Abstract: The invention provides a method of making an ohmic contact to a n-type diamond or an injecting contact to a p-type diamond. The method includes the steps of implanting a surface of the diamond with a n-type dopant atom at a dose just below the amorphisation threshold of the diamond to create an implanted region below the surface and extending from the surface, annealing the implanted region to allow tunnelling of electrons into the diamond in the case of a n-type diamond and allow electrons to be injected into the diamond in the case of a p-type diamond, and metallising at least a portion of the surface through which implantation occurred.

Abstract: A structure and method for making copper interconnections in an integrated circuit are described. The structure is a damascene copper connector whose upper surface is coplanar with the upper surface of the insulating layer in which it is embedded. Out-diffusion of copper from the connector is prevented by two barrier layers. One is located at the interface between the connector and the insulating layer while the second barrier is an insulating layer which covers the upper surface of the connector. The damascene process involves filling a trench in the surface of the insulator with copper and then removing the excess by chem.-mech. polishing. Since photoresist is never in direct contact with the copper the problem of copper oxidation during resist ashing has been effectively eliminated.

Abstract: A thin conductive layer is formed on a contact hole bottom and on a contact hole sidewall in an insulating layer on an integrated circuit substrate, and then both chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition are performed, to form a glue layer on the thin conductive layer. By performing both chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition, the desirable characteristics of both processes may be obtained and the drawbacks in each of these processes may be compensated. Preferably, chemical vapor deposition of a material is performed, and physical vapor deposition of the same material is performed, to form the glue layer on the thin conductive layer. More particularly, chemical vapor deposition of titanium nitride, and physical vapor deposition of titanium nitride may be performed to form the glue layer on the thin conductive layer. As an alternative to titanium nitride, tungsten nitride may be used.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a capacitor includes, a) providing a mass of electrically insulative oxide of a first density; b) densifying the oxide mass to a higher second density, the densified oxide mass being characterized by a wet etch rate of less than or equal to about 75 Angstroms/minute in a 100:1 by volume H.sub.

Abstract: The capacitor includes a first storage node formed over a semiconductor wafer. The first storage node has a plurality of mushroom-shape structures. The plurality of mushroom-shape structures are randomly arranged on the first storage node to increase the area of the first storage node. A dielectric layer conformally covers the first storage node. A second storage node is formed on the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A high-resistance polycrystalline Si resistor having a stable resistance value even when micro-sized and a low-resistance polycrystalline Si resistor having a sufficiently low desired resistance value wherein a polycrystalline Si film is formed on an insulation film located on a Si substrate, high-resistance-making ion implantation is applied to the entire surface and medium-resistance-making ion implantation is selectively applied to a medium-resistance-making region of the polycrystalline Si film. Low-resistance-making ion implantation is selectively applied to a low-resistance-making region of the polycrystalline Si film. The product is annealed to grow the polycrystalline Si film by solid-phase growth, the film is patterned to form a high-resistance polycrystalline Si resistor, medium-resistance polycrystalline Si resistor, and low-resistance polycrystalline Si resistor.

Abstract: A charge coupled device includes a substrate, a photoelectric conversion region, a hole accumulation region, a vertical charge coupled region, and a buried transmission gate region. The substrate includes a surface with a light receiving region and a charge transmission region. The photoelectric conversion region is provided in a substrate beneath the light receiving and charge transmission regions, and the photoelectric conversion region generates a photoelectric signal responsive to light received at the light receiving region of the substrate surface. The hole accumulation region is provided in the substrate between the photoelectric conversion region and the light receiving region of the substrate surface. The vertical charge coupled region is provided in the substrate between the photoelectric conversion region and the charge transmission region of the substrate surface. The buried transmission gate region is provided between the vertical charge coupled region and the photoelectric conversion region.

