Abstract: A capacitor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a first capacitor plate positioned on the semiconductor substrate, the first capacitor plate including a polysilicon structure having a surrounding spacer; a silicide layer formed in a first portion of an upper surface of the first capacitor plate; a capacitor dielectric layer formed over a second portion of the upper surface of the first capacitor plate and extending laterally beyond the spacer to contact the semiconductor substrate; a contact in an interlayer dielectric (ILD), the contact contacting the silicide layer and a first metal layer over the ILD; and a second capacitor plate over the capacitor dielectric layer, wherein a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor is formed by the first capacitor plate, the capacitor dielectric layer and the second capacitor plate and a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitor is formed by the second capacitor plate, the capacitor dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an integrated circuit comb capacitor with capacitor electrodes that have an increased capacitance between neighboring capacitor electrodes as compared with other interconnects and via contacts formed in the same metal wiring level and at the same pitches. The invention achieves a capacitor that minimizes capacitance tolerance and preserves symmetry in parasitic electrode-substrate capacitive coupling, without adversely affecting other interconnects and via contacts formed in the same wiring level, through the use of, at most, one additional noncritical, photomask.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating a passive element and a semiconductor device including the passive element are disclosed including the use of a dummy passive element. A dummy passive element is a passive element or wire which is added to the chip layout to aid in planarization but is not used in the active circuit. One embodiment of the method includes forming the passive element and a dummy passive element adjacent to the passive element; forming a dielectric layer over the passive element and the dummy passive element, wherein the dielectric layer is substantially planar between the passive element and the dummy passive element; and forming in the dielectric layer an interconnect to the passive element through the dielectric layer and a dummy interconnect portion overlapping at least a portion of the dummy passive element. The methods eliminate the need for planarizing.

Abstract: In the course of forming a resistor in the back end of an integrated circuit, an intermediate dielectric layer is deposited and a trench etched through it and into a lower dielectric layer by a controllable amount, so that the top of a resistor layer deposited in the trench is close in height to the top of the lower dielectric layer; the trench is filled and the resistor layer outside the trench is removed, after which a second dielectric layer is deposited. Vias passing through the second dielectric layer to contact the resistor then have the same depth as vias contacting metal interconnects in the lower dielectric layer. A tri-layer resistor structure is employed in which the resistive film is sandwiched between two protective layers that block diffusion between the resistor and BEOL ILD layers.

Abstract: Passive components are formed in the back end by using the same deposition process and materials as in the rest of the back end. Resistors are formed by connecting in series individual structures on the nth, (n+1)th, etc levels of the back end. Capacitors are formed by constructing a set of vertical capacitor plates from a plurality of levels in the back end, the plates being formed by connecting electrodes on two or more levels of the back end by vertical connection members.

Abstract: A resistor with heat sink is provided. The heat sink includes a conductive path having metal or other thermal conductor having a high thermal conductivity. To avoid shorting the electrical resistor to ground with the thermal conductor, a thin layer of high thermal conductivity electrical insulator is interposed between the thermal conductor and the body of the resistor. Accordingly, a resistor can carry large amounts of current because the high conductivity thermal conductor will conduct heat away from the resistor to a heat sink. Various configurations of thermal conductors and heat sinks are provided offering good thermal conductive properties in addition to reduced parasitic capacitances and other parasitic electrical effects, which would reduce the high frequency response of the electrical resistor.

Abstract: In the course of forming a resistor in the back end of an integrated circuit, an intermediate dielectric layer is deposited and a trench etched through it and into a lower dielectric layer by a controllable amount, so that the top of a resistor layer deposited in the trench is close in height to the top of the lower dielectric layer; the trench is filled and the resistor layer outside the trench is removed, after which a second dielectric layer is deposited. Vias passing through the second dielectric layer to contact the resistor then have the same depth as vias contacting metal interconnects in the lower dielectric layer. A tri-layer resistor structure is employed in which the resistive film is sandwiched between two protective layers that block diffusion between the resistor and BEOL ILD layers.

Abstract: A resistor device structure and method of manufacture therefore, wherein the resistor device structure invention includes a plurality of alternating conductive film and insulative film layers, at least two of the conductive film layers being electrically connected in parallel to provide for high current flow through the resistor device at high frequencies with increased temperature and mechanical stability. The alternating conductive film and insulative film layers may be of a planar or non-planar geometric spatial orientation. The alternating conductive film and insulative film layers may include lateral and vertical portions designed to enable a uniform current density flow within the structure itself through a self-ballasting effect within the physical resistor.

Abstract: A capacitor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a first capacitor plate positioned on the semiconductor substrate, the first capacitor plate including a polysilicon structure having a surrounding spacer; a silicide layer formed in a first portion of an upper surface of the first capacitor plate; a capacitor dielectric layer formed over a second portion of the upper surface of the first capacitor plate and extending laterally beyond the spacer to contact the semiconductor substrate; a contact in an interlayer dielectric (ILD), the contact contacting the silicide layer and a first metal layer over the ILD; and a second capacitor plate over the capacitor dielectric layer, wherein a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor is formed by the first capacitor plate, the capacitor dielectric layer and the second capacitor plate and a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitor is formed by the second capacitor plate, the capacitor dielectric layer and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a buried resistor with improved control, in which the resistor is fabricated in a region of a semiconductor substrate beneath a well region that is also present in the substrate. In accordance with the present invention, the inventive structure includes a semiconductor substrate containing at least a well region; and a buried resistor located in a region of the semiconductor substrate that is beneath said well region. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such a structure in which a deep ion implantation process is used to form the buried resistor and a shallower ion implantation process is used in forming the well region.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a low-value resistor such as a ballast resistor for bipolar junction transistors. The resistor may be fabricated using layers of appropriate sheet resistance so as to achieve low resistance values in a compact layout. The method may rely on layers already provided by a conventional CMOS process flow, such as contact plugs and fully silicided (FUSI) metal gates.

