Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for forming the field oxide which provides isolation between adjacent devices in an integrated circuit. In one embodiment of the invention the improvement includes implanting halogen ions, and preferably chlorine ions, into the selected regions of a semiconductor substrate where field oxide is to be formed. The halogen ions are implanted before the field oxide is thermally grown and result in a localized enhancement of the oxide growth rate in the vertical direction compared to the lateral direction. For a given oxidation cycle, the halogen implant results in the growth of a thicker oxide with minimum lateral encroachment.

Abstract: In response to a software instruction, a static microprocessor is placed in a low current mode by disabling clock pulse generation. Means are provided for disabling a master oscillator when a STOP instruction is decoded. Additional means are provided for inhibiting clock pulses when a WAIT instruction is decoded without disabling the master oscillator. Clock pulse generation is again enabled upon receipt of a reset or interrupt signal.

Abstract: A method for fabricating an insulated gate field effect transistor (IGFET) having a semiconductor gate with a first portion and a second portion where the portions are of two different conductivity types. Typically, a central portion of the gate, such as a doped polysilicon gate of a first conductivity type, is flanked by end portions near the source/drain regions, where the end portions are doped with an impurity of a second conductivity type. A semiconductor material layer, such as polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) is selectively protected by a gate pattern mask whereby the end portions of the gates are produced by the lateral diffusion of the dopant under the edges of the gate pattern mask. Thus, the technique for defining the different portions of the gate uses other than photolithographic techniques which are limited in their resolution capabilities, and thus is readily implementable in submicron device feature processes.

Abstract: A method of using removable sidewall spacers to minimize the need for mask levels in forming lightly doped drains (LDDs) in the formation of CMOS integrated circuits. Aluminum or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) metals such as tungsten are suitable materials to form removable sidewall spacers which exist around CMOS gates during heavily doped source/drain region implants. Other materials such as CVD polysilicon may also be useful for the sidewall spacers. The sidewall spacers are removed before implantation of the lightly doped drain regions around the gates. This implanation sequence is exactly the reverse of what is currently practiced for lightly doped drain formation. The invention also includes the use of a differential oxide layer. A second set of disposable sidewall spacers or the use of permanent sidewall spacers form optional embodiments.

Abstract: In a microcoded data processor, an instruction is provided which enables the microaddress for the micromachine to be externally specified. By way of this instruction, the processor may be directed to execute special microcoded routines otherwise unavailable during normal execution. These special microcoded routines may perform useful functions such as testing in an expeditious manner portions of the circuitry of the processor which would otherwise be difficult to test. For example, the functionality of regular structures such as instruction decoding and control programmable logic arrays (PLA's) may either be gated directly out to the tester or internally analyzed before the accumulated results are presented to the tester. On-board instruction caches may also be efficiently exercised to verify that the tag portion properly determines "hits" and "misses", and that the actual instruction cache portion functions accurately.

Abstract: In a microcoded data processor, an instruction is provided which enables the microaddress for the micromachine to be externally specified. By way of this instruction, the processor may be directed to execute special microcoded routines otherwise unavailable during normal execution. These special microcoded routines may perform useful functions such as testing in an expeditious manner portions of the circuitry of the processor which would otherwise be difficult to test. For example, the functionality of regular structures such as instruction decoding and control programmable logic arrays (PLA's) may either be gated directly out to the tester or internally analyzed before the accumulated results are presented to the tester. On-board instruction caches may also be efficiently exercised to verify that the tag portion properly determines "hits" and "misses", and that the actual instruction cache portion functions accurately.

Abstract: A data processor execution unit is provided for coupling multiple operands to an AU in response to an operand selection portion of an instruction supplied from an instruction register. At least two operands are provided from two pluralities of registers, respectively. Additionally, a predetermined one of the operands contains encoded information for selecting one of a plurality of arithmetic operations which the AU performs. The operand containing the encoded information is coupled to an AU control decoder for use in controlling the operation of the AU. In one form, a single operand selection portion of an instruction selects a plurality of registers containing operands which the AU may utilize. In another form, one of the operands contains encoded information for use in selecting arithmetic formats of the AU.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for controlling the surface doping of two regions of a semiconductor device and more specifically for using such control to achieve the necessary field doping in a CMOS device structure. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention a silicon substrate is provided which has first and second regions of opposite conductivity type. A uniform doping such as by ion implantation is provided into each of the conductivity regions. The two regions or portions thereof are then simultaneously differently oxidized to cause a differential segregation of the dopant into the thermally grown oxide. The differential oxide growth can be achieved by selectively implanting halogen ions into the wafer surface prior to the thermal oxidation.

Abstract: A data processor for performing a division operation requiring shifting and the counting of the number of shifts, having no dedicated counters therefor. An additional shift left path from the temporary register of the previous bit to the next bit address bus is the only extra circuitry added, which greatly simplifies the shift left circuit of the temporary register. In addition, the dedicated counter may be eliminated as a formerly idle address incrementer circuit now performs the shift left and count functions. Not only are formerly idle registers now being used for lengthy shifting and cycle counting operations, but an overall savings in chip area is recognized, since the dedicated counter is eliminated and the dedicated shifter is greatly simplified.

Abstract: A modulo arithmetic unit for providing a sum or difference of two numbers of arbitrary value in a selected one of a plurality of moduli is provided. Each modulus has a lower and an upper boundary and a range of intermediate values. First and second adders are provided for respectively providing first and second outputs which respectively represent outputs compensated for and not compensated for a possible wraparound of the upper or lower boundary. Control circuitry is used to detect whether a wraparound occurred during the calculation depending upon the value of selective interstage carry signals of the first and second adders. The correct output is provided as a selected one of the outputs of the first and second adders in response to the control circuitry.

