Abstract: A method and structure for fabricating a dual damascene copper interconnect which electrically contacts a damascene tungsten wiring level. The method forms a first layer on a semiconductor substrate, a silicon nitride layer on the first layer, and a silicon dioxide layer on the silicon nitride layer. The first layer includes damascene tungsten interconnect regions separated by insulative dielectric material. A continuous space is formed by etching two contact troughs through the silicon dioxide and silicon nitride layers to expose damascene tungsten interconnect regions, and by etching a top portion of the silicon dioxide layer between the two contact troughs. A reduced-height portion of the silicon dioxide layer remains between the two contact troughs. The continuous space is filled with damascene copper. The resulting dual damascene copper interconnect electrically contacts the exposed damascene tungsten interconnect regions.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit 10 having transistors 20, 30 of two threshold voltages where protected transistor stacks 270 have a gate protection layer 220 that are formed with the use of a single additional mask step. Also, an integrated circuit 10 having at least one polysilicon gate transistor 20 and at least one FUSI metal gate transistor 30.

Abstract: An electroluminescent device comprising: a first charge carrier injecting layer for injecting positive charge carriers; a second charge carrier injecting layer for injecting negative charge carriers; and a light-emissive layer located between the charge carrier injecting layers and comprising a mixture of: a first component for accepting positive charge carriers from the first charge carrier injecting layer; a second component for accepting negative charge carriers from the second charge carrier injecting layer; and a third, organic light-emissive component for generating light as a result of combination of charge carriers from the first and second components; at least one of the first, second and third components forming a type II semiconductor interface with another of the first, second and third components.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a dielectric film comprising atoms of Si, C, O and H (hereinafter SiCOH) that has improved insulating properties as compared with prior art dielectric films, including prior art SiCOH dielectric films that are not subjected to the inventive deep ultra-violet (DUV) is disclosed. The improved properties include reduced current leakage which is achieved without adversely affecting (increasing) the dielectric constant of the SiCOH dielectric film. In accordance with the present invention, a SiCOH dielectric film exhibiting reduced current leakage and improved reliability is obtained by subjecting an as deposited SiCOH dielectric film to a DUV laser anneal. The DUV laser anneal step of the present invention likely removes the weakly bonded C from the film, thus improving leakage current.

Abstract: A damascene MIM capacitor and a method of fabricating the MIM capacitor. The MIN capacitor includes a dielectric layer having top and bottom surfaces; a trench in the dielectric layer, the trench extending from the top surface to the bottom surface of the dielectric layer; a first plate of a MIM capacitor comprising a conformal conductive liner formed on all sidewalls and extending along a bottom of the trench, the bottom of the trench coplanar with the bottom surface of the dielectric layer; an insulating layer formed over a top surface of the conformal conductive liner; and a second plate of the MIM capacitor comprising a core conductor in direct physical contact with the insulating layer, the core conductor filling spaces in the trench not filled by the conformal conductive liner and the insulating layer. The method includes forming portions of the MIM capacitor simultaneously with damascene interconnection wires.

Abstract: A memory cell for a memory array in a folded bit line configuration. The memory cell includes an access transistor formed in a pillar of single crystal semiconductor material. The access transistor has first and second source/drain regions and a body region that are vertically aligned. The access transistor further includes a gate coupled to a wordline disposed adjacent to the body region. The memory cell also includes a passing wordline that is separated from the gate by an insulator for coupling to other memory cells adjacent to the memory cell. The memory cell also includes a trench capacitor. The trench capacitor includes a first plate that is formed integral with the first source/drain region of the access transistor. The trench capacitor also includes a second plate that is disposed adjacent to the first plate and separated from the first plate by a gate oxide.

