Abstract: A substrate having a copper wiring is prepared. An insulating film is formed on the copper wiring. The insulating film is etched with a gas containing fluorine to form an opening reaching the copper wiring. A plasma treatment is carried out on a surface of copper exposed at a bottom of the opening without turning plasma discharge of f after forming the opening in the same chamber as the formation of the opening.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having element isolation made of a trench-type isolating oxide film 13, large and small dummy patterns 11 of two types, being an active region of a dummy, are located in an isolating region 10, the large dummy patterns 11b are arranged at a position apart from actual patterns 9, and the small dummy patterns 11a are regularly arranged in a gap at around a periphery of the actual patterns 9, whereby uniformity of an abrading rate is improved at a time of abrading an isolating oxide film 13a is improved, and surface flatness of the semiconductor device becomes preferable.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit package, a printed circuit board, a semiconductor apparatus, and a power supply wiring structure that allow attainment of stable power source and ground wiring without causing resonance even in a high-frequency bandwidth are provided. In an interior portion of the package, a power source wiring and a ground wiring constitute a pair wiring structure in which the power source wiring and the ground wiring are juxtaposed at a predetermined interval so as to establish electromagnetic coupling therebetween. A plurality of pair wiring structures are combined in such a manner that, when viewed in a section perpendicular to a wiring extending direction, the pair wiring assembly assumes a staggered (checkered) configuration. It is preferable that, each of the silicon chip and the printed circuit board, like the package, has pair wiring structures disposed inside.

Abstract: A metal supplying an N well voltage is provided in a first metal interconnection layer. The metal is electrically coupled to an active layer provided in an N well region by shared contacts so that the N well voltage is supplied to the N well region. A metal supplying a P well voltage is provided in a third metal interconnection layer. The metal supplying the N well voltage is formed using a metal in the first metal interconnection layer and thus does not require a piling region to the underlayer, and only a piling region to the underlayer of the metal for the P well voltage needs to be secured. Therefore, the length in the Y direction of a power feed cell can be reduced thereby reducing the layout area of the power feed cell.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device transmits/receives data to/from a data input/output terminal every j bits (e.g., eight bits). Each of memory cells in a memory cell array can hold data of n bits in correspondence to 2n threshold levels. A write data conversion circuit generates write data from bit data input from the same data input/output terminal in a set of a plurality of data of j bits input at different timings.

Abstract: A time zone start time point calculating unit calculates a time zone to be set in a VOBU in accordance with audio bit rate. A time zone comparing unit compares a time point at which an audio pack is to be multiplexed with the time zone calculated by the time zone start time point calculating unit. A flag setting unit sets whether the audio pack is to be completed or not in accordance with the result of comparison by the time zone comparing unit. Therefore, a completing process takes place before a VOBU boundary, and a completed PCK will not be generated immediately after the VOBU boundary. Thus, generation of a buffer overflow can be prevented.

Abstract: A memory array including memory mats is arranged in a U shape when seen in two dimensions, and a logic circuit and an analog circuit are arranged in a region unoccupied by the memory array. This facilitates transmission of power supply voltage and signals between the peripheral circuit including the analog and logic circuits and the pad band including power supply and data pads. The analog circuit is positioned close to the power supply pad, so that voltage drop due to the resistance of power supply interconnection is restricted. It is also possible to separate a charge pumping power supply interconnection and a peripheral circuit power supply interconnection in the vicinity of the power supply pad.

Abstract: In the semiconductor device which has partial trench isolation as isolation between elements formed in an SOI substrate, resistance reduction of the source drain of a transistor and reduction of leakage current are aimed at. A MOS transistor is formed in the active region specified by the isolation insulating layer in the SOI layer formed on the buried oxide film layer (BOX layer). An isolation insulating layer is a partial trench isolation which has not reached a BOX layer, and source and drain regions include the first and the second impurity ion which differs in a mass number mutually.

Abstract: A delay calculation method that is capable of calculating delay time with a small margin of error is provided for delay calculation in a logic circuit. The operating characteristics of transistor are expressed with a fixed resistance and a power supply voltage that changes with time. The power supply voltage is represented as a waveform which is a combination of two straight lines: the one indicating that the voltage, after a fixed delay of t0, increases to V1 during ?t1; and the one indicating that the voltage increases from V1 to E during ?t2 and thereafter remains at the fixed value of E. A difference in the shapes of input waveforms is adopted as a correction parameter to determine the values of ?t1, V1, and ?t2.

Abstract: A shading area having a transmissivity in the range of 0 to 2% is formed at the center of a clear defect in a wiring pattern of a half tone mask. Semitransparent areas having a transmissivity in the range of 10 to 25% are formed, adjacently to shading area, in areas extending from the inside of the edge of an imaginary pattern having no defect to the outside of the edge. In this way, in the correction of the defect in the half tone mask, the working accuracy tolerable margin of the correction portion of the defect can be made large.

