Abstract: Methods of forming MIM comprise forming a lower electrode on a semiconductor substrate, forming a lower dielectric layer on the lower electrode, and forming an upper dielectric layer on the lower dielectric layer. The lower dielectric layer may be formed of dielectrics having larger energy band gap than that of the upper dielectric layer. An upper electrode is formed on the upper dielectric layer. The upper electrode may be formed of a metal layer having a higher work function than that of the lower electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a conductive plug formed through an insulating film; a conductive oxygen barrier film formed on the insulating film so as to be electrically connected to the conductive plug and to cover the conductive plug; a lower electrode formed on the oxygen barrier film and connected to the oxygen barrier film; a capacitive insulating film formed on the lower electrode, following the lower electrode; and an upper electrode formed on the capacitive insulating film, following the capacitive insulating film. The capacitive insulating film has a bent portion that extends along the direction in which the conductive plug penetrates through the insulating film.

Abstract: A method of forming a PE-TEOS layer of a semiconductor IC device provides uniformly thick PE-TEOS layers on a batch of wafers. First, a loading wafer cassette is prepared to provide the wafers to be processed. Next, a process atmosphere is pre-created in a processing chamber. Then the wafers are supplied in sequence into the chamber from the loading wafer cassette and the wafers are mounted on a heater table in the chamber. Next, the PE-TEOS layer is deposited on the wafers by spraying a process gas into the chamber through showerheads. Next, the wafers are discharged from the chamber. Once the chamber is cleared of wafers, the inside of the chamber is cleaned by supplying a cleaning gas into the chamber, and exciting the cleaning gas with RF power. Subsequently, more TEOS gas is supplied into the chamber through the showerheads without being excited by RF power to especially reduce the temperature of the showerheads and that prevailing inside the chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacture method has the steps of: (a) forming an interface layer of SiO or SiON on the surface of an active region of a silicon substrate; (b) forming a high dielectric constant gate insulating film such as HfSiON having a dielectric constant higher than that of silicon oxide, above the interface layer; (c) forming a gate electrode of polysilicon above the high dielectric constant gate insulating film; (d) passivating the substrate surface at least before or after the high dielectric constant gate insulating film is formed; (e) forming an insulated gate electrode structure by patterning at least the gate electrode and the high dielectric constant gate insulating film; and (f) forming source/drain regions in the active region on both sides of the insulated gate electrode structure. The semiconductor device has the high dielectric constant insulating film having a dielectric constant higher than that of silicon oxide.

Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing micro cavities at the wafer level using a unique, innovative MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) process, wherein micro cavities are formed, with epoxy bonded single-crystalline silicon membrane as cap and deposited and/or electroplated metal as sidewall, on substrate wafers. The epoxy is also the sacrificial layer. It is totally removed from within the cavity through small etch access holes etched in the silicon cap before the etch access holes are sealed under vacuum. The micro cavities manufactured therein can be used as pressure sensors or for packaging MEMS devices under vacuum or inert environment. In addition, the silicon membrane manufactured therein can be used to manufacture RF switches.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention form a weight-compensating/tuning layer on a structure (e.g., a silicon wafer with one or more layers of material (e.g., films)) having variations in its surface topology. The variations in surface topology take the form of thick and thin regions of materials. The weight-compensating/tuning layer includes narrow and wide regions corresponding to the thick and thin regions, respectively.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a novel random access memory (RAM) capacitor in a shallow trench isolation (STI) The method utilizes a novel node photoresist mask for plasma etching recesses in the STI that prevents plasma-etch-induced defects in the substrate. This novel photoresist mask is used to etch bottle-shaped recesses in the STI under a first hard mask. After forming bottom electrodes in the recesses and forming an interelectrode dielectric layer, a conducting layer is deposited sufficiently thick to fill the recesses and to form a planar surface, and a second hard mask is deposited. The conducting layer is patterned to form the capacitor top electrodes. This reduced topography results in reduced leakage currents when the gate electrodes are formed over the capacitor top electrodes.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed, in which double microlenses are formed using materials having different refractive indexes to improve concentration efficiency of light, thereby improving the characteristics of the image sensor.

Abstract: The manufacturing stability can be improved while effectively inhibiting the short-channel effect in the transistor according to the present invention. A halo impurity having a conductivity type opposite to a first conductivity type of a first impurity is ion-implanted into the silicon substrate 101, and thereafter the first impurity having the first conductivity type, is ion-implanted and then a flash lamp annealing is conducted to form a p-type halo region 113 and a n-type extension region 111. Then, the second impurity having the first conductivity type is ion-implanted into the silicon substrate 101, and then a flash lamp annealing is conducted to form a n-type source/drain region 109. Then, the impurity contained in the silicon substrate 101 is activated via spike RTA.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided that can be manufactured by a simpler process than a conventional lateral trench power MOSFET for use with an 80V breakdown voltage, and which has a lower device pitch and lower on-state resistance per unit area than a conventional lateral power MOSFET for use with a lower breakdown voltage than 80V. A gate oxide film is formed thinly along the lateral surfaces of a trench at a uniform thickness. Then, a gate oxide film is formed along the bottom surface of the trench by selective oxidation so as to be thicker than the gate oxide film on the lateral surfaces of the trench and so as to become progressively thicker from the edge of the bottom surface of the trench toward drain polysilicon.

