Abstract: A method for preparing a single crystal silicon ingot and a wafer sliced therefrom are provided. The ingots and wafers comprise nitrogen at a concentration of at least about 1×1014 atoms/cm3 and/or germanium at a concentration of at least about 1×1019 atoms/cm3, interstitial oxygen at a concentration of less than about 6 ppma, and a resistivity of at least about 1000 ohm cm.

Abstract: A method for preparing a single crystal silicon ingot and a wafer sliced therefrom are provided. The ingots and wafers comprise nitrogen at a concentration of at least about 1×1014 atoms/cm3 and/or germanium at a concentration of at least about 1×1019 atoms/cm3, interstitial oxygen at a concentration of less than about 6 ppma, and a resistivity of at least about 1000 ohm cm.

Abstract: A method produces a single-crystal silicon semiconductor wafer. A single-crystal silicon substrate wafer is double side polished. A front side of the substrate wafer is chemical mechanical polished (CMP). An epitaxial layer of single-crystal silicon is deposited on the front side of the substrate wafer. A first rapid thermal anneal (RTA) treatment is performed on the coated substrate wafer at 1275-1295° C. for 15-30 seconds in argon and oxygen, having oxygen of 0.5-2.0 vol %. The coated substrate wafer is then cooled at or below 800° C., with 100 vol % argon. A second RTA treatment is performed on the coated substrate wafer at a 1280-1300° C. for 20-35 seconds in argon. An oxide layer is removed from a front side of the coated substrate wafer. The front side of the coated substrate wafer is polished by CMP.

Abstract: A method evaluates a defect region of a semiconductor substrate based on C-V characteristics of a MOS structure formed on the semiconductor substrate, including determining a relationship between defect region and flat band voltage or fixed charge density by using a semiconductor substrate having a known defect region, under a heat treatment condition and a C-V characteristic evaluating condition identical to conditions for evaluating a defect region of a semiconductor substrate to be evaluated, determining a flat band voltage or a fixed charge density of the semiconductor substrate to be evaluated from C-V characteristics of a MOS structure formed on the semiconductor substrate to be evaluated, and identifying the defect region of the semiconductor substrate to be evaluated based on the relationship between defect region and flat band voltage or fixed charge density previously determined, whereby the defect region of the semiconductor substrate is evaluated.

Abstract: A control device that controls a heating device having a plurality of heating zones, has a monitoring unit configured to monitor a temperature of at least a first heating zone in the plurality of heating zones, and a control unit configured to perform heat-up starting control, in which heat-up of at least a second heating zone is started in the plurality of heating zones, based on the temperature of the first heating zone.

Abstract: A silicon wafer and fabrication method thereof are provided. The silicon wafer includes a first denuded zone formed with a predetermined depth from a top surface of the silicon wafer, the first denuded zone being formed with a depth ranging from approximately 20 ?m to approximately 80 ?m from the top surface, and a bulk area formed between the first denuded zone and a backside of the silicon wafer, the bulk area having a concentration of oxygen uniformly distributed within a variation of 10% over the bulk area.

Abstract: A silicon wafer for preventing a void defect in a bulk region from becoming source of contamination and slip generation in a device process is provided. And a heat-treating method thereof for reducing crystal defects such as COP in a region near the wafer surface to be a device active region is provided. The silicon wafer has a surface region 1 which is a defect-free region and a bulk region 2 including void defect of a polyhedron whose basic shape is an octahedron in which a corner portion of the polyhedron is in the curved shape and an inner-wall oxide film the void defect is removed. The silicon wafer is provided by performing a heat-treating method in which gas to be supplied, inner pressure of spaces and a maximum achievable temperature are set to a predetermined value when subjecting the silicon wafer produced by a CZ method to RTP.

Abstract: Provided is a technology for forming a conductive via hole to implement a three dimensional stacked structure of an integrated circuit. A method for forming a conductive via hole according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: filling inside of a via hole structure that is formed in one or more of an upper portion and a lower portion of a substrate with silver by using a reduction and precipitation of silver in order to connect a plurality of stacked substrates by a conductor; filling a portion that is not filled with silver inside of the via hole structure by flowing silver thereinto; and sublimating residual material of silver oxide series, which is generated during the flowing, on an upper layer inside of the via hole structure filled with silver.

Abstract: An object is to provide a high reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, heat treatment (which is for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities such as moisture. Besides impurities such as moisture existing in the oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment causes reduction of impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer and those in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and films which are provided over and below the oxide semiconductor film and are in contact with the oxide semiconductor film.