Abstract: A method and system for providing a magnetic memory are described. The method and system include a plurality of magnetic storage cells, a plurality of bit lines, at least one reference line, and at least one sense amplifier. Each magnetic storage cell includes magnetic element(s) and selection device(s). The magnetic element(s) are programmable using write current(s) driven through the magnetic element. The bit and source lines correspond to the magnetic storage cells. The sense amplifier(s) are coupled with the bit lines and reference line(s), and include logic and a plurality of stages. The stages include first and second stages. The first stage converts at least current signal to at least one differential voltage signal. The second stage amplifies the at least one differential voltage signal. The logic selectively disablies at least one of the first and second stages in the absence of a read operation and enabling the first and second stages during the read operation.

Abstract: A semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell array, a plurality of word lines, a plurality of bit lines, a first gate wiring element 3a, 3b, a second gate wiring element 3c, 3d, a first connector 5a, 5b, and a second connector 5c, 5d. Each memory cell 10 has first and second sets having a driver transistor 11, a load transistor 12, and an access transistor 13. The word lines are arranged in parallel to each other along a first direction. The bit lines are arranged in parallel to each other along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first gate wiring element comprises a gate electrode of the first driver transistor and the first load transistor, and has a rectangular shape having straight line on opposite sides. The second gate wiring element comprises a gate electrode of the access transistor and has a rectangular shape having straight line on opposite sides.

Abstract: A structure is adopted for a layout of an SRAM cell which provides a local wiring 3a between a gate 2a and gate 2b and connects an active region 1a and an active region 1b. This eliminates the necessity for providing a contact between the gate 2a and the gate 2b. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of a memory cell region C in a short side direction. Furthermore, a structure whereby a left end of a gate 2c is retreated from the gate 2a and a local wiring 3b which connects the active region 1b and gate 2c disposed in a diagonal direction is adopted. This allows the gate 2a to be shifted toward the center of the memory cell region C.

Abstract: A memory cell mat is divided into a plurality of entries, and an arithmetic logic unit is arranged corresponding to each entry. Between the entries and the corresponding arithmetic logic units, arithmetic/logic operation is executed in bit-serial and entry-parallel manner. Where parallel operation is not very effective, data is transferred in entry-serial and bit-parallel manner to a group of processors provided at a lower portion of the memory mat. In this manner, a large amount of data can be processed at high speed regardless of the contents of operation or data bit width.

Abstract: A transistor is arranged for electrically isolating a sense amplifier formed of a thin film transistor from a data line electrically coupled to the sense amplifier. When a write driver drives the data line, a control signal is applied to isolate the data line from the sense amplifier.

Abstract: There is provided a non-volatile semiconductor memory device exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having two trenches, an isolation oxide film provided in the trench, a floating gate electrode, an ONO film, and a control gate electrode. The isolation oxide film has an upper surface with a region having a curvature protruding downward. The floating gate electrode has a flat upper surface and extends from a main surface of the semiconductor substrate between the two trenches to the two isolation oxide films. The ONO film extends from the upper surface of the floating gate electrode to a side surface of the floating gate electrode. The control gate electrode is provided on the ONO film to extend from the upper surface of the floating gate electrode to the side surface of the floating gate electrode.

Abstract: In order to block hydrogen ions produced when forming an interlayer insulating film by HDP-CVD or the like to thereby suppress an adverse effect of the hydrogen ions on a device, in a semiconductor device including a contact layer, a metal interconnection and an interlayer insulating film on a semiconductor substrate having a gate electrode formed thereon, the interlayer insulating film is formed on the metal interconnection by bias-applied plasma CVD using source gas containing hydrogen atoms, and a silicon oxynitride film is provided in the underlayer of the metal interconnection and the interlayer insulating film.

Abstract: In a flash memory, after an initial write operation ends, each bit line associated with a memory cell subjected to a write is precharged and each bit line associated with a memory cell that is not subjected to the write is discharged and verified to detect a memory cell low in threshold voltage and a memory cell thus detected is subjected to an additional write. The verification can be verified without being affected by a current flowing through the memory cell that is not subjected to the write. All memory cells can have their respective threshold voltages set accurately.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a lower-layer substrate, a fuse above the lower-layer substrate and blown by radiation with light, a silicon oxide film on the fuse and on an exposed portion of the surface of the lower-layer substrate, and a silicon nitride film on the silicon oxide film. The portion of the silicon oxide film on the surface of the lower-layer substrate is thicker than the fuse, and the silicon oxide film has an opening opposite the fuse.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a chip which has a pad; a bump electrode formed on the pad; and a wire whose stitch bonding is made on the bump electrode. The wire satisfies a condition: (modulus-of-elasticity/breaking strength per unit area)?400.