Abstract: A method of fabricating a CMOS image sensor is provided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a floating gate of a flash memory device, wherein a tunneling oxide layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a floating gate is formed in the shape of a lens having a convex top surface.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor and fabricating method can reduce leakage current of a photodiode reduced by configuring a triangular shape of a photodiode area to minimize an interface contacting the STI or performing deuterium annealing to remove dangling bonds from an interface contacting with oxide. The CMOS image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate, a device isolation layer on the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of diodes, each having a shape minimizing an area of a boundary contacting with the device isolation layer.

Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes: a gate electrode formed of polysilicon on a substrate with a gate insulating layer interposed between the gate electrode and the substrate; a source region and a drain region formed on the substrate on either side of the gate electrode; a PMD (poly-metal dielectric) liner nitride layer having a non-stoichiometric structure formed on the gate electrode, the source region, and the drain region; and an interlayer insulating layer formed on the PMD liner nitride layer.

Abstract: A fabricating method of a semiconductor device includes: forming a first metal layer on a substrate and patterning the first metal layer to form a bottom metal line and a bottom electrode of a capacitor; forming an interlayer insulating layer on the resulting structure; forming a via hole in the interlayer insulating layer and forming a contact; etching the interlayer insulating layer to form a trench exposing the bottom electrode; forming a dielectric layer on the resulting structure, and removing the dielectric layer formed outside the trench; and forming a second metal layer on the resulting structure to form a top metal line and a top electrode of the capacitor.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a high voltage semiconductor device including forming a P-type region implanted with P-type impurities and an N-type region implanted with N-type impurities in a silicon substrate. The method further includes forming a silicon nitride layer pattern and a pad oxide layer pattern to expose a surface of the silicon substrate, forming a trench by etching the exposed silicon substrate using the silicon nitride layer pattern as an etch mask, forming a trench oxide layer pattern in the trench by removing the silicon nitride layer pattern and the pad oxide layer pattern, and simultaneously forming a deep P-well and a deep N-well by driving P-type impurities in the P-type region and N-type impurities in the N-type region into the silicon substrate, while forming a gate oxide layer on a silicon substrate including the trench oxide layer pattern.

Abstract: A method of dual bird's beak LOCOS may reduce a design rule for a more cost-effective logic device formation. The method may also form a LOCOS layer having a smooth bird's beak to fabricate a stable high-voltage device. The method includes steps of defining a low-voltage device area for a logic device and a high-voltage device area for a high-voltage device, forming a first pad layer in the low-voltage device area and a second pad layer in the high-voltage device area, the first pad layer being thinner than the second pad layer, and forming LOCOS type device isolation layers having bird's beaks differing in size in each of the low-voltage device area and the high-voltage device area, by oxidizing a portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed by a hard mask.

Abstract: An image sensor is disclosed where individual photo diodes of the respective unit cells separated by an element isolating layer are physically integrated into a single large scale pixel formed widely on a semiconductor substrate so as to hold the pixels in common. A pixel separation pattern is additionally formed on a portion of the large scale photo diode formed so as to electrically separate them. An optimization of the light receiving area of the photo diode, a minimization of the intrusion area of an element isolating layer, and so on are achieved, so that the photo diode recovers an area occupied by an intrusion of the element isolating layer, thus maximizing the light receiving area in an optimal scale and easily preventing electrical impacts between the respective unit cells.

Abstract: The present disclosure improves characteristics and reliability of a device by preventing seams within a copper layer, wherein seams are created when forming a copper line by a damascene process. Such seams created within a first and a second copper layer are prevented by a process in which the first copper layer and the second copper layer are deposited at constant speeds when the first copper layer is firstly formed only in a via hole by leaving a first copper seed layer only in the via hole, and then the second copper layer is formed in a trench by forming a second copper seed layer in the trench.

Abstract: A method for forming an isolation layer of a semiconductor device using a shallow trench isolation method is provided. The method includes: vertically etching a region of an insulating layer and a part of a semiconductor substrate corresponding thereto to form a trench; depositing an oxide layer on an entire surface of the semiconductor substrate to fill the trench; plasma-sputtering at least a surface part of the oxide layer; and removing the oxide layer using chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) so that the oxide layer remains only in the trench. The method may remove sharp parts of the oxide layer and reduce or prevent the occurrence of scratches during the CMP process.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices to reduce stress on a metal interconnect are disclosed. A disclosed semiconductor device comprises: a semiconductor substrate; an uppermost metal interconnect formed on the semiconductor substrate; an oxide layer formed on the substrate and the uppermost metal interconnect; an aluminum layer formed on the oxide layer; and a stress-relief layer formed on the aluminum layer to thereby prevent cracking of the passivation layer during a subsequent packaging process, to increase reliability of the passivation layer, and to prevent degradation of properties of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: A flash memory device includes a floating gate formed with a byproduct, such as a polymer, generated in an etching process. The flash memory device is configured to minimize the unstableness often caused by a floating gate that includes direct contact between polymer and polysilicon. Formation of the floating gate includes forming a tunneling oxide layer, a conductive layer and an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate. Portions of the insulating layer are removed using a photoresist pattern defining a floating gate area as a mask. Thermal oxide layers are formed on a surface of the conductive layer from which the insulating layer was removed. Polymer materials are included on sides of the respective photoresist pattern and insulating layer. A floating gate is formed by selectively removing portions of the thermal oxide layer and the conductive layer using the photoresist and the polymer materials as a mask.

