Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first transistor element having a first channel region and a second transistor element having a second channel region, wherein the first channel region includes a first crystalline silicon/germanium (Si/Ge) material mixture having a first germanium concentration, and wherein the second channel region includes a second crystalline Si/Ge material mixture having a second germanium concentration that is higher than the first germanium concentration.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides manufacturing techniques and semiconductor devices in which a contact element at the source side of a pull-down transistor in a RAM cell may connect to the back gate region in a fully depleted SOI transistor architecture. In this manner, the complexity of at least some metallization layers may be reduced, thereby providing the potential of reducing parasitic bit line capacitance. Furthermore, in some illustrative embodiments, the contact regime for connecting the back gate region to a reference potential may be omitted, thereby reducing overall floor space of respective designs.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided including the steps of providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate comprising a semiconductor bulk substrate, a buried insulation layer formed on the semiconductor bulk substrate and a semiconductor layer positioned on the buried insulation layer, and forming a first transistor device, wherein forming the first transistor device includes forming a channel region in the semiconductor bulk substrate and forming a gate insulation layer over the channel region partially of a part of the buried insulation layer and wherein forming the gate insulation layer includes oxidizing a part of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Active regions for planar transistor architectures may be patterned in one lateral direction, i.e., the width direction, on the basis of a single lithography process, followed by deposition and etch processes, thereby providing multiple width dimensions and multiple spaces or pitches with reduced process variability due to the avoidance of overlay errors typically associated with conventional approaches when patterning the width dimensions and spaces on the basis of a sequence of sophisticated lithography processes. Consequently, increased packing density, enhanced performance and reduced manufacturing costs may be achieved on the basis of process techniques as disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided including providing an SOI substrate comprising a semiconductor bulk substrate, a buried insulation layer and a semiconductor layer, forming a shallow trench isolation in the SOI substrate, forming a FET in and over the SOI substrate, and forming a contact to a source or drain region of the FET that is positioned adjacent to the source or drain region, wherein forming the shallow trench isolation includes forming a trench in the SOI substrate, filling a lower portion of the trench with a first dielectric layer, forming a buffer layer over the first dielectric material layer, the buffer layer having a material different from a material of the first dielectric layer, and forming a second dielectric layer over the buffer layer and of a material different from the material of the buffer layer.

Abstract: A high-k dielectric metal gate (HKMG) transistor includes a substrate, an HKMG gate stack with a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer positioned above the substrate. The gate electrode layer has an upper portion and a lower portion. A first liner contacts a sidewall portion of the upper portion. A spacer contacts the first liner and a sidewall portion of the lower portion. Raised source and drain regions are positioned adjacent the spacer. A height of the uppermost surface of the spacer is greater than a height of an uppermost surface of the raised source and drain regions. A width of the upper portion between the raised source and drain regions is smaller than a width of the lower portion between the raised source and drain regions.

Abstract: A high voltage transistor may be formed on the basis of well-established CMOS techniques by using a buried insulating material of an SOI architecture as gate dielectric material, while the gate electrode material may be provided in the form of a doped semiconductor region positioned below the buried insulating layer. The high voltage transistor may be formed with high process compatibility on the basis of a process flow for forming sophisticated fully depleted SOI transistors, wherein, in some illustrative embodiments, the high voltage transistor may also be provided as a fully depleted transistor configuration.

Abstract: By decoupling the formation of a metal silicide in the gate electrode structure and the raised drain and source regions, superior flexibility in designing transistor elements and managing overall process flow may be achieved. To this end, the metal silicide in the gate electrode structures may be formed prior to actually patterning the gate electrode structures, while, also during this process sequence, a mask material may be applied for reliably covering any device regions in which a silicidation is not required. Consequently, superior gate conductivity may be accomplished, without increasing the risk of silicide penetration into the channel region of sophisticated fully depleted SOI transistors.

Abstract: A method of forming a crystalline semiconductor material on the basis of a very thin semiconductor base material and an amorphous semiconductor material deposited thereon is disclosed. Radiation-based anneal process techniques may be applied by using appropriate radiation wavelengths, for instance, below 380 nm, in order to efficiently restrict energy deposition to the surface-near area. A solid and crystalline bottom portion of the semiconductor base material may be reliably preserved, thereby achieving crystallization of the overlying material portions and, in particular, of the previously deposited amorphous semiconductor material.

Abstract: A method of forming a crystalline semiconductor material on the basis of a very thin semiconductor base material and an amorphous semiconductor material deposited thereon is disclosed. Radiation-based anneal process techniques may be applied by using appropriate radiation wavelengths, for instance, below 380 nm, in order to efficiently restrict energy deposition to the surface-near area. A solid and crystalline bottom portion of the semiconductor base material may be reliably preserved, thereby achieving crystallization of the overlying material portions and, in particular, of the previously deposited amorphous semiconductor material.

Abstract: By decoupling the formation of a metal silicide in the gate electrode structure and the raised drain and source regions, superior flexibility in designing transistor elements and managing overall process flow may be achieved. To this end, the metal silicide in the gate electrode structures may be formed prior to actually patterning the gate electrode structures, while, also during this process sequence, a mask material may be applied for reliably covering any device regions in which a silicidation is not required. Consequently, superior gate conductivity may be accomplished, without increasing the risk of silicide penetration into the channel region of sophisticated fully depleted SOI transistors.

