Abstract: In order to form a good contact between metallizations and improve the reliability and product yield of a semiconductor integrated circuit device, a plug is formed in a contact hole by depositing a first sputter film inside of the contact hole by traditional sputtering, depositing a second sputter film over the first sputter film by long throw sputtering, depositing a W film over the second sputtering film by CVD and removing the first and second sputter films and the W film from the outside of the contact hole. The barrier properties can be improved by constituting a barrier film from the first sputter film and second sputter film which are different in directivity.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having a plurality of trench Schottky barrier rectifiers within one or more rectifier regions and a plurality of trench DMOS transistors within one or more transistor regions.

Abstract: Techniques of shallow trench isolation and devices produced therefrom. The techniques of shallow trench isolation utilize foamed polymers, cured aerogels or air gaps as the insulation medium. Such techniques facilitate lower dielectric constants than the standard silicon dioxide due to the cells of gaseous components inherent in foamed polymers, cured aerogels or air gaps. Lower dielectric constants reduce capacitive coupling concerns and thus permit higher device density in an integrated circuit device.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus provides a heating chamber, a chamber for laser light irradiation and a robot arm, wherein a temperature of a substrate on which a silicon film to be irradiated with laser light is formed is heated to 450 to 750° C. in the heating chamber followed by irradiating the silicon film with laser light so that a silicon film having a single crystal or a silicon film that can be regarded as the single crystal can be obtained.

Abstract: An N− type epitaxial layer is formed on a P− type silicon substrate. Trenches are created so as to penetrate N− type epitaxial layer and so as to reach to a predetermined depth of P− type silicon substrate. Thermal oxide films are formed on the sidewalls of trenches. Buried polysilicon films are formed so as to fill in trenches. Thermal oxide films are formed having an approximately constant film thickness ranging from the bottoms to the edges of the openings of trenches so as not to give stress to N− type epitaxial layers. Thereby, a semiconductor device wherein a leak current is prevented can be gained.

Abstract: A RESURF super-junction device (51) is provided which comprises a plurality of electrodes (53) disposed in a layer of a first material (61) having a first conductivity type. Each of the plurality of electrodes contains a second material (57) of a second conductivity type which is encased in a dielectric material (55).

Abstract: A shielding layer 23 is selectively formed on a single crystal silicon layer, an active area 25 is formed in the single crystal silicon layer by using the shielding layer 23 as a mask and an impurity layer 26 is formed at the edges at the sides of the active area 25 by using the shielding layer 23 as a mask and implanting an impurity diagonally from above. As a result, since an impurity layer can be formed by implanting ions of the impurity at the edges at the sides of the active area even when the size of the active area is reduced to the absolute limit, the occurrence of the parasitic transistor phenomenon or the edge transistor phenomenon along the edges at the sides of the active area can be prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved surface P-channel transistor and a method of making the same. A preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate oxide layer over the semiconductor substrate, subjecting the gate oxide layer to a remote plasma nitrogen hardening treatment followed by an oxidative anneal, and forming a polysilicon layer over the resulting gate oxide layer. Significantly, the method of the present invention does not require nitrogen implantation through the polysilicon layer overlying the gate oxide and provides a surface P-channel transistor having a polysilicon electrode free of nitrogen and a hardened gate oxide layer characterized by a large concentration of nitrogen at the polysilicon electrode/gate oxide interface and a small concentration of nitrogen at the gate oxide/semiconductor substrate interface.

Abstract: Removing photoresist from alignment marks on a semiconductor wafer using a wafer edge exposure process is disclosed. The alignment marks on the wafer are covered by photoresist used in conjunction with semiconductor processing of one or more layers deposited on the semiconductor wafer. One or more parts of the edge of the wafer are exposed to remove the photoresist from these parts and thus reveal alignment marks on the wafer. The exposure of the one or more parts of the wafer is accomplished without performing a photolithographic clear out process. Rather, a wafer edge exposure (WEE) process is inventively utilized. Once the WEE process is performed, subsequent layers may be deposited by aligning them using the revealed alignment marks.

Abstract: A method for forming transistor devices having a reduced pitch. The pitch of the formed devices can be reduced to, e.g., half that of conventional devices by using current photolithography conditions. Since the pitch of the devices can be reduced, the device integration can be increased, resulting in smaller and faster integrated circuits. In a preferred embodiment, a conductive layer, a stop layer, and a polysilicon layer are formed on a substrate. A patterned photoresist layer is formed on the polysilicon layer, and a first polymer layer is formed on surfaces of the photoresist layer. The first polymer layer is used as an etching mask to define the polysilicon layer, the stop layer, and the conductive layer. An oxide layer is formed on the substrate, and then the oxide layer is etched back until the polysilicon layer is exposed. The polysilicon layer is removed, and a second polymer layer is formed on surfaces of the oxide layer.