Abstract: General purpose methods for the fabrication of integrated circuits from flexible membranes formed of very thin low stress dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide or silicon nitride, and semiconductor layers. Semiconductor devices are formed in a semiconductor layer of the membrane. The semiconductor membrane layer is initially formed from a substrate of standard thickness, and all but a thin surface layer of the substrate is then etched or polished away. In another version, the flexible membrane is used as support and electrical interconnect for conventional integrated circuit die bonded thereto, with the interconnect formed in multiple layers in the membrane. Multiple die can be connected to one such membrane, which is then packaged as a multi-chip module. Other applications are based on (circuit) membrane processing for bipolar and MOSFET transistor fabrication, low impedance conductor interconnecting fabrication, flat panel displays, maskless (direct write) lithography, and 3D IC fabrication.

Abstract: A method for forming a pattern of a semiconductor device is disclosed which can increase the contact area between a photoresist and an anti-reflective film by performing an etching process on the anti-reflective film in a process of forming a photoresist pattern for a semiconductor device so as to form fine irregularities, thereby preventing collapse of a photoresist pattern. The disclosed method includes: (a) forming an organic anti-reflective film by coating an organic anti-reflective coating composition onto an upper portion of a layer to be etched, and performing a baking process thereto; (b) forming fine irregularities on the organic anti-reflective film by performing an etching process on the formed organic anti-reflective film; and (c) forming a photoresist pattern by coating a photoresist on the upper portion of the organic anti-reflective film, exposing the photoresist and then developing the same.

Abstract: A method of forming a capacitor having a capacitor dielectric layer comprising ABO3, where “A” is selected from the group consisting of Group IIA and Group IVB metal elements and mixtures thereof, where “B” is selected from the group consisting of Group IVA elements and mixtures thereof, includes feeding a plurality of precursors comprising A, B and O to a chamber having a substrate positioned therein under conditions effective to chemical vapor deposit an ABO3-comprising dielectric layer over the substrate. During the feeding, pressure within the chamber is varied effective to produce different concentrations of B at different elevations in the deposited layer and where higher comparative pressure produces greater concentration of B. The ABO3-comprising dielectric layer is incorporated into a capacitor, with the ABO3-comprising dielectric layer comprising a capacitor dielectric layer of the capacitor and having a dielectric constant k of at least 20 in the capacitor.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming hafnium-containing materials, such as, for example, hafnium oxide. In one aspect, a semiconductor substrate is provided, and first reaction conditions are utilized to form hafnium-containing seed material in a desired crystalline phase and orientation over the substrate. Subsequently, second reaction conditions are utilized to grow second hafnium-containing material over the seed material. The second hafnium-containing material is in a crystalline phase and/or orientation different from the crystalline phase and orientation of the hafnium-containing seed material. The second hafnium-containing material can be, for example, in an amorphous phase. The seed material is then utilized to induce a desired crystalline phase and orientation in the second hafnium-containing material. The invention also includes capacitor constructions utilizing hafnium-containing materials, and circuit assemblies comprising the capacitor constructions.

Abstract: A substrate defining an insulating surface layer portion and formed with a wiring groove filled with a wiring line the wiring line is electrically connected to a conductive member. The conductive member occupies an area larger than an area of the wiring line as viewed along a line parallel to a normal to the first surface. An insulating first film is formed on the first surface. A via hole is formed through the first film. The via hole is formed so that a boundary between the wiring line and the insulating surface layer portion passes through the inside of the via hole. The bottom of the via hole is observed with an apparatus for obtaining image information by utilizing secondary electrons and reflection electrons, to judge whether a state of the bottom of the via hole is accepted or rejected.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a printed circuit board includes: forming inner circuit patterns in an insulating material in multi-layers, forming a plurality of through holes at certain portions of the insulating material, and forming an outer circuit pattern which is electrically connected to the inner circuit pattern, at an inner circumferential surface of the through hole and the surface of the insulating material, and a terminal portion; forming a first photo solder resist layer at an entire surface of the insulating material and an entire surface of the outer circuit pattern, and exposing the terminal portion by removing a specific portion of the first photo solder resist layer; abrading the surface of the first photo solder resist layer; printing a second photo solder resist layer at the surface of the first photo solder resist layer, and exposing the terminal portion to the outside by removing a specific portion of the second photo solder resist layer; and forming a pad portion by plating the surface of t

