Abstract: An imaging device may include single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). To mitigate crosstalk, isolation structures may be formed around each SPAD. The isolation structures may include front side deep trench isolation structures that extend partially or fully through a semiconductor substrate for the SPADs. The isolation structures may include a metal filler such as tungsten that absorbs photons. The isolation structures may include a p-type doped semiconductor liner to mitigate dark current. The isolation structures may include a buffer layer such as silicon dioxide that is interposed between the metal filler and the p-type doped semiconductor liner. The isolation structures may have a tapered portion or may be formed in two steps such that the isolation structures have different portions with different properties. An additional filler such as polysilicon or borophosphosilicate glass may be included in some of the isolation structures in addition to the metal filler.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods to control bottom corner threshold in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device. A method includes doping a corner region of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) island. The doping includes tailoring a localized doping of the corner region to reduce capacitive coupling of the SOI island with an adjacent structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a FinFET includes a plurality of fins formed upon a substrate and a gate covering a portion of the fins. Diamond-shaped volumes are formed on the sidewalls of the fins by epitaxial growth which may be limited to avoid merging of the volumes or where the epitaxy volumes have merged. Because of the difficulties in managing merging of the diamond-shaped volumes, a controlled merger of the diamond-shaped volumes includes depositing an amorphous semiconductor material upon the diamond-shaped volumes and a crystallization process to crystallize the deposited semiconductor material on the diamond-shaped volumes to fabricate controllable and uniformly merged source drain.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a finFET and method of fabrication to achieve advantages of both merged and unmerged fins. A first step of epitaxy is performed with either partial diamond or full diamond growth. This is followed by a second step of deposition of a semiconductor cap region on the finFET source/drain area using a directional deposition process, followed by an anneal to perform Solid Phase Epitaxy or poly recrystalization. As a result, the fins remain unmerged, but the epitaxial volume is increased to provide reduced contact resistance. Embodiments of the present invention allow a narrower fin pitch, which enables increased circuit density on an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) structure on a semiconductor substrate which includes a gate structure having a spacer on a semiconductor substrate; an extension implant underneath the gate structure; a recessed source and a recessed drain filled with a doped epitaxial material; halo implanted regions adjacent a bottom of the recessed source and drain and being underneath the gate stack. In an exemplary embodiment, there is implanted junction butting underneath the bottom of each of the recessed source and drain, the junction butting being separate and distinct from the halo implanted regions. In another exemplary embodiment, the doped epitaxial material is graded from a lower dopant concentration at a side of the recessed source and drain to a higher dopant concentration at a center of the recessed source and drain. In a further exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor substrate is a semiconductor on insulator substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure having an isolation region and method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. A plurality of gates is formed on the SOI substrate. The semiconductor device structure further includes trenches having sidewalls, formed between each of the plurality of gates. The semiconductor device structure further includes an epitaxial lateral growth layer formed in the trenches. The epitaxial lateral growth layer is grown laterally from the opposing sidewalls of the trenches, so that the epitaxial lateral growth layer encloses a portion of the trenches extended into the SOI substrate. The epitaxial lateral growth layer is formed in such way that it includes an air gap region overlying a buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate.

Abstract: An FET structure on a semiconductor substrate which includes forming recesses for a source and a drain of the gate structure on a semiconductor substrate, halo implanting regions through the bottom of the source and drain recesses, the halo implanted regions being underneath the gate stack, implanting junction butting at the bottom of the source and drain recesses, and filling the source and drain recesses with a doped epitaxial material. In exemplary embodiments, the semiconductor substrate is a semiconductor on insulator substrate including a semiconductor layer on a buried oxide layer. In exemplary embodiments, the junction butting and halo implanted regions are in contact with the buried oxide layer. In other exemplary embodiments, there is no junction butting. In exemplary embodiments, halo implants implanted to a lower part of the FET body underneath the gate structure provide higher doping level in lower part of the FET body to reduce body resistance, without interfering with FET threshold voltage.

Abstract: A gated diode structure and a method for fabricating the gated diode structure use a relaxed liner that is derived from a stressed liner that is typically used within the context of a field effect transistor formed simultaneously with the gated diode structure. The relaxed liner is formed incident to treatment, such as ion implantation treatment, of the stressed liner. The relaxed liner provides improved gated diode ideality in comparison with the stressed liner, absent any gated diode damage that may occur incident to stripping the stressed liner from the gated diode structure while using a reactive ion etch method.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) structure on a semiconductor substrate which includes a gate structure having a spacer on a semiconductor substrate; an extension implant underneath the gate structure; a recessed source and a recessed drain filled with a doped epitaxial material; halo implanted regions adjacent a bottom of the recessed source and drain and being underneath the gate stack. In an exemplary embodiment, there is implanted junction butting underneath the bottom of each of the recessed source and drain, the junction butting being separate and distinct from the halo implanted regions. In another exemplary embodiment, the doped epitaxial material is graded from a lower dopant concentration at a side of the recessed source and drain to a higher dopant concentration at a center of the recessed source and drain. In a further exemplary embodiment, the semiconductor substrate is a semiconductor on insulator substrate.

