Abstract: An epitaxial base bipolar transistor comprising an epitaxial single crystal layer on a single crystal single substrate; a raised emitter on the semiconductor surface; a raised extrinsic base on the surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulator between the raised emitter and the raised extrinsic base, wherein said insulator is a spacer; and a diffusion from the raised emitter and from the raised extrinsic base to provide an emitter diffusion and an extrinsic base diffusion in said single crystal substrate, wherein said emitter diffusion has an emitter diffusion junction depth, and wherein said emitter extends to said substrate surface and said base extends to said substrate surface, wherein said emitter to base surface height difference is less than 20% of said emitter junction depth is provided as well as methods for fabricating the same.

Abstract: An asymmetric field effect transistor (FET) that has a threshold voltage that is compatible with current CMOS circuit designs and a low-resistance gate electrode is provided. Specifically, the asymmetric FET includes a p-type gate portion and an n-type gate portion on a vertical semiconductor body; an interconnect between the p-type gate portion and the n-type gate portion; and a planarizing structure above the interconnect.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a chemical mechanical polishing tool comprising a polishing platen and a removable, replaceable platen top mounted on a top surface of the platen. Preferably, the platen top comprises a material substantially impervious to the slurries used when planarizing an object. Most preferably, the platen top comprises aluminum alloy or glass. The platen top may be tailored to provide enhanced polishing conditions by acting as an insulator, a conductor or machined to be concave or convex. The invention may further include endpoint sensors attached to the platen top.

Abstract: A method and structure for forming an emitter in a vertical bipolar transistor includes providing a substrate having a collector layer and a base layer over the collector layer, forming a patterning mask over the collector layer, and filling openings in the mask with emitter material in a damascene process. The CMOS/vertical bipolar structure has the collector, base regions, and emitter regions vertically disposed on one another, the collector region having a peak dopant concentration adjacent the inter-substrate isolation oxide.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure, and associated method of fabrication, comprising a substrate having a continuous buried oxide layer and having a plurality of trench isolation structures. The buried oxide layer may be located at more than one depth within the substrate. The geometry of the trench isolation structure may vary with depth. The trench isolation structure may touch or not touch the buried oxide layer. Two trench isolation structures may penetrate the substrate to the same depth or to different depths. The trench isolation structures provide insulative separation between regions within the substrate and the separated regions may contain semiconductor devices. The semiconductor structure facilitates the providing of digital and analog devices on a common wafer. A dual-depth buried oxide layer facilitates an asymmetric semiconductor structure.

Abstract: Chip-on-chip interconnections of varied characteristics, such as varied diameters, heights and/or composition, are disclosed. A first chip-on-chip interconnection on a joining plane has a first characteristic (e.g., a first height) and a second chip-on-chip interconnection on the same joining plane has a second characteristic (e.g., a second height greater than the first height). The first and second characteristics of the chip-on-chip interconnections allow for chip-on-chip connections to other packages, substrates or chips of different levels and/or compositions.

Abstract: A method and rotational mask scanning apparatus for exposing a plurality of images on a workpiece, include a rotatable mask having a pattern of image segments thereon, an optical system for projecting the image segments onto the workpiece, and a device for at least one of rotating the mask and for moving the workpiece so as to continuously expose a plurality of regions on the workpiece with the pattern of image segments.

Abstract: An epitaxial base bipolar transistor including an epitaxial single crystal layer on a single crystal single substrate; a raised emitter on a portion of the single crystal layer; a raised extrinsic base on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulator between the raised emitter and the raised extrinsic base, wherein the insulator is a spacer; and a diffusion from the raised emitter and from the raised extrinsic base to provide an emitter diffusion and an extrinsic base diffusion in the single crystal layer, wherein the emitter diffusion has an emitter diffusion junction depth.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a low profile chip interconnection, and the interconnection so formed. A recessed contact area is formed at an edge of the wafer. A conductive material is deposited within the adjacent contact areas of each recess, thereby electrically connecting the two chips. The recess may have substantially perpendicular sides, or sloped sides.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure with greatly reduced backside chipping and cracking, as well as increased die strength, accommodation of compact assembly with a carrier such as another semiconductor chip, and resistance to package damage is provided by dicing chips from a wafer in a manner that chamfers edges of the chips. Similar advantages are obtained in multi-chip structure.

Abstract: Mask programmable conductors of the same construction as the mask layers they define are utilized for mask vintage identification. When the actual mask layer is altered, the change is recorded within the mask itself. Mask identification can be fabricated to identify the following type of mask layers: DT—deep trench; SS—surface strap; DIFF—Diffusion; NDIFF—N Diffusion; PDIFF—P Diffusion; WL—N wells; PC—polysilicon gates; BN—N diffusion Implant; BP—P diffusion Implant; C1—first contact; M1—first metal layer; C2—second contact; and, M2—second metal layer. Conducting paths that incorporate, in series, the mask programmable conductor technology devices are: M1-C1-PC-C1-DIFF-C1-M1-C2-M2; M1-C1-PDIFF-SS-DT-SS-PDIFF-C1-M1-C2-M2; M2-C2-M1-C1-PC-C1-M1; M2-C2-M1-C1-NDIFF-WL-NDIFF-C1-M1; and, M2-C2-M1-C1-NDIFF-C1-M1-C1-PC-C1-M1. These conducting paths are electrically opened with the omission of any of the layers in the series path.

Abstract: A method and structure for forming a trench in a semiconductor substrate that includes a semiconductor material such as silicon. The method and structure may be used to form a deep trench or a shallow trench, without having a pad oxide in contact with the semiconductor substrate. The method for forming the deep trench forms a nitride layer on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the selectively etchable layer (e.g., a nitride layer) is selectively etchable with respect to the semiconductor substrate, and wherein there is no pad oxide between the selectively etchable layer and the semiconductor substrate. An erosion resistant layer (e.g., a hard mask oxide layer) is formed on the selectively etchable layer, wherein the erosion resistant layer is resistant to being etched by a reactive ion etch (RIE) process that etches the semiconductor substrate. Then the deep trench is formed by RIE through the erosion resistant layer, through the selectively etchable layer, and into the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A structure and method of fabricating a metallization fuse line is disclosed. The structure can be formed on a semiconductor substrate, including an insulator structure formed on the substrate, the insulator structure having an upper layer and a lower layer, the upper being thinner than the lower, the insulator structure having a plurality of openings of varying depth, and a metal structure inlaid in the insulator structure, the metal structure having first and second portions and a third portion there between that is substantially more resistive than the first and second portions, the third portion having a thickness substantially similar to the thickness of the upper layer of the insulator structure. The upper layer includes a nitride, the lower layer includes an oxide and the metal structure includes copper. The fuse structure allows formation of “easy to laser delete” thin metal fuses within segments of thick metal lines.

Abstract: A method for determining the AB etch endpoint during an silicon trench isolation fabrication process requires the introduction into the STI design a sufficient quantity of “dummy” diffusion structures that provide a strong endpoint signal during normal STI fabrication and, that which endpoint signal may be controlled by adjustment of the planarization shapes associated with the dummy diffusion structures.

Abstract: A method of diagnosing alignment of a photolithography tool. A broad band source test is provided. A disturbing sequence is run that is not a portion of the broad band source test. The broad band source test is performed and post disturb test data recorded. A result of the broad band source test is compared with a tolerance. If in the comparison, the result of the broad band source test is not within the tolerance, the photolithography tool is mechanically adjusted.