Abstract: An integration scheme that enables full silicidation (FUSI) of the nFET and pFET gate electrodes at the same time as that of the source/drain regions is provided. The FUSI of the gate electrodes eliminates the gate depletion problem that is observed with polysilicon gate electrodes. In addition, the inventive integration scheme creates different silicon thicknesses of the gate electrode just prior to silicidation. This feature of the present invention allows for fabricating nFETs and pFETs that have a band edge workfunction that is tailored for the specific device region.

Abstract: A digital logic storage structure includes cross coupled first and second complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverters formed on a semiconductor substrate, the CMOS inverters including a first storage node and a second storage node that is the logical complement of the first storage node; both of the first and second storage nodes each selectively coupled to a deep trench capacitor through a switching transistor, with the switching transistors controlled by a common capacitance switch line coupled to gate conductors thereof; wherein, in a first mode of operation, the switching transistors are rendered nonconductive so as to isolate the deep trench capacitors from the inverter storage nodes and, in a second mode of operation, the switching transistors are rendered conductive so as to couple the deep trench capacitors to their respective storage nodes, thereby providing increased resistance of the storage nodes to single event upsets (SEUs).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having first and second active device regions that are located in a semiconductor substrate and are isolated from each other by an isolation region therebetween, while the semiconductor device contains a first sub-lithographic interconnect structure having a width ranging from about 20 nm to about 40 nm for connecting the first active device region with the second active device region. The semiconductor device preferably contains at least one static random access memory (SRAM) cell located in the semiconductor substrate, and the first sub-lithographic interconnect structure directly cross-connects a pull-down transistor of the SRAM cell with a pull-up transistor thereof without any metal contact therebetween. The first sub-lithographic interconnect structure can be readily formed by lithographic patterning of a mask layer, followed by formation of sub-lithographic features using either self-assembling block copolymers or dielectric sidewall spacers.

Abstract: A system for protecting an electronic device from cosmic rays includes a frame in which the circuit is disposed, a cosmic ray detection circuit and a protection circuit. The cosmic ray detection circuit is supported by the frame and is spaced apart from the circuit. The cosmic ray detection circuit is configured to assert an incoming cosmic ray signal when a cosmic ray interacts with the cosmic ray detection device. The protection circuit is coupled to the incoming cosmic ray signal and is configured to cause the electronic device to enter a protected state when the cosmic ray signal is asserted.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device in which a vertical trench semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) memory cell is created in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is provided that allows for the integration of dense non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) cells in SOI-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The trench is processed using conventional trench processing and it is processed near the beginning of the inventive method that allows for the fabrication of the memory cell to be fully separated from SOI logic processing.

Abstract: A masking layer is applied over a top semiconductor layer and patterned to expose in an opening a shallow trench isolation structure and a portion of a top semiconductor region within which a first source/drain region and a body is to be formed. Ions are implanted into a portion of a buried insulator layer within the area of the opening to form damaged buried insulator region. The shallow trench isolation structure is removed and the damaged buried insulator region is etched selective to undamaged buried insulator portions to form a cavity. A dielectric layer is formed on the sidewalls and the exposed bottom surface of the top semiconductor region and a back gate filling the cavity is formed. A contact is formed to provide an electrical bias to the back gate so that the electrical potential of the body and the first source/drain region is electrically modulated.

Abstract: An epitaxial semiconductor layer or a stack of a silicon germanium alloy layer and an epitaxial strained silicon layer is formed on outer sidewalls of a porous silicon portion on a substrate. The porous silicon portion and any silicon germanium alloy material are removed and a semitubular epitaxial semiconductor structure in a three-walled configuration is formed. A semitubular field effect transistor comprising inner and outer gate dielectric layers, an inner gate electrode, an outer gate electrode, and source and drain regions is formed on the semitubular epitaxial semiconductor structure. The semitubular field effect transistor may operate as an SOI transistor with a tighter channel control through the inner and outer gate electrodes, or as a memory device storing electrical charges in the body region within the semitubular epitaxial semiconductor structure.

Abstract: A fuse/anti-fuse structure is provided in which programming of the anti-fuse is caused by an electromigation induced hillock that is formed adjacent to the fuse element. The hillock ruptures a thin diffusion barrier located on the sidewalls of the fuse element and the conductive material within the fuse element diffuses into the adjacent dielectric material. The fuse element includes a conductive material located within a line opening which includes a first diffusion barrier having a first thickness located on sidewalls and a bottom wall of the line opening. The anti-fuse element includes the conductive material located within a combined via and line opening which includes the first diffusion barrier located on sidewalls and a bottom wall of the combined via and line opening and a second diffusion barrier having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness located on the first diffusion barrier.

Abstract: In an aspect, a method is provided for forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a silicon substrate; (2) selectively implanting the silicon substrate with oxygen using a low implant energy to form an ultra-thin patterned seed layer; and (3) employing the ultra-thin patterned seed layer to form a patterned SOI layer on the silicon substrate. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a multi-port memory in which a plurality of parallel connected capacitors are in a cell. A plurality of trench capacitors are formed which have capacitor dielectric layers extending along walls of the plurality of trenches, the plurality of trench capacitors having first capacitor plates and second capacitor plates opposite the capacitor dielectric layers from the first capacitor plates. The first capacitor plates are conductively tied together and the second capacitor plates are conductively tied together. In this way, the first capacitor plates are adapted to receive a same variable voltage and the second capacitor plates are adapted to receive a same fixed voltage.