Abstract: Semiconductor layer structure and a method for producing a structure are provided, including a substrate made of semiconductor material, on which a layer made of a second semiconductor material is situated, furthermore a region (3) enriched with impurity atoms, which region is situated either in layer (2) or at a specific depth below the interface between layer (2) and substrate (1), additionally a layer (4) within the region (3) enriched with impurity atoms, which layer comprises cavities produced by ion implantation, furthermore at least one epitaxial layer (6) applied to layer (2) and also a defect region (5) comprising dislocations and stacking faults within the layer (4) comprising cavities, the at least one epitaxial layer (6) being largely crack-free, and a residual strain of the at least one epitaxial layer (6) being less than or equal to 1 GPa.

Abstract: A capping layer may be deposited over the active channel of a thin film transistor (TFT) in order to protect the active channel from contamination. The capping layer may affect the performance of the TFT. If the capping layer contains too much hydrogen, nitrogen, or oxygen, the threshold voltage, sub threshold slope, and mobility of the TFT may be negatively impacted. By controlling the ratio of the flow rates of the nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen containing gases, the performance of the TFT may be optimized. Additionally, the power density, capping layer deposition pressure, and the temperature may also be controlled to optimize the TFT performance.

Abstract: A device has a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) component with at least one surface and a coating disposed on at least a portion of the surface. The coating has a compound of the formula M(CnF2n+1Or), wherein M is a polar head group and wherein n?2r. The value of n may range from 2 to about 20, and the value of r may range from 1 to about 10. The value of n plus r may range from 3 to about 30, and a ratio of n:r may have a value of about 2:1 to about 20:1.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) includes initial oxidizing of a semiconductor surface of a substrate. The substrate is heated after the initial oxidizing using a plurality of furnace processing steps which each include a peak processing temperature between 800° C. and 1300° C. The furnace processing steps include at least one accelerated processing step having an accelerated ramp portion in a temperature range between 800° C. and 1250° C. providing an accelerated ramp-up rate and/or an |accelerated ramp-down rate| of at least (?) 5.5° C./min.

Abstract: A method of treating a semiconductor device wherein there is provided a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device being at least in part chemically bonded to an undesired chemical species. The semiconductor device is subjected to light of a wavelength sufficient to cleave at least some of the chemical bonds between the semiconductor device and the undesired chemical species, and the semiconductor device is exposed to a source of a desired chemical species, such that the semiconductor device becomes at least in part chemically bonded to the desired chemical species.

Abstract: An object is to provide a high reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, heat treatment (which is for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities such as moisture. Besides impurities such as moisture existing in the oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment causes reduction of impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer and those in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and films which are provided over and below the oxide semiconductor film and are in contact with the oxide semiconductor film.

Abstract: A silicon wafer and fabrication method thereof are provided. The silicon wafer includes a first denuded zone formed with a predetermined depth from a top surface of the silicon wafer, the first denuded zone being formed with a depth ranging from approximately 20 ?m to approximately 80 ?m from the top surface, and a bulk area formed between the first denuded zone and a backside of the silicon wafer, the bulk area having a concentration of oxygen uniformly distributed within a variation of 10% over the bulk area.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is irradiated with accelerated hydrogen ions, thereby forming a damaged region including a large amount of hydrogen. After a single crystal semiconductor substrate and a supporting substrate are bonded to each other, the semiconductor substrate is heated, so that the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated in the damaged region. A single crystal semiconductor layer which is separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam. The single crystal semiconductor layer is melted by laser beam irradiation, whereby the single crystal semiconductor layer is recrystallized to recover its crystallinity and to planarized a surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer. After the laser beam irradiation, the single crystal semiconductor layer is heated at a temperature at which the single crystal semiconductor layer is not melted, so that the lifetime of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved.

Abstract: An internal gettering process for a Czochralski silicon wafers comprises: (1) heating a Cz silicon wafer to 1200-1250° C. at a heating rate of 50-100° C./s under a nitrogen atmosphere, maintaining for 30-150 seconds, cooling the Cz silicon wafer to 800-1000° C. first at a cooling rate of 5-50° C./s, and then cooling the Cz silicon wafer naturally; (2) annealing the Cz silicon wafer obtained in the step (1) at 800-900° C. under an argon atmosphere for a period of 8-16 hours. The present invention only involves two heat treatment steps which require lower temperature and shorter time comparing to the conventional processes. The density of the bulk microdefects and the width of the denuded zone can be easily controlled by the temperature, duration and cooling rate of rapid thermal processing in the first step.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer for semiconductor components and to a method for its production is disclosed. In one embodiment, the semiconductor wafer includes a front side with an adjoining near-surface active zone as basic material for semiconductor component structures. The rear side of the semiconductor wafer is adjoined by a getter zone for gettering impurity atoms in the semiconductor wafer. The getter zone contains oxygen precipitates. In the near-surface active zone, atoms of doping material are located on lattice vacancies. The atoms of doping material have a higher diffusion coefficient that the oxygen atoms.

