Abstract: A method for forming a via includes forming a gate electrode over a semiconductor substrate, forming a source/drain region in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate electrode, forming a silicide region in the source/drain region, forming a post-silicide spacer adjacent the gate electrode after forming the silicide region, forming an interlayer dielectric layer over the gate electrode, the post-silicide spacer, and the silicide region, and forming a conductive via in the interlayer dielectric layer, extending to the silicide region.

Abstract: A semiconductor process and apparatus includes forming first and second metal gate electrodes (151, 161) over a hybrid substrate (17) by forming the first gate electrode (151) over a first high-k gate dielectric (121) and forming the second gate electrode (161) over at least a second high-k gate dielectric (122) different from the first gate dielectric (121). By forming the first gate electrode (151) over a first SOI substrate (90) formed by depositing (100) silicon and forming the second gate electrode (161) over an epitaxially grown (110) SiGe substrate (70), a high performance CMOS device is obtained which includes high-k metal PMOS gate electrodes (161) having improved hole mobility.

Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication process includes patterning a hard mask over a semiconductor substrate to expose an isolation region and forming a trench in the isolation region. A flowable dielectric is deposited in the trench to partially fill the trench and a capping dielectric is deposited overlying the first oxide to fill the trench. The substrate may be a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate including a buried oxide (BOX) layer and the trench may extend partially into the BOX layer. The flowable dielectric may be a spin deposited flowable oxide or a CVD BPSG oxide. The flowable dielectric isolation structure provides a buffer that prevents stress induced on one side of the isolation structure from creating stress on the other side of the structure. Thus, for example, compressive stress created by forming silicon germanium on silicon in PMOS regions does not create compressive stress in NMOS regions.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing process for forming a contact plug includes sequentially depositing a titanium or tantalum contact layer (30), a titanium nitride barrier layer (40), and a tungsten seed layer (50) in a contact opening (24). The contact hole (24) is then filled up from a bottom surface of the contact opening by electroplating a copper layer (60) so that no voids are formed in the contact opening (24). Any excess metal is removed with a CMP process to form the contact plugs (70), where the CMP process may also used to thin or remove one or more of the contact/seed/barrier layers (30, 40, 50).

Abstract: A semiconductor process and apparatus includes forming a semiconductor device by depositing a layer of nitride (20) over a semiconductor structure (10), patterning and etching the nitride layer to form a patterned nitride layer (42, 44), depositing a layer of polysilicon (62), planarizing the polysilicon layer with a CMP process to remove any portion of the polysilicon layer (62) above the patterned dielectric layer (42, 44), and then removing the patterned nitride layer (42, 44), thereby defining one or more polysilicon features (72, 74, 76) that can be used as floating gates, transistors gates, bit lines or any other semiconductor device feature.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are described for forming a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD0) stack having a protective gettering layer (72) with a substantially uniform thickness. After forming device components (32, 33) on a substrate (31), a gap fill dielectric layer of SATEOS (52) is deposited over an etch stop layer of PEN ESL (42) and then planarized before sequentially depositing a gettering layer of BPTEOS (72) and capping dielectric layer (82) on the planarized gap fill dielectric layer (52). Once the ILD0 stack is formed, one or more contact openings (92, 94, 96) are etched through the ILD0 stack, thereby exposing the etch stop layer (42) over the intended contact regions.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device includes providing a first substrate region and a second substrate region, wherein at least a part of the first substrate region has a first conductivity type and at least a part of the second substrate region has a second conductivity type different from the first conductivity type. The method further includes forming a dielectric layer over at least a portion of the first substrate region and at least a portion of the second substrate region. The method further includes forming a metal-containing gate layer over at least a portion of the dielectric layer overlying the first substrate region. The method further includes introducing dopants into at least a portion of the first substrate region through the metal-containing gate layer.

Abstract: A gate dielectric is treated with a nitridation step and an anneal. After this, an additional nitridation step and anneal is performed. The second nitridation and anneal results in an improvement in the relationship between gate leakage current density and current drive of the transistors that are ultimately formed.

Abstract: A semiconductor process and apparatus fabricate a metal gate electrode by forming a first conductive layer (22) over a gate dielectric layer (11), forming a transition layer (32) over the first conductive layer using an atomic layer deposition process in which an amorphizing material is increasingly added as the transition layer is formed, forming a capping conductive layer (44) over the transition layer, and then selectively etching the capping conductive layer, transition layer, and first conductive layer, resulting in the formation of an etched gate stack (52). By forming the transition layer (32) with an atomic layer deposition process in which the amorphizing material (such as silicon, carbon, or nitrogen) is increasingly added, the transition layer (32) is constructed having a lower region (e.g., 31, 33) with a polycrystalline structure and an upper region (e.g., 37, 39) with an amorphous structure that blocks silicon diffusion.

Abstract: A CMOS device is provided which comprises (a) a substrate (103); (b) a gate dielectric layer (107) disposed on the substrate, the gate dielectric comprising a metal oxide; (c) an NMOS electrode (105) disposed on a first region of said gate dielectric; and (d) a PMOS electrode (115) disposed on a second region of said gate dielectric, the PMOS electrode comprising a conductive metal oxide; wherein the surface of said second region of said gate dielectric comprises a material selected from the group consisting of metal oxynitrides and metal silicon-oxynitrides.

