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: Disclosed are embodiments of a circuit and method for electroplating a feature (e.g., a BEOL anti-fuse device) onto a wafer. The embodiments eliminate the use of a seed layer and, thereby, minimize subsequent processing steps (e.g., etching or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)). Specifically, the embodiments allow for selective electroplating metal or alloy materials onto an exposed portion of a metal layer in a trench on the front side of a substrate. This is accomplished by providing a unique wafer structure that allows a current path to be established from a power supply through a back side contact and in-substrate electrical connector to the metal layer. During electrodeposition, current flow through the current path can be selectively controlled. Additionally, if the electroplated feature is an anti-fuse device, current flow through this current path can also be selectively controlled in order to program the anti-fuse device.

Abstract: A semiconductor-on-insulator structure includes a buried dielectric layer interposed between a base semiconductor substrate and a surface semiconductor layer. The buried dielectric layer comprises an oxide material that includes a nitrogen gradient that peaks at the interface of the buried dielectric layer with at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer. The interface of the buried dielectric layer with the at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer is abrupt, providing a transition in less than about 5 atomic layer thickness, and having less than about 10 angstroms RMS interfacial roughness. A second dielectric layer comprising an oxide dielectric material absent nitrogen may be located interposed between the buried dielectric layer and the surface semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Disclosed is an imaging method for patterning component shapes (e.g., fins, gate electrodes, etc.) into a substrate. By conducting a trim step prior to performing either an additive or subtractive sidewall image transfer process, the method avoids the formation of a loop pattern in a hard mask and, thus, avoids a post-SIT process trim step requiring alignment of a trim mask to sub-lithographic features to form a hard mask pattern with the discrete segments. In one embodiment a hard mask is trimmed prior to conducting an additive SIT process so that a loop pattern is not formed. In another embodiment an oxide layer and memory layer that are used to form a mandrel are trimmed prior to the conducting a subtractive SIT process. A mask is then used to protect portions of the mandrel during etch back of the oxide layer so that a loop pattern is not formed.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a circuit and method for electroplating a feature (e.g., a BEOL anti-fuse device) onto a wafer. The embodiments eliminate the use of a seed layer and, thereby, minimize subsequent processing steps (e.g., etching or chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)). Specifically, the embodiments allow for selective electroplating metal or alloy materials onto an exposed portion of a metal layer in a trench on the front side of a substrate. This is accomplished by providing a unique wafer structure that allows a current path to be established from a power supply through a back side contact and in-substrate electrical connector to the metal layer. During electrodeposition, current flow through the current path can be selectively controlled. Additionally, if the electroplated feature is an anti-fuse device, current flow through this current path can also be selectively controlled in order to program the anti-fuse device.

Abstract: A method for forming a field effect transistor device includes forming a first gate stack and a second gate stack on a substrate, depositing a first photoresist material over the second gate stack and a portion of the substrate, implanting ions in exposed regions of the substrate to define a first source region and a first drain region adjacent to the first gate stack, depositing a first protective layer over the first source region, the first gate stack, the first drain region, and the first photoresist material, removing portions of the first protective layer to expose the first photoresist material and to define a first spacer disposed on a portion of the first source region and a portion of the first drain region, removing the first photoresist material, and removing the first spacer.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of an improved semiconductor wafer structure having protected clusters of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the back surface and a method of forming the improved semiconductor wafer structure. Also disclosed are embodiments of a semiconductor module with exposed CNTs on the back surface for providing enhanced thermal dissipation in conjunction with a heat sink and a method of forming the semiconductor module using the disclosed semiconductor wafer structure.

Abstract: A finFET structure includes a semiconductor fin located over a substrate. A gate electrode is located traversing the semiconductor fin. The gate electrode has a spacer layer located adjoining a sidewall thereof. The spacer layer does not cover completely a sidewall of the semiconductor fin. The gate electrode and the spacer layer may be formed using a vapor deposition method that provides for selective deposition upon a sidewall of a mandrel layer but not upon an adjoining surface of the substrate, so that the spacer layer does not cover completely the sidewall of the semiconductor fin. Other microelectronic structures may be fabricated using the lateral growth methodology.

Abstract: A method for creating an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) layer having a uniform thickness includes: measuring a thickness of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer at a plurality of locations; determining a removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations; and implanting ions at the plurality of locations. The implanting is dynamically based on the removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations. The method further includes oxidizing the SOI layer to form an oxide layer, and removing the oxide layer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an imaging method for patterning component shapes (e.g., fins, gate electrodes, etc.) into a substrate. By conducting a trim step prior to performing either an additive or subtractive sidewall image transfer process, the method avoids the formation of a loop pattern in a hard mask and, thus, avoids a post-SIT process trim step requiring alignment of a trim mask to sub-lithographic features to form a hard mask pattern with the discrete segments. In one embodiment a hard mask is trimmed prior to conducting an additive SIT process so that a loop pattern is not formed. In another embodiment an oxide layer and memory layer that are used to form a mandrel are trimmed prior to the conducting a subtractive SIT process. A mask is then used to protect portions of the mandrel during etch back of the oxide layer so that a loop pattern is not formed.

