Patents by Inventor Ricky S. Amos

Ricky S. Amos has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8492803
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is fabricated with reduced gate capacitance by thinning of a gate electrode to provide a reduced thickness gate electrode. The gate electrode is thinned after forming a spacer layer adjoining the gate electrode. In addition, the height of the spacer layer may also be reduced. The spacer layer thus has an enhanced horizontal width desired for locating an intrinsic source/drain with respect to an extension region and in particular, an enhanced horizontal width relative to the spacer height. The reduced thickness gate electrode may be fully silicided to provide decreased gate resistance. A raised source/drain layer may be located upon the intrinsic source/drain region. The raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced thickness gate electrode. In addition, the raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced height spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Wesley C. Natzle, Siddhartha Panda, Brian L. Tessier
  • Patent number: 7960798
    Abstract: A multilayer embedded stressor having a graded dopant profile for use in a semiconductor structure for inducing strain on a device channel region is provided. The inventive multilayer stressor is formed within areas of a semiconductor structure in which source/drain regions are typically located. The inventive multilayer stressor includes a first conformal epi semiconductor layer that is undoped or lightly doped and a second epi semiconductor layer that is highly dopant relative to the first epi semiconductor layer. The first and second epi semiconductor layers each have the same lattice constant, which is different from that of the substrate they are embedded in. The structure including the inventive multilayer embedded stressor achieves a good balance between stress proximity and short channel effects, and even eliminates or substantially reduces any possible defects that are typically generated during formation of the deep source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijiong Luo, Ricky S. Amos, Nivo Rovedo, Henry K. Utomo
  • Publication number: 20100059764
    Abstract: A multilayer embedded stressor having a graded dopant profile for use in a semiconductor structure for inducing strain on a device channel region is provided. The inventive multilayer stressor is formed within areas of a semiconductor structure in which source/drain regions are typically located. The inventive multilayer stressor includes a first conformal epi semiconductor layer that is undoped or lightly doped and a second epi semiconductor layer that is highly dopant relative to the first epi semiconductor layer. The first and second epi semiconductor layers each have the same lattice constant, which is different from that of the substrate they are embedded in. The structure including the inventive multilayer embedded stressor achieves a good balance between stress proximity and short channel effects, and even eliminates or substantially reduces any possible defects that are typically generated during formation of the deep source/drain regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhijiong Luo, Ricky S. Amos, Nivo Rovedo, Henry K. Utomo
  • Patent number: 7655557
    Abstract: The present invention provides a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integration process whereby a plurality of silicided metal gates are fabricated atop a gate dielectric. Each silicided metal gate that is formed using the integration scheme of the present invention has the same silicide metal phase and substantially the same height, regardless of the dimension of the silicide metal gate. The present invention also provides various methods of forming a CMOS structure having silicided contacts in which the polySi gate heights are substantially the same across the entire surface of a semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Richard D. Kaplan, Jakub T. Kedzierski, Victor Ku, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Ying Li, Anda C. Mocuta, Vijay Narayanan, An L. Steegen, Maheswaren Surendra
  • Patent number: 7618866
    Abstract: A multilayer embedded stressor having a graded dopant profile for use in a semiconductor structure for inducing strain on a device channel region is provided. The inventive multilayer stressor is formed within areas of a semiconductor structure in which source/drain regions are typically located. The inventive multilayer stressor includes a first conformal epi semiconductor layer that is undoped or lightly doped and a second epi semiconductor layer that is highly dopant relative to the first epi semiconductor layer. The first and second epi semiconductor layers each have the same lattice constant, which is different from that of the substrate they are embedded in. The structure including the inventive multilayer embedded stressor achieves a good balance between stress proximity and short channel effects, and even eliminates or substantially reduces any possible defects that are typically generated during formation of the deep source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijiong Luo, Ricky S. Amos, Nivo Rovedo, Henry K. Utomo