Abstract: A fabrication method for a semiconductor memory device, which forms a capacitor over a bit line, includes the steps of forming an active region pattern on a semiconductor substrate, forming a field oxide region for electrically isolating single devices in the semiconductor substrate, forming a gate insulating film on the semiconductor substrate, forming a first conductive film to serve as a gate electrode on the gate insulating film, forming a first insulating film having a first etching characteristic on the first conductive film, and patterning the first insulating film and the first conductive film to form a plurality of word line patterns. Next a second insulating film, having the first etching characteristic, is formed over the semiconductor substrate, and is etched to form sidewall spacers at lateral walls of each word line pattern. A third insulating film is then formed over the semiconductor substrate, and removed from regions where a bit line is to be formed.

Abstract: In a split gate process for dual voltage chips, the N-type high-voltage transistors which are part of the ESD protection circuit, and therefore have the thicker gate oxide of the high-voltage transistors, can receive channel doping and drain extender doping which is the same as the core transistors. This causes these transistors to develop a high substrate current during an ESD event, triggering the protection circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate and a stackable semiconductor package and a fabrication method thereof which make it possible to form a highly-integrated semiconductor module within a limited area. The semiconductor substrate includes a non-conductive substrate main body having a plurality of patterned conductive wires formed therein, a cavity formed in an upper center portion of the substrate main body, and a plurality of via holes which perpendicularly pass through edge portions of the substrate main body. A stackable semiconductor package includes the above-described semiconductor substrate, having a semiconductor device positioned in its cavity with a molding compound, the semiconductor device being electrically connected to the conductive wires formed in the semiconductor substrate. Plural stackable semiconductor packages may be stacked such that the via holes are aligned, and a conductive material such as solder can be placed in the via holes to ensure electrical connection.

Abstract: The dynamic range is increased and the noise level is reduced in a bipolar-based active pixel sensor cell with a capacitively coupled base region by forming the capacitor over a portion of the base region and the field oxide region of the cell. In addition, the noise levels are also reduced by heavily-doping the material which forms a portion of the bottom plate of the capacitor with the same conductivity type as the base region of the cell, and by placing the material which forms the portion of the bottom plate in direct contact with the base region.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a DRAM cell has been developed, in which two interlaced patterns, each comprised of capacitor node contact holes and bit line contact holes, are independently created, each using a specific photolithographic mask, and a specific photolithographic procedure. The two interlaced patterns allow the creation of the capacitor node contact images, and the bit line contact holes images, to be formed in a thin polysilicon layer, with minimum spacing between contact images. Capacitor node contact holes, as well as bit line contact holes, are than formed in an insulator layer, via a dry etching procedure, using the patterned thin polysilicon layer as a mask. The use of specific masks, or of the interlaced pattern, allows the minimum spacing, between a capacitor node contact hole, and a bit line contact hole, to be limited only by the overlay between photolithographic masks.

Abstract: In a CMOS circuit including a source diffusion layer and a well region which are at the same potential, a P.sup.+ -type source diffusion layer and an N.sup.+ -type substrate diffusion layer are formed in a portion corresponding to a source region in a surface area of an N-type well region. A source contact is formed on the source and substrate diffusion layers through a salicide layer to connect the diffusion layers to their upper wiring layer. Since, therefore, the source contact can be arranged closer to a P-type well region, the layout area can be reduced.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an isolation method for fabricating isolation regions with less bird's peak sizes in semiconductor devices. A first pad oxide layer and a silicon nitride layer are first formed on a wafer substrate. After an undercut process is performed to the first pad oxide layer and forms a cave under the silicon nitride layer, a second pad oxide layer is formed over the wafer substrate. Next, a polysilicon layer is then deposited along the profile described above. Then, an anisotropic process is used to form sidewall spacers by etching the polysilicon layer. A recessed structure is then formed to the wafer substrate by a semi-isotropic process, and follows a thermal oxidation to fabricate isolation regions composed of silicon dioxide on the surface of the wafer substrate. The silicon nitride layer and the first pad oxide layer are then removed for continuing the active region processes.