Abstract: A device and a device manufacturing process. First, a gettering layer is formed on the bottom surface of a silicon substrate. Gates having a MOS structure are then formed on the principal surface of the silicon substrate, and the gettering layer is removed. According to this manufacturing method, the formation of the gates having a MOS structure is performed such that the gettering layer getters dissolved oxygen present in the silicon substrate. This reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the silicon substrate, resulting in improved device characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel process for decarburizing a silicon melt, and to the use thereof for production of silicon, preferably solar silicon or semiconductor silicon.

Abstract: Techniques are here disclosed for a solar cell pre-processing method and system for annealing and gettering a solar cell semiconductor wafer having an undesirably high dispersion of transition metals, impurities and other defects. The process forms a surface contaminant layer on the solar cell semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafer. A surface of the semiconductor wafer receives and holds impurities, as does the surface contaminant layer. The lower-quality semiconductor wafer includes dispersed defects that in an annealing process getter from the semiconductor bulk to form impurity cluster toward the surface contaminant layer. The impurity clusters form within the surface contaminant layer while increasing the purity level in wafer regions from which the dispersed defects gettered. Cooling follows annealing for retaining the impurity clusters and, thereby, maintaining the increased purity level of the semiconductor wafer in regions from which the impurities gettered.

Abstract: Method for producing nanostructures comprising: a step of providing a substrate (100) having a buried barrier layer (2) and above said barrier layer (2) a crystalline film (5) provided with a network of crystalline defects and/or stress fields (12) in a crystalline zone (13), one or several steps of attacking the substrate (100), of which a preferential attack either of the crystalline defects and/or the stress fields, or the crystalline zone (13) between the crystalline defects and/or the stress fields, said attack steps enabling the barrier layer (2) to be laid bared locally and protrusions (7) to be formed on a nanometric scale, separated from each other by hollows (7.1) having a base located in the barrier layer, the protrusions leading to nanostructures (7, 8).

Abstract: Embodiments provide methods for etching and depositing silicon materials on a substrate. In one example, the method includes heating a substrate containing a silicon-containing material to a temperature of about 800° C. or less and removing a portion of the silicon-containing material and a contaminant to reveal an exposed surface of the silicon-containing material during an etching process and depositing a silicon-containing layer on the exposed surface of the silicon-containing material during a deposition process. The method further provides conducting the etching and deposition processes in the same chamber and utilizing chlorine gas and a silicon source gas during the etching and deposition processes. In some examples, the silicon-containing material is removed at a rate within a range from about 2 ? per minute to about 20 ? per minute during the etching process.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating dimensional silica-based substrates or structures comprising a porous silicon layers are contemplated. According to one embodiment, oxygen is extracted from the atomic elemental composition of a silica glass substrate by reacting a metallic gas with the substrate in a heated inert atmosphere to form a metal-oxygen complex along a surface of the substrate. The metal-oxygen complex is removed from the surface of the silica glass substrate to yield a crystalline porous silicon surface portion and one or more additional layers are formed over the crystalline porous silicon surface portion of the silica glass substrate to yield a dimensional silica-based substrate or structure comprising the porous silicon layer. Embodiments are also contemplated where the substrate is glass-based, but is not necessarily a silica-based glass substrate. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Method of manufacturing image sensors having a plurality of gettering regions. In the method, a gate electrode may be formed on a semiconductor substrate. A source/drain region may be formed in the semiconductor substrate to be overlapped with the gate electrode. A gettering region may be formed in the semiconductor substrate to be adjacent to the source/drain region.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of low resistivity arsenic or phosphorous doped (N+/N++) silicon wafers which, during the heat treatment cycles of essentially any arbitrary electronic device manufacturing process, reliably form oxygen precipitates.

Abstract: A silicon wafer and fabrication method thereof are provided. The silicon wafer includes a first denuded zone formed with a predetermined depth from a top surface of the silicon wafer, the first denuded zone being formed with a depth ranging from approximately 20 ?m to approximately 80 ?m from the top surface, and a bulk area formed between the first denuded zone and a backside of the silicon wafer, the bulk area having a concentration of oxygen uniformly distributed within a variation of 10% over the bulk area.