  • Publication number: 20090159934
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is fabricated with reduced gate capacitance by thinning of a gate electrode to provide a reduced thickness gate electrode. The gate electrode is thinned after forming a spacer layer adjoining the gate electrode. In addition, the height of the spacer layer may also be reduced. The spacer layer thus has an enhanced horizontal width desired for locating an intrinsic source/drain with respect to an extension region and in particular, an enhanced horizontal width relative to the spacer height. The reduced thickness gate electrode may be fully silicided to provide decreased gate resistance. A raised source/drain layer may be located upon the intrinsic source/drain region. The raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced thickness gate electrode. In addition, the raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced height spacer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Wesley C. Natzle, Siddhartha Panda, Brian L. Tessier
  • Patent number: 7479436
    Abstract: Embodiments herein present a method for a feed forward silicide control scheme based on spacer height controlling pre-clean time. The method forms field effect transistor gates over a substrate and then forms spacers on the gates. Next, the method measures the spacers using an atomic force microscope to determine a measured spacer height. The method then conducts a pre-cleaning etch, wherein a duration of the pre-cleaning is adjusted according to the measured spacer height. If the measured spacer height is below a predetermined amount, the duration of the pre-cleaning is reduced; and, if the measured spacer height is above a predetermined amount, the duration of the pre-cleaning is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Bryant C. Colwill, Kevin E. Mello
  • Patent number: 7459382
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is fabricated with reduced gate capacitance by thinning of a gate electrode to provide a reduced thickness gate electrode. The gate electrode is thinned after forming a spacer layer adjoining the gate electrode. In addition, the height of the spacer layer may also be reduced. The spacer layer thus has an enhanced horizontal width desired for locating an intrinsic source/drain with respect to an extension region and in particular, an enhanced horizontal width relative to the spacer height. The reduced thickness gate electrode may be fully silicided to provide decreased gate resistance. A raised source/drain layer may be located upon the intrinsic source/drain region. The raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced thickness gate electrode. In addition, the raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced height spacer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Wesley C. Natzle, Siddhartha Panda, Brian L. Tessier
  • Publication number: 20080254622
    Abstract: The present invention provides a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integration process whereby a plurality of silicided metal gates are fabricated atop a gate dielectric. Each silicided metal gate that is formed using the integration scheme of the present invention has the same silicide metal phase and substantially the same height, regardless of the dimension of the silicide metal gate. The present invention also provides various methods of forming a CMOS structure having silicided contacts in which the polySi gate heights are substantially the same across the entire surface of a semiconductor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Cyril Cabral, Richard D. Kaplan, Jakub T. Kedzierski, Victor Ku, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Ying Li, Anda C. Mocuta, Vijay Narayanan, An L. Steegen, Maheswaren Surendra
  • Patent number: 7411227
    Abstract: The present invention provides a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integration process whereby a plurality of silicided metal gates are fabricated atop a gate dielectric. Each silicided metal gate that is formed using the integration scheme of the present invention has the same silicide metal phase and substantially the same height, regardless of the dimension of the silicide metal gate. The present invention also provides various methods of forming a CMOS structure having silicided contacts in which the polySi gate heights are substantially the same across the entire surface of a semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Richard D. Kaplan, Jakub T. Kedzierski, Victor Ku, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Ying Li, Anda C. Mocuta, Vijay Narayanan, An L. Steegen, Maheswaren Surendra
  • Publication number: 20080188014
