Abstract: A circuit model of a Zener diode includes a forward bias diode, a reverse bias diode, a first resistor, a second resistor, and a voltage source. The forward bias diode and the first resistor are connected in series and form a first branch disposed between a positive terminal and a negative terminal. The voltage source, the reverse bias diode and the second resistor are connected in series and form a second branch, which is disposed between the positive terminal and the negative terminal and connected in parallel with the first branch. The circuit model can specifically describe the current-voltage characteristics of the Zener diode and significantly improve the accuracy of the circuit simulation.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device may include forming a semiconductor portion, forming a doped portion, and forming a dielectric member. A side of the dielectric member abuts each of the semiconductor portion and the doped portion. A first half of the doped portion is positioned between the semiconductor portion and a second half of the doped portion. A dopant concentration of the second half of the doped portion is greater than a dopant concentration of the first half of the doped portion.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a substrate having a dielectric layer formed on the substrate, where an opening is formed in the dielectric layer, and bottom of the opening exposes surface of the substrate. The method also includes forming a first metal layer over of the dielectric layer, where a temperature for forming the first metal layer is a first temperature. In addition, the method includes forming a second metal layer filling the opening, where a temperature for forming the second metal layer is a second temperature, and the second temperature is higher than the first temperature. Further, the method includes planarizing the second metal layer and the first metal layer until the top surface of the dielectric layer is exposed.

Abstract: A mask read-only memory (M-ROM) device is provided. In an M-ROM device, a first layer having a first type doping is formed in a substrate. A plurality of buried lines is formed in the first layer of the substrate. The plurality of buried lines are arranged in parallel in a first direction and isolated from each other. An epitaxial growth process is used to form a second layer on the first layer of the substrate. A plurality of diodes is formed in the second layer. The plurality of diodes is arranged in an array. Each diode includes a first electrode having a second type doping and connecting with one of the plurality of buried lines, and a second electrode having a first type doping and located on the first electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, a capacitor on the interlayer dielectric layer, and a PN-junction diode in the semiconductor substrate and below the capacitor. The PN-junction diode includes a p-type ion implanted region and an n-well located below the p-type ion implanted region and completely surrounding the p-type ion implanted region. The PN-junction diode in the semiconductor substrate may prevent noise from entering the capacitor to improve the noise immunity of the semiconductor device.

Abstract: Memory cells and fabrication methods thereof are provided. An exemplary method includes providing a substrate having a well region; forming a select gate structure, a floating gate structure and a dummy gate structure on a surface of the well region; forming a first lightly doped region, a second lightly doped region and a third lightly doped region in the well region, the first lightly doped region and the second lightly doped region being at two sides of the select gate structure respectively, the second lightly doped region being in between the select gate structure and the floating gate structure, and the third lightly doped region being in between the floating gate structure and the dummy gate structure; and forming bit line region in the first lightly doped region and a source region in the third lightly doped region, the source region being enclosed by the third lightly doped region.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a buried-channel MOSFET and a surface-channel MOSFET of the same type and different gate electrodes on a same wafer. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate having a well area and a plurality of shallow trench isolation structures; forming a threshold implantation region doped with impurity ions opposite of that of the well area in the well area for the buried-channel MOSFET; forming a gate structure including a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate electrode of the buried-channel MOSFET is doped with impurity ions with a same type as that of the well area, and the gate electrode of the surface-channel MOSFET is doped with impurity ions with a type opposite of that of the well area; and forming source and drain regions in the semiconductor substrate at both sides of the gate structure.

Abstract: A method for forming a transistor is provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate, and forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate. The dielectric layer has a gate structure recess. The method also includes forming a work function layer on a bottom and sidewalls of the gate structure recess; performing an ion implantation on the work function layer; and forming a gate layer on the work function layer after the ion implantation.