Abstract: Techniques are here disclosed for a solar cell pre-processing method and system for annealing and gettering a solar cell semiconductor wafer having an undesirably high dispersion of transition metals, impurities and other defects. The process forms a surface contaminant layer on the solar cell semiconductor (e.g., silicon) wafer. A surface of the semiconductor wafer receives and holds impurities, as does the surface contaminant layer. The lower-quality semiconductor wafer includes dispersed defects that in an annealing process getter from the semiconductor bulk to form impurity cluster toward the surface contaminant layer. The impurity clusters form within the surface contaminant layer while increasing the purity level in wafer regions from which the dispersed defects gettered. Cooling follows annealing for retaining the impurity clusters and, thereby, maintaining the increased purity level of the semiconductor wafer in regions from which the impurities gettered.

Abstract: A method is provided that allows for maintaining a desired equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) by reducing the thickness of an interfacial layer in a gate structure. An interfacial layer is formed on a substrate, a gate dielectric layer such as, a high-k gate dielectric, is formed on the interfacial layer. A gettering layer is formed on the substrate overlying the interfacial layer. The gettering layer may function to getter oxygen from the interfacial layer such that the interfacial layer thickness is decreased and/or restricted from growth.

Abstract: Provided is a silicon wafer including: a first denuded zone formed with a predetermined depth from a top surface of the silicon wafer; and a bulk area formed between the first denuded zone and a backside of the silicon wafer, wherein the first denuded zone is formed with a depth ranging from approximately 20 um to approximately 80 um from the top surface, and wherein a concentration of oxygen in the bulk area is uniformly distributed within a variation of 10% over the bulk area.

Abstract: This invention teaches methods of combining ion implantation steps with in situ or ex situ heat treatments to avoid and/or minimize implant-induced amorphization (a potential problem for source/drain (S/D) regions in FETs in ultrathin silicon on insulator layers) and implant-induced plastic relaxation of strained S/D regions (a potential problem for strained channel FETs in which the channel strain is provided by embedded S/D regions lattice mismatched with an underlying substrate layer). In a first embodiment, ion implantation is combined with in situ heat treatment by performing the ion implantation at elevated temperature. In a second embodiment, ion implantation is combined with ex situ heat treatments in a “divided-dose-anneal-in-between” (DDAB) scheme that avoids the need for tooling capable of performing hot implants.

Abstract: An object is to provide a high reliable semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having stable electric characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film is used for a semiconductor layer including a channel formation region, heat treatment (which is for dehydration or dehydrogenation) is performed so as to improve the purity of the oxide semiconductor film and reduce impurities such as moisture. Besides impurities such as moisture existing in the oxide semiconductor film, heat treatment causes reduction of impurities such as moisture existing in the gate insulating layer and those in interfaces between the oxide semiconductor film and films which are provided over and below the oxide semiconductor film and are in contact with the oxide semiconductor film.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is irradiated with accelerated hydrogen ions, thereby forming a damaged region including a large amount of hydrogen. After a single crystal semiconductor substrate and a supporting substrate are bonded to each other, the semiconductor substrate is heated, so that the single crystal semiconductor substrate is separated in the damaged region. A single crystal semiconductor layer which is separated from the single crystal semiconductor substrate is irradiated with a laser beam. The single crystal semiconductor layer is melted by laser beam irradiation, whereby the single crystal semiconductor layer is recrystallized to recover its crystallinity and to planarized a surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer. After the laser beam irradiation, the single crystal semiconductor layer is heated at a temperature at which the single crystal semiconductor layer is not melted, so that the lifetime of the single crystal semiconductor layer is improved.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of forming a first insulation layer on a substrate; forming a damascene pattern in the first insulation layer; conducting a first process for forming metal lines in the damascene pattern; conducting a second process for forming a second insulation layer, having compressive stress greater than tensile stress of the metal lines, on the damascene pattern including the metal lines; forming a passivation layer on the substrate after multi-layered metal lines are formed by the first and second processes; and conducting an annealing process for the substrate including the passivation layer.

Abstract: Multi-layered carbon-based hardmask and method to form the same. The multi-layered carbon-based hardmask includes at least top and bottom carbon-based hardmask layers having different refractive indexes. The top and bottom carbon-based hardmask layer thicknesses and refractive indexes are tuned so that the top carbon-based hardmask layer serves as an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating a structure produced from semiconductor materials, wherein the structure includes a first and second substrates defining a common interface that has defects. The method includes forming a layer, called the disorganized layer, which includes the interface, in which at least a part of the crystal lattice is disorganized; and reorganizing the crystal lattice of the disorganized layer in order to force the defects back deeper into the first substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention is manufactured by the following steps: forming a single-crystal semiconductor layer over a substrate having an insulating surface; irradiating a region of the single-crystal semiconductor layer with laser light; forming a circuit of a pixel portion using a region of the single-crystal semiconductor layer which is not irradiated with the laser light; and forming a driver circuit for driving the circuit of the pixel portion using the region of the single-crystal semiconductor layer which is irradiated with the laser light. Thus, a semiconductor device using a single-crystal semiconductor layer which is suitable for a peripheral driver circuit region and a single-crystal semiconductor layer which is suitable for a pixel region can be provided.

