Abstract: Disclosed are methods and structures for fabrication of reliable and efficient memory cells. The methods involve formation of a conformal diffusion barrier layer in a via, deposition of an electrode material in the via, removal of a certain portion of the electrode material from the via to expose a the portion of the diffusion barrier layer, converting the exposed portion of the diffusion barrier layer into an oxide, forming a memory element film, and forming and patterning a top electrode. Improved electrical conduction and data retention from the memory element of a memory cell by preventing short circuits and leakage of current through the conductive diffusion barrier layer, and thereby enhanced reliability and performance of a memory cell are obtained.

Abstract: A stencil and method for depositing a coupon of underfill material onto a substrate that is to receive an integrated circuit die.

Abstract: A deep trench capacitor used in a trench DRAM includes a buried plate and an isolation collar. The deep trench is bottle-shaped, and the isolation collar is formed in upper portion of the wider region of the bottle-shaped trench. The buried plate surrounds the lower portion of the wider part of the bottle-shaped trench, and hemispherical grain polysilicon lines the walls of at least the lower portion of the wider part of the trench. A nitride liner layer lines the inner walls of the oxide collar and prevents diffusion of dopant through the oxide collar into the substrate when the HSG polysilicon and the doped buried plate are formed. The buried plate region is self-aligned to the isolation collar. The depth of the top of the wider part of the bottle shape and the bottom depth of the isolation collar are determined by successive resist deposition and recessing steps.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an organic electroluminescent device. A substrate comprising an organic electroluminescent unit thereon is provided. A passivation layer is formed on the substrate to cover the organic electroluminescent layer. An ion beam is provided to perform a surface treatment on the passivation layer. A plastic layer is formed on the passivation layer. The steps of forming the passivation layer, providing the ion beam and forming the plastic layer are repeated at least once to enhance device reliability. In addition, a solid passivation layer is formed by the steps of forming the passivation layer, providing the ion beam and forming the plastic layer.

Abstract: A method is provided wherein a gate dielectric film that is plasma nitrided in a chamber of one system is subsequently heated or “annealed” in another chamber of the same system. Processing delay can be controlled so that all wafers processed in the system experience similar nitrogen content.

Abstract: A capacitor (100) is disclosed that is formed as part of an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication process. The capacitor (100) has conductive top and bottom electrodes (140, 144) and a nonconductive capacitor dielectric (142). In one example, the dielectric (142) includes first and second thin dielectric layers (112, 114) that sandwich a layer of antireflective material (118). The thin layers (112, 114) provide the dielectric behavior necessary for the capacitor while the antireflective layer (118) promotes reduced feature sizes by mitigating reflected standing waves, among other things.

Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a first semiconductor region forming a channel region, a gate electrode insulatively disposed above the first semiconductor region, source and drain electrodes formed to sandwich the first semiconductor region in a channel lengthwise direction, and second semiconductor regions formed between the first semiconductor region and the source and drain electrodes and having impurity concentration higher than the first semiconductor region. The thickness of the second semiconductor region in the channel lengthwise direction is set to a value equal to or less than depletion layer width determined by the impurity concentration so that the second semiconductor region is depleted in a no-voltage application state.

Abstract: Laser beams emitted by a plurality of laser sources are divided into a plurality of sub-beams, which are irradiated onto selected portions of an amorphous semiconductor on a substrate to crystallize the amorphous semiconductor. A difference in diverging angles between the laser beams is corrected by a beam expander. The apparatus includes a sub-beam selective irradiating system including a sub-beam dividing assembly and a sub-beam focussing assembly. Also, the apparatus includes laser sources, a focussing optical system, and a combining optical system. A stage for supporting a substrate includes a plurality of first stage members, a second stage member disposed above the first stage members, and a third stage member 38C, rotatably disposed above the second stage to support an amorphous semiconductor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a fabricating method for the same are disclosed, in which when forming a capacitor sacrificial film pattern, even if a misalignment occurs, the degradation of the dielectric property due to a direct contact between the contact plug and the dielectric medium can be prevented. The semiconductor device includes a connecting part connected through an insulating layer of a substrate to a conductive layer, a seed separating layer formed around the connecting part and the insulating layer to provide an open region exposing at least part of the connecting part, a seed layer filled into the open region of the seed separating layer and a capacitor. The capacitor includes of a lower electrode formed upon the seed layer, a dielectric medium formed upon the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed upon the dielectric medium.

Abstract: As shown in FIG. 10, using photoresist capacitance trench masking portion 43 as a mask, the exposed portions 70, 72 of the patterned capacitance dielectric layer 32? between the respective initial via openings 36, 38 and the capacitance trench masking portion 43, the underlying twice patterned ARC 18? and the underlying twice patterned oxide layer 16? are etched down to a depth substantially equal to the bottom of the capacitance trench 25 to form respective trench openings 56, 58 contiguous and continuous with respective final via openings 52, 54, in turn forming respective dual damascene openings 57, 59. Final via openings 52, 54 expose underlying portions 78 of metal structure 12 and bottom electrodes 30?, 30?. Capacitance trench 25 includes sidewalls 50 formed of remaining portions of capacitance dielectric layer 32?.