Abstract: A wafer carrying apparatus or cassette is disclosed, which includes a binding or retention unit, so as to prevent wafers from being damaged by crash, inadvertent egress or exiting, and so on. The wafer carrying apparatus includes a main body provided with a plurality of wafer insertion grooves formed on inner sides and an opening formed on a front surface to take wafers in and out, a binding unit configured to move up and down on the front surface of the main body, its position relative to the insertion grooves being variable so as to close and open the insertion grooves, and a mechanism for varying the position of the binding unit relative to the insertion grooves, the mechanism being connected to the binding unit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a fabricating method thereof are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes polysilicon gate electrodes, a gate oxide layer, sidewall floating gates, a block oxide layer, source/drain areas, and sidewall spacers. In addition, the method includes the steps of: forming a block dielectric layer and a sacrificial layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming trenches by etching the sacrificial layer; forming sidewall floating gates on lateral faces of the trenches; forming a block oxide layer on the sidewall floating gates; forming polysilicon gate electrodes by a patterning process; removing the sacrificial layer; forming source/drain areas by implanting impurity ions into the resulting structure; injecting carriers or electric charges into the sidewall floating gates; and forming spacers on lateral faces of the polysilicon gate electrodes and the sidewall floating gates.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device including a floating gate formed on a tunnel oxide layer that is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The device also includes a drain region formed in the substrate adjacent to one side of the floating gate, a source region formed in the substrate adjacent to another side of the floating gate, where the source region is apart from the floating gate, and an inter-gate insulating layer formed on a portion of an active region between the source region and the floating gate and on a sidewall of the floating gate directing toward the source region, as well as on a sidewall of the floating gate directing toward the drain region. The device includes a word line formed over the floating gate and being across the substrate in one direction, and a field oxide layer interposing between the word line and the source region and between the word line and the drain region, and intersecting the word line.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing an immersion lithography liquid and a method of immersion lithography are disclosed, that rapidly and easily remove liquid from a wafer before development and after exposure. The apparatus includes a housing device configured to prevent the exposure chamber from being contaminated with a scattered liquid; a (rotatable) stage inside the housing device, configured to support a substrate; and (i) a motor configured to rotate the stage or (ii) a gas-spraying device or nozzle above the stage, configured to spray the substrate with an inert gas. The method generally includes coating a photoresist on a substrate; immersing the substrate in a liquid; exposing the substrate; removing the liquid from the substrate by (i) rotating the stage and/or substrate or (ii) spraying the substrate with an inert gas; and developing the photoresist.

Abstract: An increase of charge storing capacity, prevention of an over-erase, and a reduction of ?Vth may be achieved when a 2-bit/cell non-volatile memory device includes a gate of a predetermined width above a semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer between the gate and the semiconductor substrate and at lateral sides of the gate, having a greater width than the gate, a pair of storage layers at the lateral sides of the gate, a pair of blocking layers at the lateral sides of the gate and covering the pair of storage layers, a source and a drain formed in the semiconductor substrate at first opposed locations external to the gate, and a trap impurity implanted into the insulating layer at second locations external to the gate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a capacitor in a semiconductor device. A method consistent with the present invention includes forming a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first interlevel dielectric layer on an entire surface of the semiconductor substrate, covering the lower electrode; selectively removing the first interlevel dielectric layer to form an opening exposing a surface of the lower electrode; sequentially forming a dielectric layer and a conductive layer over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the opening; planarizing the conductive layer to form an upper electrode in the opening; and forming a second interlevel dielectric layer over the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the upper electrode.

Abstract: A method of forming an aluminum line of a semiconductor device where first A metal thin layer, a first aluminum layer, and a first B metal thin layer are sequentially applied on an interlayer insulating layer. A photolithography process is performed to form a metal line pattern, and etching is performed thereon. An intermetallic dielectric layer is applied on the metal line pattern. The first B metal thin layer is removed by a chemical mechanical planarization process to form a first stage metal line. A second aluminum layer and a second metal thin layer are sequentially applied. Photoresist is applied, a photolithography process is performed to form a metal line pattern, and etching is performed to form a second stage metal line. An intermetallic dielectric layer is applied on the second stage metal line. A chemical mechanical planarization process is performed on the second intermetallic dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a CMOS image sensor is provided. The method includes: forming a gate electrode with a gate insulating layer interposed on a transistor region of a semiconductor substrate having an active region defined by a photo diode and a transistor region; forming a first impurity region of a first conductive type at a transistor region at one side of the gate electrode; forming a second impurity region of a first conductive type at a photo diode region at other side of the gate electrode; forming sidewall insulating layers at both sides of the gate electrode; forming a third impurity region of a first conductive type at one side of a gate electrode where the first impurity region is formed; and forming a fourth impurity region of a second conductive type at the gate electrode, the photodiode region and the transistor region by implanting impurity ions of a second conductive type on the entire surface of the semiconductor substrate.