome such a problem mentioned above and improve device performance, the present invention provides a method of reducing parasitic capacitance using underneath crystallographically selective wet etching, thereby providing a self-alignable, structurally stable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Myoung Hoon Yoon, Kyoung Hoon Yang
  • Patent number: 6770535
    Abstract: A reduction of the junction electric field intensity is accomplished in the semiconductor regions for the sources and drains of field effects transistors. For this purpose, a structure is provided where the gate electrodes 9 of the MIS.FETQs for memory cell selection of a DRAM are buried within the trenches 7a and 7b created in the semiconductor substrate 1. The bottom corners within the trench 7b are rounded so as to have a radius of curvature in accordance with the sub-threshold coefficient of the MIS.FETQs for memory cell selection. In addition, the gate insulating film 8 within the trench 7b is made to have a laminated structure of a thermal oxide film and a CVD film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Yamada, Kiyonori Oyu, Shinichiro Kimura
  • Patent number: 6767800
    Abstract: A process for integrating an alignment mark and a trench device. A substrate having first and second trenches is provided. The second trench is used as the alignment mark having a width larger than the first trench. The trench device is formed in each of the low portion of the first and second trenches, and then a first conductive layer is formed on the trench device in each of the first and second trenches. A second conductive layer is formed overlying the substrate and fills in the first trench and is simultaneously and conformably formed over the inner surface of the second trench. The second conductive layer and a portion of the first conductive layer in the second trench are removed and simultaneously leave a portion of the second conductive layer in the first trench by the etch back process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Tzu-Ching Tsai, Liang-Hsin Chen
  • Patent number: 6762111
    Abstract: Upon formation of semiconductor micro patterns, an interlayer alignment error occurs due to asymmetry of each alignment mark. Prior to alignment of a mask with a wafer, the asymmetry of each alignment mark is measured according to the principle of a scatterometry, and the alignment is performed in consideration of the result of measurement to execute exposure. Thus, high-accuracy alignment can be carried out without sacrificing throughput, and the performance of a semiconductor device is improved. Further, manufacturing yields can be enhanced and a reduction in cost can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6756264
    Abstract: A process for forming active transistors for a semiconductor memory device by the steps of: forming transistor gates having generally vertical sidewalls in a memory array section and in periphery section; implanting a first type of conductive dopants into exposed silicon defined as active area regions of the transistor gates; forming temporary oxide spacers on the generally vertical sidewalls of the transistor gates; after the step of forming temporary spacers, implanting a second type of conductive dopants into the exposed silicon regions to form source/drain regions of the active transistors; after the step of implanting a second type of conductive dopants, growing an epitaxial silicon over exposed silicon regions; removing the temporary oxide spacers; and forming permanent nitride spacers on the generally vertical sidewalls of the transistor gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Chen Cho, Er-Xuan Ping