Abstract: Transistor devices and fabrication methods are provided. A transistor is formed by forming a dummy gate film on a substrate and doping an upper portion of the dummy gate film to form a modified film. The modified film and the remaining dummy gate film are etched to form a modified layer and a dummy gate layer on the substrate. Source/drain regions are formed in the substrate and on both sides of the dummy gate layer. A dielectric film is formed on each of the substrate, the source/drain regions, and the dummy gate layer. The dielectric film and the modified layer are planarized to provide a dielectric layer, and to remove the modified layer and expose the dummy gate layer. The dielectric film has a planarization rate lower than the modified layer, and the formed dielectric layer has a surface higher than the exposed dummy gate layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a substrate, a p-channel device, and an n-channel device. The p-channel device may include a first metal member, a first dielectric layer positioned between the substrate and the first metal member, a first barrier layer positioned between the first dielectric layer and the first metal member, a first first-type work function layer directly contacting the first barrier layer and positioned between the first barrier layer and the first metal member, and a first second-type work function layer directly contacting both the first first-type work function layer and the first metal member. The n-channel device may include a second metal member, a second dielectric layer positioned between the substrate and the second metal member, and a second second-type work function layer directly contacting both the second dielectric layer and the second metal member.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide a semiconductor structure having a common gate and fabrication method of the semiconductor structure. In an exemplary method, after forming a first metal gate and a second metal gate, a conductive material layer can be formed at least at the boundary between the first metal gate and the second metal gate. Thus, one end of the conductive material layer can be connected to a first metal gate electrode, and the other end of the conductive material layer can be connected to a second metal gate electrode. The resistance between the first metal gate electrode and the second metal gate electrode can be effectively reduced. Gate voltages of an NMOS transistor and a PMOS transistor of the common gate can be the same.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides semiconductor structures and fabrication methods thereof. An exemplary fabrication method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a plurality of fins on the semiconductor substrate, each fin having a first sidewall surface and an opposing second sidewall surface; performing an asymmetric oxidation process on the fins to oxidize the first sidewall surfaces of the fins to form a first oxide layer, and to oxidize the second sidewall surfaces of the fins to form a second oxide layer, a thickness of the first oxide layer being different from a thickness of the second oxide layer, and un-oxidized portions of the fins between the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer being configured as channel layers; removing the second oxide layer and a partial thickness of the first oxide layer; and forming a gate structure crossing over the channel layers over the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An alignment method and an alignment system are provided. The alignment method includes: providing a wafer including an exposed surface, wherein an alignment mark and a reference point with a reference distance are provided on the exposed surface; placing the wafer on a reference plane; performing an alignment measurement on the exposed surface to obtain a projection distance, configured as a measurement distance, between the alignment mark and the reference point on the reference plane; performing a levelling measurement between the exposed surface and the reference plane to obtain levelling data of the exposed surface; obtaining a distance, configured as an expansion reference value, between the alignment mark and the reference point in the exposed surface; obtaining an expansion compensation value based on a difference between the expansion reference value and the reference distance; and adjusting parameters of a photolithography process based on the expansion compensation value for an alignment.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The device includes a substrate including a first type region and a second type region, first and second fins protruding from the substrate and separated by a trench. The first fin includes first and second portions of the first type on the first region and a third portion of the second type on the second region. A first gate structure surrounds the second portion and the third portion. A first work function adjusting layer is on the gate insulator layer on the first and second portions. A second work function adjusting layer is on the first work function adjusting layer, the gate insulator layer on the third portion, and the first insulator layer. The device also includes a gate on the second work function adjusting layer, a hardmask layer on the gate, and an interlayer dielectric layer surrounding the gate structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides apparatus and methods for overlay measurement. An exemplary overlay measurement apparatus includes an illuminating unit, configured to generate light to illuminate a first overlay marker having a first sub-overlay marker along a first direction and a second overlay marker along a second direction; a first measuring unit, configured to receive light reflected from the first overlay marker to cause the reflected light to laterally shift and shear to generate interference light, to receive the interference light to form a first image and to determine existence of overlay offsets along the first direction and the second direction and values of the overlay offset; and a first drive unit connected to the first measuring unit, and configured to drive the first measuring unit to rotate from a first position to a second position to measure the first sub-overlay marker and the second sub-overlay marker, respectively.

Abstract: A junction-less transistor structure and fabrication method thereof are provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate; and forming an epitaxial layer having a first surface and a second surface on the semiconductor substrate. The method also includes forming a plurality of trenches in the epitaxial layer from the first surface thereof; and forming a gate dielectric layer on side and bottom surfaces of the plurality of trenches. Further, the method includes forming a gate electrode layer on the gate dielectric layer and in the plurality of trenches; and forming an insulation layer on the gate electrode layer. Further, the method also includes forming a drain electrode layer on the first surface of the epitaxial layer; removing the semiconductor substrate; and forming a source electrode layer on the second surface of the epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A method for predicting high-temperature operating life of an integrated circuit (IC) includes performing bias temperature instability tests and high-temperature operating life tests on a device of the IC, establishing a relationship between the device bias temperature instability and the IC's high-temperature operating life based on a result of the bias temperature instability tests and the high-temperature operating life tests. The method further includes providing a lot of subsequent integrated circuits (ICs), performing wafer-level bias temperature instability tests on a device of the ICs, and predicting high-temperature operating life of the ICs based on a result of the wafer-level bias temperature instability tests and based on the established relationship between the device's bias temperature instability and the IC's high-temperature operating life. The method can save significant effort and time over conventional approaches for accurate prediction of high-temperature operating life of an IC.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a metal gate transistor includes forming a dummy gate structure surrounded by a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate and a source/drain region in the semiconductor substrate on each side of the dummy gate structure. The top surface of the dummy gate structure is leveled with the top surface of the first dielectric layer. The method then includes forming an etch stop sidewall in the first dielectric layer on each side of the dummy gate structure, forming a first trench by removing the dummy gate structure, and forming a metal gate structure to partially fill the first trench. The top portion of the first trench becomes a second trench. Further, the method also includes forming an etch stop layer by filling the second trench, and then forming a contact plug in the first dielectric layer to electrically connect to each source/drain region.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a Fin-FET device includes forming fin structures with each having a gate structure on the top in both P-type regions and N-type regions, forming a first epitaxial layer on each fin structure on both sides of the gate structure in the P-type regions, forming a P-type doped first covering layer on each first epitaxial layer, forming a second epitaxial layer on each fin structure on both sides of the gate structure in the N-type regions, forming an N-type doped second covering layer on each second epitaxial layer, and forming a titanium-containing silicification layer on the first covering layer and the second covering layer. The method further includes performing a first annealing process to let titanium ions in the silicification layer diffuse into the first covering layer to form a first metal silicide layer and into the second covering layer to form a second metal silicide layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides CMOS image sensors and fabrication methods thereof. An exemplary fabrication process of a CMOS image sensor includes providing a substrate having a first region and a second region connecting with the first region at a first end of the first region; forming a transfer transistor on surface of the substrate in the second region; forming a first implanting region in the substrate in the first region using a first mask; forming a second implanting region in the first implanting region by, the first implanting region being separated into a third implanting region on the second implanting region and a fourth implanting region under the second implanting region; forming a fifth region in the second region at the first end using a second mask, connecting the third implanting region with the fourth implanting region.