    Abstract: Embodiments herein present a method for a feed forward suicide control scheme based on spacer height controlling pre-clean time. The method forms field effect transistor gates over a substrate and then forms spacers on the gates. Next, the method measures the spacers using an atomic force microscope to determine a measured spacer height. The method then conducts a pre-cleaning etch, wherein a duration of the pre-cleaning is adjusted according to the measured spacer height. If the measured spacer height is below a predetermined amount, the duration of the pre-cleaning is reduced; and, if the measured spacer height is above a predetermined amount, the duration of the pre-cleaning is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Bryant C. Colwill, Kevin E. Mello
  • Patent number: 7326610
    Abstract: Silicide is introduced into the gate region of a CMOS device through different process options for both conventional and replacement gate types processes. Placement of silicide in the gate itself, introduction of the silicide directly in contact with the gate dielectric, introduction of the silicide as a fill on top of a metal gate all ready in place, and introduction the silicide as a capping layer on polysilicon or on the existing metal gate, are presented. Silicide is used as an option to connect between PFET and NFET devices of a CMOS structure. The processes protect the metal gate while allowing for the source and drain silicide to be of a different silicide than the gate silicide. A semiconducting substrate is provided having a gate with a source and a drain region. A gate dielectric layer is deposited on the substrate, along with a metal gate layer. The metal gate layer is then capped with a silicide formed on top of the gate, and conventional formation of the device then proceeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Douglas A. Buchanan, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Evgeni P. Gousev, Victor Ku, An Steegen
  • Publication number: 20080006818
    Abstract: A multilayer embedded stressor having a graded dopant profile for use in a semiconductor structure for inducing strain on a device channel region is provided. The inventive multilayer stressor is formed within areas of a semiconductor structure in which source/drain regions are typically located. The inventive multilayer stressor includes a first conformal epi semiconductor layer that is undoped or lightly doped and a second epi semiconductor layer that is highly dopant relative to the first epi semiconductor layer. The first and second epi semiconductor layers each have the same lattice constant, which is different from that of the substrate they are embedded in. The structure including the inventive multilayer embedded stressor achieves a good balance between stress proximity and short channel effects, and even eliminates or substantially reduces any possible defects that are typically generated during formation of the deep source/drain regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhijiong Luo, Ricky S. Amos, Nivo Rovedo, Henry K. Utomo
  • Publication number: 20070221964
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is fabricated with reduced gate capacitance by thinning of a gate electrode to provide a reduced thickness gate electrode. The gate electrode is thinned after forming a spacer layer adjoining the gate electrode. In addition, the height of the spacer layer may also be reduced. The spacer layer thus has an enhanced horizontal width desired for locating an intrinsic source/drain with respect to an extension region and in particular, an enhanced horizontal width relative to the spacer height. The reduced thickness gate electrode may be fully silicided to provide decreased gate resistance. A raised source/drain layer may be located upon the intrinsic source/drain region. The raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced thickness gate electrode. In addition, the raised source/drain layer may have a top surface higher than the reduced height spacer layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Wesley C. Natzle, Siddhartha Panda, Brian L. Tessier
  • Patent number: 7056782
    Abstract: The present invention provides a complementary metal oxide semiconductor integration process whereby a plurality of silicided metal gates are fabricated atop a gate dielectric. Each silicided metal gate that is formed using the integration scheme of the present invention has the same silicide metal phase and substantially the same height, regardless of the dimension of the silicide metal gate. The present invention also provides various methods of forming a CMOS structure having silicided contacts in which the polySi gate heights are substantially the same across the entire surface of a semiconductor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Richard D. Kaplan, Jakub T. Kedzierski, Victor Ku, Woo-Hyeong Lee, Ying Li, Anda C. Mocuta, Vijay Narayanan, An L. Steegen, Maheswaran Surendra
  • Patent number: 7029966