Abstract: FinFETs are provided with a body contact on a top surface of a semiconductor fin. The top body contact may be self-aligned with respect to the semiconductor fin and the source and drain regions. Alternately, the source and drain regions may be formed recessed from the top surface of the semiconductor fin. The body or an extension of the body may be contacted above the channel or above one of the source and drain regions. Electrical shorts between the source and drain and the body contacts are avoided by the recessing of the source and drain regions from the top surface of the semiconductor fin.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided that has body contacts that are located at the edges of the device channel and a buried insulating region under the device channel that is shallower than the buried insulating regions under the source/drain junctions. A method of forming such a semiconductor structure is also described. The inventive method provides for self-alignment of the various features mentioned above with the gate conductor of the structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device and a design structure including the semiconductor memory device embodied in a machine readable medium is provided. In particular the present invention includes a semiconductor memory device in which a vertical trench semiconductor-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (SONOS) memory cell is created in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is provided that allows for the integration of dense non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) cells in SOI-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The trench is processed using conventional trench processing and it is processed near the beginning of the inventive method that allows for the fabrication of the memory cell to be fully separated from SOI logic processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides two-transistor silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-semiconductor (2-Tr SONOS) non-volatile memory cells with randomly accessible storage locations as well as a design structure including the semiconductor memory devices embodied in a machine readable medium. In one embodiment, a 2-Tr SONOS cell is provided in which the select transistor is located with a trench structure having trench depth from 1 to 2 ?m and the memory transistor is located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate adjoining the trench structure. In another embodiment, a 2-Tr SONOS memory cell is provided in which both the select transistor and the memory transistor are located within a trench structure having the depth mentioned above.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus is a memory element that includes (1) one or more MOSFETs each including a dielectric material having a dielectric constant of about 3.9 to about 25; and (2) control logic coupled to at least one of the one or more MOSFETs. The control logic is adapted to (a) cause the memory element to operate in a first mode to store data; and (b) cause the memory element to operate in a second mode to change a threshold voltage of at least one of the one or more MOSFETs from an original threshold voltage to a changed threshold voltage such that the changed threshold voltage affects data stored by the memory element when operated in the first mode. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Abstract: An electronic fuse for an integrated circuit and a method of fabrication thereof are presented. The electronic fuse has a first terminal portion and a second terminal portion interconnected by a fuse element. The fuse element has a convex upper surface and a lower surface with a radius of curvature at a smallest surface area of curvature less than or equal to 100 nanometers. Fabricating the electronic fuse includes forming an at least partially freestanding dielectric spacer above a supporting structure, and then conformably forming the fuse element of the fuse over at least a portion of the freestanding dielectric spacer, with the fuse element characterized as noted above. The dielectric spacer may remain in place as a thermally insulating layer underneath the fuse element, or may be removed to form a void underneath the fuse element.

Abstract: Electrically programmable fuse structures and methods of fabrication thereof are presented, wherein a fuse includes first and second terminal portions interconnected by an elongate fuse element. The first terminal portion has a maximum width greater than a maximum width of the fuse element, and the fuse includes a narrowed width region where the first terminal portion and fuse element interface. The narrowed width region extends at least partially into and includes part of the first terminal portion. The width of the first terminal portion in the narrowed region is less than the maximum width of the first terminal portion to enhance current crowding therein. In another implementation, the fuse element includes a restricted width region wherein width of the fuse element is less than the maximum width thereof to enhance current crowding therein, and length of the restricted width region is less than a total length of the fuse element.

Abstract: A design structure for an impedance matcher that automatically matches impedance between a driver and a receiver. The design structure for an impedance matcher includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit that locks onto a data signal provided by the driver. The impedance matcher also includes tunable impedance matching circuitry responsive to one or more voltage-controlled oscillator control signals within the PLL circuit so as to generate an output signal that is impedance matched with the receiver.

Abstract: An arrangement of pillar shaped p-i-n diodes having a high aspect ration are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each device is formed by an intrinsic or lightly doped region (i-region) positioned between a P+ region and an N+ region at each end of the pillar. The arrangement of pillar p-i-n diodes is embedded in an optical transparent medium. For a given surface area, more light energy is absorbed by the pillar arrangement of p-i-n diodes than by conventional planar p-i-n diodes. The pillar p-i-n diodes are preferably configured in an array formation to enable photons reflected from one pillar p-i-n diode to be captured and absorbed by another p-i-n diode adjacent to the first one, thereby optimizing the efficiency of energy conversion.

Abstract: In a first aspect, a first method is provided for semiconductor device manufacturing. The first method includes the steps of (1) providing a substrate; and (2) forming a first silicon-on-insulator (SOI) region having a first crystal orientation, a second SOI region having a second crystal orientation and a third SOI region having a third crystal orientation on the substrate. The first, second and third SOI regions are coplanar. Numerous other aspects are provided.