Abstract: Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) cells are formed in a P well formed in a biased deep N well (DNW). PMOS transistors are formed in N wells. The NMOS channels stop implant mask is modified not to be a reverse of the N well mask in order to block the channels stop implant from an N+ contact region used for DNW biasing. In DRAMs and other integrated circuits, a minimal spacing requirement between a well of an integrated circuit on the one hand and adjacent circuitry on the other hand is eliminated by laying out the adjacent circuitry so that the well is located adjacent to a transistor having an electrode connected to the same voltage as the voltage that biases the well. For example, in DRAMs, the minimal spacing requirement between the DNW and the read/write circuitry is eliminated by locating the DNW next to a transistor precharging the bit lines before memory accesses. One electrode of the transistor is connected to a precharge voltage.

Abstract: A structure of high voltage semiconductor devices having N-well 1 and N-well 2 formed with two different doping densities acting as a gradient doping of a drift region. This structure results in a lift in its current drive capability and as well as in its breakdown voltage. The structure further comprises a buried spacer oxide, serving as a point of exertion for the edges of the buried gate electrode. And finally, since the gate electrode is formed by a trenching method, not only is the channel length increased with the placement of both the channel and drift regions changes in the to vertical direction, all of those contribute to a great reduction in the occupied chip area.

Abstract: A method and an associated article of manufacture in which a conductive layer is formed over an uppermost level of interconnect on a semiconductor substrate. The conductive layer is then patterned to form conductive members. At least one of the conductive members includes a first fuse structure in series with a first bond pad portion. The bond pad portion forms an electrical contact with a corresponding integrated circuit device. A voltage is then applied to the device via the conductive member and the bond pad portion. The fuse structure is adapted to form an open between the conductive member and the bond pad portion if the current in the fuse exceeds a predetermined threshold. After the voltage has been applied and the testing completed, the patterned conductive layer is then removed from the semiconductor device prior to final assembly or packaging.

Abstract: A package that encapsulates an integrated circuit optical sensor and mounts on a support substrate includes a base substrate constructed of an insulating material. The optical sensor bottom surface is bonded to the base substrate top surface. Conductive strips on the base substrate top surface extend from a region near the optical sensor to an edge of the base substrate top surface. Wires are bonded on one end to a sensor bonding pad for which connection is desired and on the other end to a corresponding conductive strip. A window is bonded to the base substrate top surface in a spaced-apart relationship using seal material extending around the sensor enclosing each wire bond. Various means are provided for connecting each conductive strip to a corresponding trace on the support substrate. An electrochromic variable attenuator may be formed on the window, allowing control over the intensity of light striking the optical sensor.

Abstract: A method of encapsulating a microelectronic assembly includes providing one or more microelectronic assemblies having one or more elements defining exterior surfaces and an array of terminals exposed at the exterior surfaces, the one or more elements defining one or more apertures through the exterior surfaces. A layer of a curable barrier material is then provided on a supporting element. The barrier layer has openings therein in a pattern corresponding to the array of terminals on the one or more microelectronic assemblies. The supporting element and the one or more microelectronic elements are then assembled together so that the layer of barrier material contacts the exterior surfaces and covers the apertures and so that the openings in the layer of barrier material are aligned with the terminals. The barrier material is then cured while in contact with the exterior surfaces to thereby form a barrier layer covering the apertures.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device having a thin film resistor, the method comprising the steps of: forming a first polysilicon layer on an upper surface of a field oxide layer formed on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first dielectric layer on a resultant material; ion-implanting an impurity for forming a resistor in the first polysilicon layer through the first dielectric layer; forming a second dielectric layer on an upper surface of the first dielectric layer; selectively etching the first and second dielectric layers and the first polysilicon layer to form a resistor poly (RPOLY) lower electrode; forming a second polysilicon layer on an upper surface of a resultant material; and forming a gate poly (GPOLY) by selectively etching the second polysilicon layer.