Abstract: An FET structure on a semiconductor substrate which includes forming recesses for a source and a drain of the gate structure on a semiconductor substrate, halo implanting regions through the bottom of the source and drain recesses, the halo implanted regions being underneath the gate stack, implanting junction butting at the bottom of the source and drain recesses, and filling the source and drain recesses with a doped epitaxial material. In exemplary embodiments, the semiconductor substrate is a semiconductor on insulator substrate including a semiconductor layer on a buried oxide layer. In exemplary embodiments, the junction butting and halo implanted regions are in contact with the buried oxide layer. In other exemplary embodiments, there is no junction butting. In exemplary embodiments, halo implants implanted to a lower part of the FET body underneath the gate structure provide higher doping level in lower part of the FET body to reduce body resistance, without interfering with FET threshold voltage.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods to control bottom corner threshold in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device. A method includes doping a corner region of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) island. The doping includes tailoring a localized doping of the corner region to reduce capacitive coupling of the SOI island with an adjacent structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of making the device are provided. The method can include forming a gate conductor overlying a major surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor region and forming first spacers on exposed walls of the gate conductor. Using the gate conductor and the first spacers as a mask, at least extension regions are implanted in the semiconductor region and dummy spacers are formed extending outward from the first spacers. Using the dummy spacers as a mask, the semiconductor region is etched to form recesses having at least substantially straight walls extending downward from the major surface to a bottom surface, such that a substantial angle is defined between the bottom surface and the walls. Subsequently, the process is continued by epitaxially growing regions of stressed monocrystalline semiconductor material within the recesses.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of making the device are provided. The method can include forming a gate conductor overlying a major surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor region and forming first spacers on exposed walls of the gate conductor. Using the gate conductor and the first spacers as a mask, at least extension regions are implanted in the semiconductor region and dummy spacers are formed extending outward from the first spacers. Using the dummy spacers as a mask, the semiconductor region is etched to form recesses having at least substantially straight walls extending downward from the major surface to a bottom surface, such that a substantial angle is defined between the bottom surface and the walls. Subsequently, the process is continued by epitaxially growing regions of stressed monocrystalline semiconductor material within the recesses.

Abstract: A gated diode structure and a method for fabricating the gated diode structure use a relaxed liner that is derived from a stressed liner that is typically used within the context of a field effect transistor formed simultaneously with the gated diode structure. The relaxed liner is formed incident to treatment, such as ion implantation treatment, of the stressed liner. The relaxed liner provides improved gated diode ideality in comparison with the stressed liner, absent any gated diode damage that may occur incident to stripping the stressed liner from the gated diode structure while using a reactive ion etch method.

Abstract: A test structure for resistive open detection using voltage contrast (VC) inspection and method for using such structure are disclosed. The test structure may include a comparator within the IC chip for comparing a resistance value of a resistive element under test to a reference resistance and outputting a result of the comparing that indicates whether the resistive open exists in the resistive element under test, wherein the result is detectable by the voltage contrast inspection.

Abstract: A test structure for resistive open detection using voltage contrast (VC) inspection and method for using such structure are disclosed. The test structure may include a comparator within the IC chip for comparing a resistance value of a resistive element under test to a reference resistance and outputting a result of the comparing that indicates whether the resistive open exists in the resistive element under test, wherein the result is detectable by the voltage contrast inspection.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing resistance under a body contact region. The method comprises providing a substrate including a gate structure comprising an active region and a contact body region. The method also includes forming a first impurity region under the contact body region at a higher dose than that under the active region. The resulting higher concentration is configured to lower a resistance in a body-contact parasitic region of the isolating channel region and suppresses a back-gate “sneak path’” for leakage.

Abstract: A method of formation of a deep trench vertical transistor is provided. A deep trench with a sidewall in a doped semiconductor substrate is formed. The semiconductor substrate includes a counterdoped drain region in the surface thereof and a channel alongside the sidewall. The drain region has a top level and a bottom level. A counterdoped source region is formed in the substrate juxtaposed with the sidewall below the channel. A gate oxide layer is formed on the sidewalls of the trench juxtaposed with a gate conductor. Perform the step of recessing the gate conductor below the bottom level of the drain region followed by performing angled ion implantation at an angle ?+? with respect to vertical of a counterdopant into the channel below the source region and performing angled ion implantation at an angle ? with respect to vertical of a dopant into the channel below the source.

Abstract: A method of formation of a deep trench vertical transistor is provided. A deep trench with a sidewall in a doped semiconductor substrate is formed. The semiconductor substrate includes a counterdoped drain region in the surface thereof and a channel alongside the sidewall. The drain region has a top level and a bottom level. A counterdoped source region is formed in the substrate juxtaposed with the sidewall below the channel. A gate oxide layer is formed on the sidewalls of the trench juxtaposed with a gate conductor.

Abstract: A method of forming a buried strap for a memory device includes in-situ doping a semiconductor material during deposition with propane and a dopant to form a polycrystalline buried strap comprising carbon. A barrier layer comprising carbon, such as SiC or SixC1-x, or both, is formed within the buried strap that controls or slows down dopants from migrating to an adjacent outdiffusion region within the substrate. A heavily doped polysilicon region may be formed beneath the carbon-containing buried strap, which reduces the trench semiconductor material resistance.