Abstract: An apparatus and method for constructing a temperature insensitive memory cell. This temperature insensitive memory cell operates as a static random access memory (SRAM) cell if a particular capacitor and transistor configuration is used. The temperature insensitive memory cell apparatus includes at least one transistor having a current leakage, and at least one capacitor electrically connected to the transistor. The capacitor acts as a load element for the memory cell. The capacitor has a temperature dependent capacitor leakage that tracks the current leakage of transistor as said at least one transistor as the transistor varies with temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for constructing a capacitor loaded memory cell. This capacitor loaded memory cell operates as a static random access memory (SRAM) cell if a particular capacitor and transistor configuration is used. Normally, capacitors are not an obvious choice as a load device for a memory cell because the intrinsic nature of capacitors is one that blocks the flow of direct current, the invention takes into account the secondary effects such as leakage of a particular dielectric used in the construction of the capacitor to modify the current blocking nature of the capacitor.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus comprising an electrostatic cassette assembly for securing a semiconductor wafer during lithographic processing such as direct-write particle-beam lithography. The cassette assembly comprises a cassette body and an electrostatic chuck installable in, and removeable from, the cassette body. The electrostatic chuck comprises a charge plate having a thin dielectric layer on its upper surface, against which the wafer is flattened by Coulombic force. Charge storage means are included for maintaining an electrical potential difference between the wafer and the charge plate even in the absence of connection to a source of electrical energy external to the assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is apparatus comprising an electrostatic cassette assembly for securing a semiconductor wafer during lithographic processing such as direct-write particle-beam lithography. The cassette assembly comprises a cassette body and an electrostatic chuck installable in, and removeable from, the cassette body. The electrostatic chuck comprises a charge plate having a thin dielectric layer on its upper surface, against which the wafer is flattened by Coulombic force. Charge storage means are included for maintaining an electrical potential difference between the wafer and the charge plate even in the absence of connection to a source of electrical energy external to the assembly.

Abstract: A contact structure and method of fabrication for achieving shallow junction MOS integrated circuits. An insulator (23) such as phosphosilicate glass is deposited over the circuit and contact windows (24 and 25) opened therein. Fire polishing of the glass is eliminated so that the junctions can be made shallow and the sides of the windows remain steep. A layer of polycrystalline silicon (26) is deposited over the insulator and the contact windows so as to conformally coat the sides of the windows and the exposed semiconductor. A contact metal (28 and 29), such as aluminum, is deposited over the polycrystalline silicon. The metal tends to be essentially discontinuous over the steep sides of the windows, but the polycrystalline silicon layer has sufficiently low resistivity to provide adequate conduction in these areas.

Abstract: A memory in which each cell comprises an MOS transistor merged with a storage capacitor and in which the cells are arranged to permit adjacent pairs of transistors in a common column to share a common source and the transistors in a common row to share a common gate electrode conductor. The memory uses a first polycrystalline silicon layer which is patterned to provide interconnected storage electrodes and a second polycrystalline silicon layer which is patterned to provide a plurality of stripes to serve as the bit sense lines and a plurality of gate electrodes.

Abstract: In a dynamic MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) random access memory, reverse bias leakage currents which deplete stored charges are reduced by minimizing minority carrier generation-type currents. By so minimizing these currents, the leakage currents become dominated by minority carrier diffusion currents. The memory is ideally formed in an upper semiconductor layer (14) of a layered structure (11). The semiconductor layer (14) is grown epitaxially with a relatively low dopant concentration on a semiconductor substrate (12) with a dopant concentration of the same conductivity type and about three orders of magnitude greater than that of the epitaxially grown layer. The epitaxially grown structure is advantageously suited for the memory circuits in that it may be formed with very low leakage currents. The material further offers by its layered structure a basis for optimizing dynamic memory device characteristics.