Abstract: An integrated circuit that includes a high breakdown voltage bipolar transistor. The bipolar transistor includes an emitter 36, a base 32, and a collector structure. The emitter 36 is adjacent to and overlies the base 32 and the base 32 is adjacent to and overlies a core portion 48 of the collector structure. The collector structure includes, in addition to the core portion 48, a collector contact region 31 and a lateral collector region 50 between the core portion 48 and the collector contact region 31. The lateral collector region 50 is thinner than said collector contact region at some point along its length.

Abstract: An improved method of patterning photoresist during formation of damascene structures is provided which involves a process that is resistant to poisoning from adjacent layers. An inert resin is used to fill vias in a damascene stack. Then a second stack comprised of an underlayer, a non-photosensitive Si-containing layer, an ARC, and a photoresist are formed on the first stack. A trench pattern formed in the photoresist is etch transferred into the first stack. The Si-containing layer that is preferably a spin-on material can be optimized for thermal and etch resistance without compromising lithographic properties since it is not photosensitive. The state of the art photoresist provides a large process window for printing small features with no scum. The inert resin, underlayer, and silicon containing layers are independent of exposure wavelength and can be readily implemented into existing or future manufacturing schemes.

Abstract: A first silicon film is so formed as to extend along the inner surface of trenches 52 formed in a silicon oxide film 50, an oxide film is formed on the surface of the first silicon film, and a second amorphous silicon film is further deposited. Heat-treatment is applied to the surface of the second amorphous silicon film for seeding silicon nuclei and for promoting grain growth, and a granular silicon crystal 57 is grown from the second amorphous silicon film. In this way, the resistance of a lower electrode 59 of a capacitance device can be lowered.

Abstract: A production method for an organic electroluminescent device includes the steps of: forming a first electrode on a substrate, forming an organic film including a light emitting layer on the first electrode, forming an electrically conductive and light transmissive protection layer on the organic film, and forming a transparent second electrode on the protection layer by a sputtering method.

Abstract: An amorphous silicon film is laser irradiated a plural number of times to make the film composed of a plurality of crystal grains while suppressing the formation of protrusions at the boundaries of the adjoining grains to realize a polycrystalline silicon thin film transistor having at least partly therein the clusters of grains, or the aggregates of at least two crystal grains, with preferred orientation in the plane (111), and having high electron mobility of 200 cm2/Vs or above.

Abstract: There is provided the capacitor which has the lower electrode having a structure in which the first conductive layer containing a first metal, the second conductive layer that is formed on the first conductive layer and made of the metal oxide of the second metal different from the first metal, and the third conductive layer that is formed on the second conductive layer and made of the third metal different from the first metal are formed sequentially; the dielectric layer formed on the lower electrode; and the upper electrode formed on the capacitor dielectric layer.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device which includes a capacitor including a lower electrode, a dielectric film, and an upper electrode, a first protection film formed on the capacitor, a first wiring formed on the first protection film, a first insulating film formed on the first wiring, a second wiring formed on the first insulating film, a second insulating film formed on the second wiring, and at least one of a second protection film formed between the first insulating film and the first wiring to cover at least the capacitor and a third protection film formed on the second insulating film to cover the capacitor and set to an earth potential. Accordingly, the degradation of the ferroelectric capacitor formed under the multi-layered wiring structure can be suppressed.

Abstract: A method of forming oxide layers of different thickness on a substrate is described, wherein the oxide layers preferably serve as gate insulation layers of field effect transistors. The method allows to form very thin, high quality oxide layers with a reduced number of masking steps compared to the conventional processing, wherein the thickness difference can be maintained within a range of some tenths of a nanometer. The method substantially eliminates any high temperature oxidations and is also compatible with most chemical vapor deposition techniques used for gate dielectric deposition in sophisticated semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A method of forming an NMOS device with reduced device degradation, generated during a constant current stress, has been developed. The reduced device degradation is attributed to the use of a high temperature oxide (HTO), layer, used as an underlying component of composite insulator spacers, formed on the sides of the NMOS gate structures. After definition of an insulator capped polycide gate structure a thin, (140 to 160 Angstrom), HTO layer is deposited at a temperature between about 700 to 800° C., followed by the deposition of a silicon nitride layer. Definition of the composite insulator layer, comprised with the underlying, HTO, results in NMOS devices with reduced drain current and reduced transconductance values, when compared to counterparts fabricated with composite insulator spacers formed without the thin, HTO layer featured in this invention.

Abstract: A manufacturing method is provided having a semiconductor substrate with a semiconductor device. A device dielectric layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate. A channel dielectric layer on the device dielectric layer has an opening formed therein. A barrier layer lines the channel opening. A conductor core fills the opening over the barrier layer. By using a polishing solution having a high selectivity from the conductor core to the barrier layer in conjunction with a grooved polyurethane polish pad, a very thin barrier layer may be used without the conductor core and dielectric layer being subject to erosion and the conductor core being subject to dishing.