Abstract: A MIM capacitor is formed on a semiconductor substrate having a top surface and including regions formed in the surface selected from a Shallow Trench Isolation (STI) region and a doped well having exterior surfaces coplanar with the semiconductor substrate. A capacitor lower plate is either a lower electrode formed on the STI region in the semiconductor substrate or a lower electrode formed by a doped well formed in the top surface of the semiconductor substrate that may have a silicide surface. A capacitor HiK dielectric layer is formed on or above the lower plate. A capacitor second plate is formed on the HiK dielectric layer above the capacitor lower plate. A dual capacitor structure with a top plate may be formed above the second plate with vias connected to the lower plate protected from the second plate by side wall spacers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a buried resistor with improved control, in which the resistor is fabricated in a region of a semiconductor substrate beneath a well region that is also present in the substrate. In accordance with the present invention, the inventive structure includes a semiconductor substrate containing at least a well region; and a buried resistor located in a region of the semiconductor substrate that is beneath said well region. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such a structure in which a deep ion implantation process is used to form the buried resistor and a shallower ion implantation process is used in forming the well region.

Abstract: A high-k gate dielectric layer and a metal gate layer are formed and patterned to expose semiconductor surfaces in a bipolar junction transistor region, while covering a CMOS region. A disposable material portion is formed on a portion of the exposed semiconductor surfaces in the bipolar junction transistor area. A semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer are deposited and patterned to form gate stacks including a semiconductor portion and a dielectric gate cap in the CMOS region and a cavity containing mesa over the disposable material portion in the bipolar junction transistor region. The disposable material portion is selectively removed and a base layer including an epitaxial portion and a polycrystalline portion fills the cavity formed by removal of the disposable material portion. The emitter formed by selective epitaxy fills the cavity in the mesa.

Abstract: In the course of forming a resistor in the back end of an integrated circuit, an intermediate dielectric layer is deposited and a trench etched through it and into a lower dielectric layer by a controllable amount, so that the top of a resistor layer deposited in the trench is close in height to the top of the lower dielectric layer; the trench is filled and the resistor layer outside the trench is removed, after which a second dielectric layer is deposited. Vias passing through the second dielectric layer to contact the resistor then have the same depth as vias contacting metal interconnects in the lower dielectric layer. A tri-layer resistor structure is employed in which the resistive film is sandwiched between two protective layers that block diffusion between the resistor and BEOL ILD layers.

Abstract: An interdigitated structure may include at least one first metal line, at least one second metal line parallel to the at least one first metal line and separated from the at least one first metal line, and a third metal line contacting ends of the at least one first metal line and separated from the at least one second metal line. The at least one first metal line does not vertically contact any metal via and at least one second metal line may vertically contact at least one metal via. Multiple layers of interdigitated structure may be vertically stacked. Alternately, an interdigitated structure may include a plurality of first metal lines and a plurality of second metal lines, each metal line not vertically contacting any metal via. Multiple instances of interdigitated structure may be laterally replicated and adjoined, with or without rotation, and/or vertically stacked to form a capacitor.

Abstract: Passive components are formed in the back end by using the same deposition process and materials as in the rest of the back end. Resistors are formed by connecting in series individual structures on the nth, (n+1)th, etc levels of the back end. Capacitors are formed by constructing a set of vertical capacitor plates from a plurality of levels in the back end, the plates being formed by connecting electrodes on two or more levels of the back end by vertical connection members.

Abstract: Terminal pads and methods of fabricating terminal pads. The methods including forming a conductive diffusion barrier under a conductive pad in or overlapped by a passivation layer comprised of multiple dielectric layers including diffusion barrier layers. The methods including forming the terminal pads subtractively or by a damascene process.

Abstract: A junction field effect transistor (JFET) has a hyperabrupt junction layer that functions as a channel of a JFET. The hyperabrupt junction layer is formed by two dopant profiles of opposite types such that one dopant concentration profile has a peak concentration depth at a tail end of the other dopant profile. The voltage bias to the channel is provided by a body that is doped with the same type of dopants as the gate. This is in contrast with conventional JFETs that have a body that is doped with the opposite conductivity type as the gate. The body may be electrically decoupled from the substrate by another reverse bias junction formed either between the body and the substrate or between a buried conductor layer beneath the body and the substrate. The capability to form a thin hyperabrupt junction layer allows formation of a JFET in a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate.

Abstract: Interconnect structures that include a passive element, such as a thin film resistor or a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor, methods for fabricating an interconnect structure that includes a passive element, and design structures embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit, such as a radiofrequency integrated circuit. A top surface of a dielectric layer is recessed relative to a top surface of a conductive feature in the dielectric layer. The passive element is formed on the recessed top surface of the dielectric layer and includes a layer of a conductive material that is coplanar with, or below, the top surface of the conductive feature.