Abstract: One or more impurities may be incorporated within a metal-containing layer of a metal-containing gate electrode to modify the work function of the metal-containing gate electrode of a transistor can affect the threshold voltage of the transistor. In one embodiment, the impurity can be used in a p-channel transistor to allow the work function of a metal-containing gate electrode to be closer to the valence band for silicon. In another embodiment, the impurity can be used in an n-channel transistor to allow the work function of a metal-containing gate electrode to be closer to the conduction band for silicon. In a particular embodiment, a boron-containing species is implanted into a metal-containing layer within the metal-containing gate electrode within a p-channel transistor, so that the metal-containing gate electrode has a work function closer to the valence band for silicon as compared to the metal-containing gate electrode without the boron-containing species.

Abstract: A wafer having an SOI configuration and active regions having different surface orientations for different channel type transistors. In one example, semiconductor structures having a first surface orientation are formed on a donor wafer. Semiconductor structures having a second surface orientation are formed on a second wafer. Receptor openings are formed on the second wafer. The semiconductor structures having the first surface orientation are located in the receptor openings and transferred to the second wafer. The resultant wafer has semiconductor regions having a first surface orientation for a first channel type of transistor and semiconductor regions having a second surface orientation for a second channel type transistor.

Abstract: A gate dielectric structure (201) fabrication process includes forming a transitional dielectric film (205) overlying a silicon oxide film (204). A high dielectric constant film (206) is then formed overlying an upper surface of the transitional dielectric film (205). The composition of the transitional dielectric film (205) at the silicon oxide film (204) interface primarily comprises silicon and oxygen. The high K dielectric (206) and the composition of the transitional dielectric film (205) near the upper surface primarily comprise a metal element and oxygen. Forming the transitional dielectric film (205) may include forming a plurality of transitional dielectric layers (207) where the composition of each successive transitional dielectric layer (207) has a higher concentration of the metal element and a lower concentration of silicon.

Abstract: An N channel transistor and a P channel transistor have their source/drains contacts with different suicides to provide for low resistance contacts. The silicides are chosen to provide good matching of the work functions. The P-type source/drain contacts of the P channel transistors have a silicide that is close to the P work function of 5.2 electron volts, and the N-type source/drain contacts of the N channel transistors have a silicide that is close to the N work function of 4.1 electron volts. This provides for a lower resistance at the interface between these source/drain contact regions and the corresponding silicide. These suicides with differing work functions are achieved with implants as needed. For example, for N-type source/drain contacts and a base metal of cobalt, titanium, or nickel, the implanted material is platinum and/or iridium. For the P-type, the implanted material is erbium, yttrium, dysprosium, gadolinium, hafnium, or holmium.

Abstract: A method for forming a dielectric is disclosed. The method comprises forming a first dielectric layer over semiconductor material. A diffusion barrier material is introduced into the first dielectric layer. Lastly, a second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer after the introducing.

Abstract: A method for treating a semiconductor surface to form a metal-containing layer includes providing a semiconductor substrate having an exposed surface. The exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate is treated by forming one or more metals overlying the semiconductor substrate but not completely covering the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate. The one or more metals enhance nucleation for subsequent material growth. A metal-containing layer is formed on the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate that has been treated. The treatment of the exposed surface of the semiconductor substrate assists the metal-containing layer to coalesce. In one embodiment, treatment of the exposed surface to enhance nucleation may be performed by spin-coating, atomic layer deposition (ALD), physical layer deposition (PVD), electroplating, or electroless plating.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device (100) includes a semiconductor substrate (102) having a first region (104), forming a gate dielectric (108) over the first region, forming a conductive metal oxide (110) over the gate dielectric, forming an oxidation resistant barrier layer (111) over the conductive metal oxide, and forming a capping layer over the oxidation resistant barrier layer. In one embodiment, the conductive metal oxide is IrO2, MoO2, and RuO2, and the oxidation resistant barrier layer includes TiN.

Abstract: A semiconductor fabrication process includes patterning a first gate electrode layer overlying a gate dielectric. A second gate electrode layer is formed overlying the first gate electrode layer and the gate dielectric. Portions of the second gate electrode layer overlying the first gate electrode layer are removed until the first and second gate electrode layers have the same thickness. A third gate electrode layer may be formed overlying the first and second gate electrode layers. The first gate electrode layer may comprise TiN and reside primarily overlying PMOS regions while the second gate electrode layer may comprise TaC or TaSiN and primarily overlie NMOS regions. Removing portions of the second gate electrode layer may include performing a chemical mechanical process (CMP) without masking the second gate electrode layer or forming a resist mask and etching exposed portions of the second gate electrode layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device (10) creates a dielectric layer (18) with high dielectric constant. An interfacial layer (14) is formed over a semiconductor substrate (12). A dielectric layer (16) is formed over the interfacial layer, wherein the dielectric layer has a high dielectric constant (K). The dielectric layer is thinned, such as by etching or chemical mechanical polishing, wherein a thickness of the thinned dielectric layer is less than a thickness of the dielectric layer prior to thinning. In one form, the method is used to form a transistor having a gate electrode layer formed over the thinned dielectric layer and source/drain diffusions (24, 26) within the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor on insulator transistor is formed beginning with a bulk silicon substrate. An active region is defined in the substrate and an oxygen-rich silicon layer that is monocrystalline is formed on a top surface of the active region. On this oxygen-rich silicon layer is grown an epitaxial layer of silicon. After formation of the epitaxial layer of silicon, the oxygen-rich silicon layer is converted to silicon oxide while at least a portion of the epitaxial layer of silicon remains as monocrystalline silicon. This is achieved by applying high temperature water vapor to the epitaxial layer. The result is a silicon on insulator structure useful for making a transistor in which the gate dielectric is on the remaining monocrystalline silicon, the gate is on the gate dielectric, and the channel is in the remaining monocrystalline silicon under the gate.