Abstract: An example method embodiment forms spacers that create tensile stress on the substrate on both the PFET and NFET regions. We form PFET and NFET gates and form tensile spacers on the PFET and NFET gates. We implant first ions into the tensile PFET spacers to form neutralized stress PFET spacers. The neutralized stress PFET spacers relieve the tensile stress created by the tensile stress spacers on the substrate. This improves device performance.

Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a substrate formed of a board material, a semiconductor die bonded to the substrate, and an encapsulant on the die. The package also includes an array of external contacts formed as multi layered metal bumps that include a base layer, a bump layer, and a non-oxidizing outer layer. The external contacts are smaller and more uniform than conventional solder balls, and can be fabricated using low temperature deposition processes, such that package warpage is decreased. Further, the external contacts can be shaped by etching to have generally planar tip portions that facilitate bonding to electrodes of a supporting substrate. Die contacts on the substrate can also be formed as multi layered metal bumps having generally planar tip portions, such that the die can be flip chip mounted to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of fabricating a high-voltage CMOS device, in which an extended drain region failing to enclose a heavily-doped drain region is separated from a high current flow path to enable high electric field concentration and breakdown to occur within a bulk of a silicon substrate and by which device reliability can be enhanced. The present invention includes the steps of forming a pad oxide layer on a substrate, forming a heavily doped drain region, a heavily doped source region, a source region, and an extended drain region failing to enclose the heavily doped drain region by ion implantation using a pattern provided on the pad oxide layer, forming a field oxide layer on a prescribed area of the extended drain region, and forming a gate and a gate spacer over the substrate.

Abstract: A pin diode is formed by a p+ collector region, an n type buffer region, an n? region and an n+ cathode region. A trench is formed from the surface of n+ cathode region through n+ cathode region to reach n? region. An insulating film is formed along an inner wall surface of trench. A gate electrode layer is formed to oppose to the sidewall of n+ cathode region with insulating film interposed. A cathode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to n+ cathode region. An anode electrode is formed to be electrically connected to p+ collector region. The n+ cathode region is formed entirely over the surface between trenches extending parallel to each other. Thus, a power semiconductor device in which gate control circuit is simplified and which has good on property can be obtained.

Abstract: An array of a pillar-type nonvolatile memory cells (803) has each memory cell isolated from adjacent memory cells by a trench (810). Each memory cell is formed by a stacking process layers on a substrate: tunnel oxide layer (815), polysilicon floating gate layer (819), ONO or oxide layer (822), polysilicon control gate layer (825). Many aspects of the process are self-aligned. An array of these memory cells will require less segmentation. Furthermore, the memory cell has enhanced programming characteristics because electrons are directed at a normal or nearly normal angle (843) to the floating gate (819).

Abstract: A memory cell is formed for a memory cell array that is comprised of a plurality of the memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Deep trenches having sidewalls is formed within a semiconductor substrate. A buried plate region adjoining a deep trench is formed within the semiconductor substrate, and a dielectric film is formed along the sidewalls of the deep trench. A masking layer is patterned such that a portion of the dielectric film is covered by the masking layer and a remaining portion of the dielectric film is exposed. An upper region of the exposed portion of the dielectric film is removed such that a trench collar is formed along a middle portion of a side of the deep trench. The deep trench is partly filled with doped polysilicon. The dopants in the polysilicon diffuse through the side of the deep trench into adjoining regions of the semiconductor substrate during subsequent thermal processing steps to form a buried strap region along a side of the deep trench.

Abstract: A method for annealing a semiconductor substrate. The method includes turning on at least one heat source, heating a semiconductor substrate in a chamber, turning off the at least one heat source, and cooling the semiconductor substrate in the chamber. The heating a semiconductor substrate includes absorbing an energy from the at least one heat source by the semiconductor substrate. Moreover, the cooling the semiconductor substrate includes flowing a first gas in a vicinity of at least one wall of the chamber, flowing a second gas in a vicinity of the at least one heat source, and flowing a third gas in a vicinity of the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A storage device structure (10) has two bits of storage per control gate (34) and uses source side injection (SSI) to provide lower programming current. A control gate (34) overlies a drain electrode formed by a doped region (22) that is positioned in a semiconductor substrate (12). Two select gates (49 and 50) are implemented with conductive sidewall spacers adjacent to and lateral to the control gate (34). A source doped region (60) is positioned in the semiconductor substrate (12) adjacent to one of the select gates for providing a source of electrons to be injected into a storage layer (42) underlying the control gate. Lower programming results from the SSI method of programming and a compact memory cell size exists.

Abstract: Methods for stabilizing a threshold voltage in an NMOS transistor are disclosed. A disclosed method comprises: forming a gate electrode on an active region in a substrate of a first conductive type; implanting ions of a second conductive type into the active region to form LDD regions; forming spacers on the sidewalls of the gate electrode; implanting ions of the second conductive type into the active region to form second source/drain regions; implanting halo ions into the active region; activating ions in the source/drain regions by conducting a first thermal process; and moving the halo ions toward the surface of the channel under the gate electrode by conducting a second thermal process.

Abstract: Cu interconnections embedded in an interconnection slot of a silicon oxide film are formed by polishing using CMP to improve the insulation breakdown resistance of a copper interconnection formed using the Damascene method, and after a post-CMP cleaning step, the surface of the silicon oxide film and Cu interconnections is treated by a reducing plasma (ammonia plasma). Subsequently, a continuous cap film (silicon nitride film) is formed without vacuum break.