Abstract: Solutions for forming an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) layer. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a wafer including a plurality of semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer regions separated by at least one shallow trench isolation (STI); amorphizing the plurality of SOI layer regions by implanting the plurality of SOI layer regions with an implant species; and removing a portion of the amorphized SOI layer region to form at least one recess in the amorphized SOI layer region.

Abstract: A finFET structure includes a semiconductor fin located over a substrate. A gate electrode is located traversing the semiconductor fin. The gate electrode has a spacer layer located adjoining a sidewall thereof. The spacer layer does not cover completely a sidewall of the semiconductor fin. The gate electrode and the spacer layer may be formed using a vapor deposition method that provides for selective deposition upon a sidewall of a mandrel layer but not upon an adjoining surface of the substrate so that the spacer layer does not cover completely the sidewall of the semiconductor fin. Other microelectronic structures may be fabricated using the lateral growth methodology.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a channel of a field effect transistor (FET) in a substrate; forming a heavily doped region in the substrate; and forming recesses adjacent the channel and the heavily doped region. The method also includes: forming an undoped or lightly doped intermediate layer in the recesses on exposed portions of the channel and the heavily doped region; and forming source and drain regions on the intermediate layer such that the source and drain regions are spaced apart from the heavily doped region by the intermediate layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor-on-insulator structure includes a buried dielectric layer interposed between a base semiconductor substrate and a surface semiconductor layer. The buried dielectric layer comprises an oxide material that includes a nitrogen gradient that peaks at the interface of the buried dielectric layer with at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer. The interface of the buried dielectric layer with the at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer is abrupt, providing a transition in less than about 5 atomic layer thickness, and having less than about 10 angstroms RMS interfacial roughness. A second dielectric layer comprising an oxide dielectric material absent nitrogen may be located interposed between the buried dielectric layer and the surface semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method for creating an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) layer having a uniform thickness includes: measuring a thickness of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer at a plurality of locations; determining a removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations; and implanting ions at the plurality of locations. The implanting is dynamically based on the removal thickness at each of the plurality of locations. The method further includes oxidizing the SOI layer to form an oxide layer, and removing the oxide layer.

Abstract: Solutions for forming an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator (ETSOI) layer are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a wafer including a plurality of semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer regions separated by at least one shallow trench isolation (STI); amorphizing the plurality of SOI layer regions by implanting the plurality of SOI layer regions with an implant species; and removing a portion of the amorphized SOI layer region to form at least one recess in the amorphized SOI layer region.

Abstract: A method deposits an undoped silicon layer on a primary layer, deposits a cap layer on the undoped silicon layer, patterns a masking layer on the cap layer, and patterns the undoped silicon layer into silicon mandrels. The method incorporates impurities into sidewalls of the silicon mandrels in a process that leaves sidewall portions of the silicon mandrels doped with impurities and that leaves central portions of at least some of the silicon mandrels undoped. The method removes the cap layer to leave the silicon mandrels standing on the primary layer and performs a selective material removal process to remove the central portions of the silicon mandrels and to leave the sidewall portions of the silicon mandrels standing on the primary layer. The method patterns at least the primary layer using the sidewall portions of the silicon mandrels as a patterning mask and removes the sidewall portions of the silicon mandrels to leave at least the primary layer patterned.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structure having sub-insulator layer void(s) selectively placed in a substrate so that capacitance coupling between a first section of a semiconductor layer and the substrate will be less than capacitance coupling between a second section of the semiconductor layer and the substrate. The first section may contain a first device on an insulator layer and the second section may contain a second device on the insulator layer. Alternatively, the first and second sections may comprise different regions of the same device on an insulator layer. For example, in an SOI field effect transistor (FET), sub-insulator layer voids can be selectively placed in the substrate below the source, drain and/or body contact diffusion regions, but not below the channel region so that capacitance coupling between the these various diffusion regions and the substrate will be less than capacitance coupling between the channel region and the substrate.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having finFETs and a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) fin capacitor and methods of manufacture are disclosed. A method includes forming a first finFET comprising a first dielectric and a first conductor; forming a second finFET comprising a second dielectric and a second conductor; and forming a fin capacitor comprising the first conductor, the second dielectric, and the second conductor.

Abstract: A semiconductor-on-insulator structure includes a buried dielectric layer interposed between a base semiconductor substrate and a surface semiconductor layer. The buried dielectric layer comprises an oxide material that includes a nitrogen gradient that peaks at the interface of the buried dielectric layer with at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer. The interface of the buried dielectric layer with the at least one of the base semiconductor substrate and surface semiconductor layer is abrupt, providing a transition in less than about 5 atomic layer thickness, and having less than about 10 angstroms RMS interfacial roughness. A second dielectric layer comprising an oxide dielectric material absent nitrogen may be located interposed between the buried dielectric layer and the surface semiconductor layer.