Abstract: A thin film transistor is provided containing polycrystalline Si—Ge alloy. A high performance TFT may be provided having crystal structure restraining both current scattering in a grain boundary and surface roughness by introduction of Ge into Si. An image display device may be realized having a high performance and a large area at a low cost.

Abstract: A laser beam is irradiated onto a photocurable resin layer formed on an electrode part before rearrangement. By scanning the resin on the periphery of a metal wiring formation area extending from the electrode part before rearrangement to a bump electrode contact area, is cured. As a result, a cured resin part is formed which works as a guide layer and a protection film for protecting the metal wire in which the metal wiring formation area has a hollow shape. Thereafter, the metal wire is formed inside the cured resin part.

Abstract: Liquid crystal display devices having display screens with an improved black frame is provided. The microdisplay of the LCD is formed of a matrix of pixels disposed on the top surface of a silicon substrate, a layer of glass, and a layer of a reflective metal, preferably aluminum, which is disposed between the silicon substrate and layer of glass. The layer of reflective metal has a pattern, which forms a frame around the matrix of pixels, and is involved in generating the black frame when viewed by the user on the display screen. The reflective material functions to reflect light back to the light generating source, and thus displays a pure black image to the user. In another embodiment, a layer of reflective metal, preferably black chromium, patterned to form a frame around the matrix of pixels, is disposed on the top surface of the glass.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a semiconductor device with copper interconnects is disclosed. In the process of the present invention, a layer of dielectric material is formed on a substrate. A barrier layer to prevent copper diffusion is then deposited over the entire surface of the substrate. A dual copper layer is formed on the barrier layer. The dual layer has a copper layer deposited by PVD and a copper layer deposited by electroplating. The copper layers are adjacent to each other. The ratio of the thickness (X) of the electroplated, layer to the thickness of the PVD layer (Y) is about 1:0.5 to about 1:2. The thickness of the electroplated layer is at least about 3 &mgr;m. The thickness of the PVD copper layer is at least about 100 nm. The thickness of the two layers is selected to effect recrystallization of the electroplated copper from a small grain size (0.1 &mgr;m to 0.2 &mgr;m) to a large grain size (1 &mgr;m or greater).

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for forming a storage capacitor for a memory device, by the steps of: forming a bottom electrode of the storage capacitor over a BoroPhosphoSilicate Glass (BPSG) layer; forming a storage capacitor dielectric layer over the bottom electrode, the storage capacitor dielectric layer consisting of a nitride layer that is 50 Å or less in thickness; exposing the nitride dielectric layer to heat during a first stage rapid thermal oxidation step at a first temperature range that is equal to or greater than a reflow temperature required to reflow the BPSG layer; exposing the nitride dielectric layer to wet oxidation during a second stage rapid thermal oxidation step, the second stage rapid thermal oxidation step is performed at a second temperature ranging from 810° C. to 1040° C.

Abstract: A method to reduce via poisoning in low-k copper dual damascene interconnects through ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of the damascene structure is disclosed. This is accomplished by irradiating the insulative layers each time the layers are etched to form a portion of the damascene structure. Thus, irradiation is performed once after the forming of a trench or a via, and again for the second time when the insulative layers are etched to form the remaining trench or via. The trench and hole openings of the dual damascene structure are exposed to UV light in a dry ozone environment, which then favorably alters the surface characteristics of the low-k dielectric walls which are normally hydrophobic. Hence, during etching, moisture is not absorbed into the walls.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor memory, in which a resistive layer is formed of a material identical to a material of a cell plug layer at a time of formation of the cell plug layer.

Abstract: Grooves are formed in a surface of a wafer, on which semiconductor elements are formed, along dicing lines or chip parting lines on the wafer. The grooves are deeper than the thickness of a finished chip, and each of them has a curved bottom surface. A holding sheet is attached on the surface of the wafer on which the semiconductor elements are formed. Subsequently, the rear surface of the wafer is lapped and polished to the thickness of the finished chip, thereby dividing the wafer into chips. Even after the wafer is divided into the chips, the lapping and polishing is continued until the thickness of the wafer becomes equal to the thickness of the finished chip. The lapping and polishing amount required to attain the thickness of the finished chip after the lapped face of the wafer reaches the bottom surface of the groove, and a depth of a region of the curved bottom surface of the groove define a ratio of not less than 0.3.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing a semiconductor layer by introducing a raw gas into a discharge chamber and supplying high-frequency power to the chamber to decompose the raw gas by discharge, thereby forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate within the discharge chamber, the process comprising the steps of supplying high-frequency power of at least very high frequency (VHF) as the high-frequency power; supplying bias power of direct current power and/or high-frequency power of radio-frequency (RF) together with the high-frequency power of VHF to the discharge chamber; and controlling a direct current component of an electric current flowing into an electrode, to which the bias power is supplied, so as to fall within a range of from 0.1 A/m2 to 10 A/m2 in terms of a current density based on the area of an inner wall of the discharge chamber. A good-quality semiconductor layer can be deposited over a large area at a high speed.

Abstract: A method for forming a titanium dioxide layer is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a titanium-containing material, adding hydrogen chloride and nitric acid to the titanium-containing material to form a mixture, and exposing the device to the mixture to form the titanium dioxide layer thereon. Not only can the refractive index of the titanium dioxide layer formed by this method be increased, but also its growth rate and stability will be enhanced to be applied in the production line. Such a method can be applied for forming a titanium dioxide layer on a semiconductor device, a silicon substrate, an integrated circuit, a photoelectric device, etc.