Abstract: In an example embodiment of the method of manufacturing an epitaxial semiconductor substrate, a gettering layer is grown over a semiconductor substrate. An epitaxial layer may then be formed over the gettering layer, and a semiconductor device may be formed on the epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a silicon wafer includes a step of annealing a silicon wafer which is sliced from a silicon single crystal ingot, thereby forming a DZ layer in a first surface and in a second surface of the silicon wafer and a step of removing either a portion of the DZ layer in the first surface or a portion of the DZ layer in the second surface.

Abstract: A method for making a silicon wafer includes the steps of generating and stabilizing embryos that become oxygen precipitates by succeeding thermal annealing applied during a semiconductor device manufacturing process. In the silicon wafer, embryos are substantially removed in a denuded zone, and embryos are distributed at a relatively higher concentration in a bulk region. Also, by controlling behaviors of embryos, a silicon wafer having a desired concentration profile of oxygen precipitates by succeeding thermal annealing is manufactured with high reliability and reproducibility.

Abstract: This method for manufacturing a silicon substrate for a solid-state imaging device, includes: a carbon compound layer forming step of forming a carbon compound layer on the surface of a silicon substrate; an epitaxial step of forming a silicon epitaxial layer on the carbon compound layer; and a heat treatment step of subjecting the silicon substrate having the epitaxial layer formed thereon to a heat treatment at a temperature of 600 and 800° C. for 0.25 to 3 hours so as to form gettering sinks that are complexes of carbon and oxygen below the epitaxial layer. This silicon substrate for a solid-state imaging device is manufactured by the above-mentioned method and includes: n epitaxial layer positioned on the surface of a silicon substrate; and a gettering layer which is positioned below the epitaxial layer and includes BMDs having a size of 10 to 100 nm at a concentration of 1.0×106 to 1.0×109 atoms/cm3.

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon wafer that has a carbon concentration of 5×1015 to 5×1017 atoms/cm3, interstitial oxygen concentration of 6.5×1017 to 13.5×1017 atoms/cm3, and a resistivity of 100 ?cm or more.

Abstract: In a silicon wafer having an oxygen precipitate layer, a depth of DZ layer ranging from a wafer surface to an oxygen precipitate layer is 2 to 10 ?m and an oxygen precipitate concentration of the oxygen precipitate layer is not less than 5×107 precipitates/cm3.

Abstract: A device and a device manufacturing process. First, a gettering layer is formed on the bottom surface of a silicon substrate. Gates having a MOS structure are then formed on the principal surface of the silicon substrate, and the gettering layer is removed. According to this manufacturing method, the formation of the gates having a MOS structure is performed such that the gettering layer getters dissolved oxygen present in the silicon substrate. This reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the silicon substrate, resulting in improved device characteristics.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a ferroelectric device includes forming a ferroelectric layer on a substrate in a reaction chamber. An inactive gas is provided into the reaction chamber while unloading the substrate therefrom to thereby substantially inhibit formation of an impurity layer on the ferroelectric layer.

Abstract: A layer structure comprising a smoothed interlayer and an overlying layer applied on the interlayer, wherein the interlayer is treated with a gaseous etchant containing hydrogen fluoride, a material removal being obtained thereby and the interlayer being smoothed.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of low resistivity arsenic or phosphorous doped (N+/N++) silicon wafers which, during the heat treatment cycles of essentially any arbitrary electronic device manufacturing process, reliably form oxygen precipitates.

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon wafer, comprising performing an activation of metallic impurities by irradiating laser light on the metallic impurities constituting contaminants in the silicon wafer, changing the electric charge of the contaminants, and activating the contaminants to a state such that the contaminants easily react with oxygen precipitation nuclei and are subjected to gettering.

Abstract: Provided is an epitaxial wafer having an excellent gettering capability and a suppressed formation of epitaxial defects. The epitaxial wafer has a specified resistivity, and includes a modifying layer formed on a surface portion of the silicon wafer and composed of a predetermined element including at least carbon, in the form of a solid solution in the silicon wafer; and an epitaxial layer having a resistivity that is higher than the resistivity of the silicon wafer, wherein a concentration profile of the predetermined element in the modifying layer in a depth direction thereof meets a specified full width half maximum and a specified peak concentration.