    Abstract: Silicide is introduced into the gate region of a CMOS device through different process options for both conventional and replacement gate types processes. Placement of silicide in the gate itself, introduction of the silicide directly in contact with the gate dielectric, introduction of the silicide as a fill on top of a metal gate all ready in place, and introduction the silicide as a capping layer on polysilicon or on the existing metal gate, are presented. Silicide is used as an option to connect between PFET and NFET devices of a CMOS structure. The processes protect the metal gate while allowing for the source and drain silicide to be of a different silicide than the gate silicide. A semiconducting substrate is provided having a gate with a source and a drain region. A gate dielectric layer is deposited on the substrate, along with a metal gate layer. The metal gate layer is then capped with a silicide formed on top of the gate, and conventional formation of the device then proceeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ricky S. Amos, Douglas A. Buchanan, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Evgeni P. Gousev, Victor Ku, An Steegen
  • Patent number: 6916698
    Abstract: High performance (surface channel) CMOS devices with a mid-gap work function metal gate are disclosed wherein an epitaxial layer is used for a threshold voltage Vt adjust/decrease for the PFET area, for large Vt reductions (˜500 mV), as are required by CMOS devices with a mid-gap metal gate. The present invention provides counter doping using an in situ B doped epitaxial layer or a B and C co-doped epitaxial layer, wherein the C co-doping provides an additional degree of freedom to reduce the diffusion of B (also during subsequent activation thermal cycles) to maintain a shallow B profile, which is critical to provide a surface channel CMOS device with a mid-gap metal gate while maintaining good short channel effects. The B diffusion profiles are satisfactorily shallow, sharp and have a high B concentration for devices with mid-gap metal gates, to provide and maintain a thin, highly doped B layer under the gate oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anda C. Mocuta, Meikei Ieong, Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Dan M. Mocuta, Huajie Chen
  • Publication number: 20040171205
    Abstract: High performance (surface channel) CMOS devices with a mid-gap work function metal gate are disclosed wherein an epitaxial layer is used for a threshold voltage Vt adjust/decrease for the PFET area, for large Vt reductions (˜500 mV), as are required by CMOS devices with a mid-gap metal gate. The present invention provides counter doping using an in situ B doped epitaxial layer or a B and C co-doped epitaxial layer, wherein the C co-doping provides an additional degree of freedom to reduce the diffusion of B (also during subsequent activation thermal cycles) to maintain a shallow B profile, which is critical to provide a surface channel CMOS device with a mid-gap metal gate while maintaining good short channel effects. The B diffusion profiles are satisfactorily shallow, sharp and have a high B concentration for devices with mid-gap metal gates, to provide and maintain a thin, highly doped B layer under the gate oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anda C. Mocuta, Meikei Ieong, Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Dan M. Mocuta, Huajie Chen
  • Patent number: 6762469
    Abstract: High performance (surface channel) CMOS devices with a mid-gap work function metal gate are disclosed wherein an epitaxial layer is used for a threshold voltage Vt adjust/decrease for the PFET area, for large Vt reductions (˜500 mV), as are required by CMOS devices with a mid-gap metal gate. The present invention provides counter doping using an in situ B doped epitaxial layer or a B and C co-doped epitaxial layer, wherein the C co-doping provides an additional degree of freedom to reduce the diffusion of B (also during subsequent activation thermal cycles) to maintain a shallow B profile, which is critical to provide a surface channel CMOS device with a mid-gap metal gate while maintaining good short channel effects. The B diffusion profiles are satisfactorily shallow, sharp and have a high B concentration for devices with mid-gap metal gates, to provide and maintain a thin, highly doped B layer under the gate oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anda C. Mocuta, Meikei Ieong, Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Dan M. Mocuta, Huajie Chen
  • Publication number: 20030197230
    Abstract: High performance (surface channel) CMOS devices with a mid-gap work function metal gate are disclosed wherein an epitaxial layer is used for a threshold voltage Vt adjust/decrease for the PFET area, for large Vt reductions (˜500 mV), as are required by CMOS devices with a mid-gap metal gate. The present invention provides counter doping using an in situ B doped epitaxial layer or a B and C co-doped epitaxial layer, wherein the C co-doping provides an additional degree of freedom to reduce the diffusion of B (also during subsequent activation thermal cycles) to maintain a shallow B profile, which is critical to provide a surface channel CMOS device with a mid-gap metal gate while maintaining good short channel effects. The B diffusion profiles are satisfactorily shallow, sharp and have a high B concentration for devices with mid-gap metal gates, to provide and maintain a thin, highly doped B layer under the gate oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2002
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anda C. Mocuta, Meikei Ieong, Ricky S. Amos, Diane C. Boyd, Dan M. Mocuta, Huajie Chen