Abstract: An integrated programmable conductor memory cell and diode device in an integrated circuit comprises a diode and a glass electrolyte element, the glass electrolyte element having metal ions mixed or dissolved therein and being able to selectively form a conductive pathway under the influence of an applied voltage. In one embodiment, both the diode and the memory cell comprise a chalcogenide glass, such as germanium selenide (e.g., Ge2Se8 or Ge25Se75). The first diode element comprises a chalcogenide glass layer having a first conductivity type, the second diode element comprises a chalcogenide glass layer doped with an element such as bismuth and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type and the memory cell comprises a chalcogenide glass element with silver ions therein. In another embodiment, the diode comprises silicon and there is a diffusion barrier layer between the diode and the chalcogenide glass memory element.

Abstract: This invention concerns a non-volatile memory device with a polarizable layer. The apparatus concerns a substrate, a buried oxide layer within the substrate, and a polarizable layer within the substrate. The polarizable layer is formed in a buried oxide layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate for the fabrication of non-volatile memory. The process of creating the polarizable layer comprises implanting, through the active silicon layer, Si ions into the buried oxide layer at an ion implantation energy selected so that the implanted ion has its peak concentration between 5–50 nm from the silicon/buried oxide interface. The implantation step can occur while externally heating the silicon-on-insulator substrate at a temperature between 25–300 degrees Celsius. An annealing step may be completed to repair any damage the implantation may have created in the silicon-on-insulator substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are a contact plug in a semiconductor device and method of forming the same. After a junction region where a contact plug is formed upwardly up to the bottom of a metal wire, the raised junction region and the metal wire are connected by a contact plug. Or after a first contact plug of the same area is formed on the junction region up to the bottom of the metal wires, the first contact plug is connected by a second contact plug. Thus, the width of the contact plug except for some portions is increased by maximum. It is thus possible to prevent an electric field from being concentrated and prohibit on-current from reduced, thus improving the electrical properties of devices.

Abstract: A capacitor structure which has a generally pyramidal or stepped profile to prevent or reduce dielectric layer breakdown is disclosed. The capacitor structure includes a first conductive layer, at least one dielectric layer having a first area provided on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer provided on the at least one dielectric layer. The second conductive layer has a second area which is less than the first area of the at least one dielectric layer. A method of fabricating a capacitor structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure is described. A patterned mask layer is formed on a substrate. An ion implantation is performed to form a doped region in a predetermined depth in the substrate exposed by the mask layer. An etching process is conducted to etch the substrate down to the doped region to form a shallow trench. Thereafter, an isolating material is filled into the shallow trench to form an STI layer. The doped region is located directly under the STI layer, and no doped region is formed in the sidewall of the shallow trench.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to integrated circuits, and particularly, but not by way of limitation, metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors formed within a trench located within a metallization layer and in particular to MIM capacitors for Cu BEOL semiconductor devices.

Abstract: A process and intermediate DRAM structure formed by providing a substrate having an array of trenches containing trench capacitors underlying vertical transistors in an array area separated by isolation trenches residing in both array and support areas. A top oxide nitride (TON) liner is deposited over array and support areas so as to directly contact the fill in the isolation trenches. An array top oxide (ATO) is then deposited directly over the TON liner such that during subsequent processing, the TON protects the isolation trench oxide from any divot opening etches while maintaining the isolation trench oxide height fixed during the ATO process. In further processing the intermediate structure, ATO and TON are removed from the support area only, leaving remaining portions of both ATO and TON only in the array area, such that the TON liner separates the ATO from the isolation trench fill.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip is formed by dividing a semiconductor wafer by use of the laser dicing technique. The semiconductor chip has a laser dicing region on the side surface thereof. A dummy wiring layer is formed along the laser dicing region on the surface layer of the laser dicing region. A laser beam is applied to the dummy wiring layer to divide the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A method for producing a capacitor comprises providing a raw structure having a substrate and at least one dielectric layer, wherein a first area and a second area of the substrate are separated by an isolating layer. Above the first and second areas, an electrically conductive layer is arranged on the at least one dielectric layer. Further, a mask layer is deposited on the electrically conductive layer, wherein it is structured for generating a first mask above the first area. The method further comprises etching away the electrically conductive layer and at least one of the dielectric layers in the second area by means of the first mask and completing an active device in the second area.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes semiconductor substrate, a trench capacitor formed in the semiconductor substrate, a cell transistor formed so as to the trench capacitor and having a gate electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate and a source/drain region formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate, an impurity diffusion region formed in the semiconductor substrate so as to be electrically connected between the trench capacitor and the source/drain region, and a Ge inclusion region formed between the impurity diffusion region and the trench capacitor.