Abstract: A process for selective deposition of a refractory metal such as tungsten at high temperatures and low pressure via chemical vapor deposition during semiconductor device manufacturing is provided. A dielectric layer is nitrided by chemical deposition of a nitrogen bearing gas prior to LPCVD deposition of tungsten for purposes such as contact metallization of current conducting electrodes and current controlling electrodes of transistors. Since nitridation of the dielectric is a surface chemical reaction and not an addition of material to the dielectric, no additional complexity is introduced into the LPCVD process. The refractory metal does not substantially deposit on the nitrided dielectric thereby providing selective metal deposition.

Abstract: A data processor is adapted for operation with a memory containing a plurality of items of operating information for the data processor. In addition a cache stores a selected number of all of the items of the operating information. When the cache provides an item of operating information, the memory is not requested to provide the item so that a user of the data processor cannot detect the request for the item. A disable circuit is provided to prevent the cache from providing the item when a signal external to the data processor is provided. Consequently, a user, with the external signal, can cause the data processor to make all of its requests for items of operating information to the memory where these requests can be detected.

Abstract: A dynamic random access memory has data line pair which receives data from a selected pair of bit lines. Coupled to the data line pair is a secondary amplifier for amplifying the data provided to the data line pair from the bit line pair. The secondary amplifier has a maximum gain when the inputs are at a voltage intermediate a power supply voltage. Prior to the pair of bit lines being coupled to the data line pair, the data lines are biased to the intermediate voltage which is in the range of maximum gain of the secondary amplifier so that the secondary amplifier will operate at maximum gain which results in increased speed of operation of the dynamic random access memory.

Abstract: A power amplifier particularly useful as a line driver operating at low power supply voltages is provided. An input portion comprising a differential input configuration is coupled to an output stage having a P-channel MOS transistor connected in series with an N-channel MOS transistor between two power supply voltage terminals. A control portion is coupled to both the input portion and the output stage for providing first and second control signals to the output portion. The control portion regulates the output quiescent current at a predetermined value independent of signal amplification provided by the input portion. The output signal can swing substantially between two power supply voltage potentials.

Abstract: A method which reduces the memory required to store correction factors used in logarithmic addition and subtraction of logarithmic operands. The method is implemented by a circuit which adds a predetermined correction factor to the minimum value of two logarithmic input operands. Correction factors are quantized to single polarity values. Predetermined ranges of magnitude values of the correction factors are selected in which the minimum value of each range is represented by a bias level. As a result of the bias levels, stored representations for the addition and subtraction factors are made much smaller resulting in less memory which is required. An addition of a predetermined bias level to the minimum value is effected simultaneous to addressing a predetermined adjustment factor in the reduced memory. A second addition is required to provide an output which represents either an addition or subtraction of the signed operands.

Abstract: A circuit for receiving a plurality of signed operands which each represent an exponential value to a predetermined base and for selecting one of the operands which results in a maximum value is taught. The circuit has a rank ordered plurality of logic circuits which each receives a predetermined bit of each operand and provides an output bit of the maximum value. The output of the logic circuits is a transcoded output which is a translation value of the maximum value. A sign control circuit receives a sign bit of each signed operand and controls the operation of the logic circuits in response to the values of the input operands.

Abstract: A process for removing the edge bead of films that are spun onto a planar substrate, which edge bead collects at the edge of the substrate. In processes such as the manufacture of integrated circuits, the edge bead of brittle substances such as glass, SiO.sub.2, tends to shatter upon subsequent high temperature processing and generates particles which contaminate further processing of the integrated circuits. A pulsed or repeated application of a solvent on the edge of the substrate, a backwash step of constant rotational speed and a deceleration over time provides a means of smoothing and gradual cutting back of the spun on film edge. The deceleration spin has a starting rotational speed and a final rotational speed; and the subsequent backwash step is always at a constant rotational speed lower than the starting speed of the previous deceleration spin.

Abstract: A system for interfacing a Processor to a Coprocessor using standard bus cycles. The Processor, upon encountering in its instruction stream an instruction having a particular Operation word format, will transfer a Command word following the Operation word to a particular Coprocessor designated by a Coprocessor Identity field in the Operation word. Upon decoding the Command word, the Coprocessor will respond with any of a set of response primitives which define functions which the Coprocessor requires to Processor to perform in support of the Command by the Coprocessor. The interface provides for all functions which the Coprocessor may require, including selective vectoring to appropriate exception handlers.

Abstract: An isolation formation process that minimizes bird's beak encroachment and preserves gate oxide integrity in the active region. Future active areas are protected by a structure having a central protective material layer, such as a thermal oxide, surrounded by a ring of thermal nitride. The thermal nitride and central protective material are coated by active region protection masking covers. In one embodiment, the masking covers include sidewalls over the thermal nitride ring. In another embodiment, the central protective material layer is overetched beneath an undercut covering layer to provide an undercut filled by the sidewall. All of these features contribute to bird's beak encroachment prevention which may be narrowed to as little as 0.07 microns per side.

Abstract: A process having three steps to etch a vertical trench with rounded top corners and rounded bottom corners. The first step involves anisotropically etching a vertical trench through an opening in a masking layer to approximately 85 to 90% of the final trench depth to give a trench with sharp or abrupt top corners and sharp bottom corners. The second step rounds the top corners and the third step extends the trench depth and provides rounded bottom corners. Using CHF.sub.3 as an etch species and adjusting the DC bias differently for each step gives better profile control and better critical dimension (CD) control.