Abstract: In semiconductor devices requiring the formation of fully depleted SOI transistor elements in combination with non-FET elements, such as substrate diodes and the like, the patterning of the active regions may be accomplished on the basis of deep isolation trenches, which may be formed first on the basis of immersion-based lithography, followed by formation of shallow isolation trenches also formed on the basis of immersion lithography. Thereafter, respective openings connecting to the substrate materials may be formed, possibly in combination with isolation trenches of reduced depth compared to the deep isolation trenches, on the basis of non-immersion lithography techniques. In this manner, device scaling for semiconductor devices requiring critical dimensions of 26 nm and less in a planar transistor architecture may be accomplished.

Abstract: In semiconductor devices requiring the formation of fully depleted SOI transistor elements in combination with non-FET elements, such as substrate diodes and the like, the patterning of the active regions may be accomplished on the basis of deep isolation trenches, which may be formed first on the basis of immersion-based lithography, followed by formation of shallow isolation trenches also formed on the basis of immersion lithography. Thereafter, respective openings connecting to the substrate materials may be formed, possibly in combination with isolation trenches of reduced depth compared to the deep isolation trenches, on the basis of non-immersion lithography techniques. In this manner, device scaling for semiconductor devices requiring critical dimensions of 26 nm and less in a planar transistor architecture may be accomplished.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided including the steps of providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate comprising a semiconductor bulk substrate, a buried insulation layer formed on the semiconductor bulk substrate and a semiconductor layer positioned on the buried insulation layer, and forming a first transistor device, wherein forming the first transistor device includes forming a channel region in the semiconductor bulk substrate and forming a gate insulation layer over the channel region partially of a part of the buried insulation layer and wherein forming the gate insulation layer includes oxidizing a part of the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A high voltage transistor may be formed on the basis of well-established CMOS techniques by using a buried insulating material of an SOI architecture as gate dielectric material, while the gate electrode material may be provided in the form of a doped semiconductor region positioned below the buried insulating layer. The high voltage transistor may be formed with high process compatibility on the basis of a process flow for forming sophisticated fully depleted SOI transistors, wherein, in some illustrative embodiments, the high voltage transistor may also be provided as a fully depleted transistor configuration.

Abstract: One illustrative device disclosed a floating gate capacitor located in and above a first region of an SOI substrate located on a first side of an isolation trench and a transistor device located in and above a second region of the SOI substrate that is on the opposite side of the isolation trench. The device also includes a control gate formed in the bulk semiconductor layer in the first region and a gate structure that extends across the isolation trench and above the first and second regions. A first portion of the gate structure is positioned above the first region and the control gate and a second portion of the gate structure is positioned above the second region, wherein the first portion of the gate structure constitutes a floating gate for the floating gate capacitor and the second portion of the gate structure constitutes a transistor gate structure for the transistor device.

Abstract: A method includes forming a first material stack above a first transistor region, a second transistor region, and a dummy gate region of a semiconductor structure, the first material stack including a high-k material layer and a workfunction adjustment metal layer. The first material stack is patterned to remove a first portion of the first material stack from above the dummy gate region while leaving second portions of the first material stack above the first and second transistor regions. A gate electrode stack is formed above the first and second transistor regions and above the dummy gate region, and the gate electrode stack and the remaining second portions of the first material stack are patterned to form a first gate structure above the first transistor region, a second gate structure above the second transistor region, and a dummy gate structure above the dummy gate region.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a trench isolation structure and a trench capping layer positioned over the trench isolation structure, wherein the trench isolation layer includes a first electrically insulating material and the trench capping layer includes a second electrically insulating material that is different from the first electrically insulating material. The semiconductor structure also includes a gate structure having a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode positioned over the gate insulation layer, wherein the gate insulation layer includes a high-k material and the gate structure includes a first portion that is positioned over the trench capping layer. A sidewall spacer is positioned adjacent to the gate structure, wherein a portion of the sidewall spacer is positioned on the trench capping layer and contacts the trench capping layer laterally of the gate insulation layer.

Abstract: A high-k dielectric metal gate (HKMG) transistor includes a substrate, an HKMG gate stack with a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer positioned above the substrate. The gate electrode layer has an upper portion and a lower portion. A first liner contacts a sidewall portion of the upper portion. A spacer contacts the first liner and a sidewall portion of the lower portion. Raised source and drain regions are positioned adjacent the spacer. A height of the uppermost surface of the spacer is greater than a height of an uppermost surface of the raised source and drain regions. A width of the upper portion between the raised source and drain regions is smaller than a width of the lower portion between the raised source and drain regions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a semiconductor device structure including forming a first gate stack comprising a first gate dielectric material and a first gate electrode material over a first active region in an upper portion of a substrate, forming a first spacer structure adjacent to the first gate stack, and forming first raised source/drain (RSD) regions at opposing sides of the first gate stack on the first active region in alignment with the first spacer structure. Herein, forming the first spacer structure includes forming a first spacer structure on sidewalls of the first gate stack, the first gate dielectric extending in between the first spacer and the upper surface portion, patterning the first gate dielectric material, and forming a second spacer over the first spacer and the patterned first gate dielectric material.