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a wiring board comprising a substrate made of an insulation material and having first and second surfaces, first and second conductor patterns formed on the first and second surfaces, respectively, and a via conductor penetrating the substrate to electrically connect the first conductor pattern with the second conductor pattern; the process comprising the following steps of: forming the substrate with a through-hole penetrating thereto and defining openings at the first and second surfaces, respectively; plating the substrate with a metal so that a metal layer having a predetermined thickness is formed on the respective first and second surfaces of the substrate and the through-hole is substantially filled with the metal to be the via conductor; irradiating a laser beam, as a plurality of spots, around a metal-less portion of the plated metal, such as a dimple or seam, at positions corresponding to the openings of the through-hole, so that the a part of the plated metal melts to fi

Abstract: A novel method for forming electrodes in the fabrication of an MIM (metal-insulator-metal) capacitor, is disclosed. The method improves MIM capacitor performance by preventing plasma-induced damage to a dielectric layer during deposition of a top electrode on the dielectric layer, as well as by reducing or preventing the formation of an interfacial layer between the dielectric layer and the electrode or electrodes, in fabrication of the MIM capacitor. The method typically includes the patterning of crown-type capacitor openings in a substrate; depositing a bottom electrode in each of the crown openings; subjecting the bottom electrode to a rapid thermal processing (RTP) or furnace anneal step; depositing a dielectric layer on the annealed bottom electrode; depositing a top electrode on the dielectric layer using a plasma-free CVD (chemical vapor deposition) or ALD (atomic layer deposition) process; and patterning the top electrode of each MIM capacitor.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for efficiently inspecting defects on voltage contrast test. In one embodiment, methodologies and test structures allow inspection to occur entirely within a charged particle system. In a specific embodiment, a method of localizing and imaging defects in a semiconductor test structure suitable for voltage contrast inspection is disclosed. A charged particle beam based tool is used to determine whether there are any defects present within a voltage contrast test structure. The same charged particle beam based tool is then used to locate defects determined to be present within the voltage contrast test structure. Far each localized defect, the same charged particle beam based tool may then be used to generate a high resolution image of the localized defect whereby the high resolution image can later be used to classify the each defect. In one embodiment, the defect's presence and location are determined without rotating the test structure relative to the charged particle beam.

Abstract: A thin film transistor has a structure capable of decreasing deterioration in Vgs-Ids characteristics. The thin film transistor has a source region composed of an N-type impurity-diffused region, a drain region, and a gate electrode, and a channel region formed directly below the gate electrode. To the source region and the drain region are connected a source electrode and a drain electrode, respectively, through a plurality of contact holes. In the channel region are formed a plurality of P-type impurity-diffused regions at constant intervals.

Abstract: Silicon carbon is used as a diffusion barrier to germanium so that a silicon layer can be subsequently formed without being contaminated with germanium. This is useful in separating silicon layers from silicon germanium layers in situations in which both silicon and silicon germanium are desired to be present on the same semiconductor device such as for providing different materials for optimizing carrier mobility between N and P channel transistors and for a raised source/drain of silicon in the case of a silicon germanium body.

Abstract: A method for forming a silicon oxide layer over a substrate disposed in a high density plasma substrate processing chamber. The method includes flowing a process gas that includes a silicon-containing source, an oxygen-containing source and a fluorine-containing source into the substrate processing chamber and forming a plasma from said process gas. The substrate is heated to a temperature above 450° C. during deposition of said silicon oxide layer and the deposited layer has a fluorine content of less than 1.0 atomic percent.

Abstract: Example methods of manufacturing MOSFET devices are disclosed. One example method may include an oxidation, an etching, an ion implanting for a threshold voltage control to form an elevated source/drain region and thereby implements an ultra shallow junction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device in which the capacitive element of MIMC structure has a low parasitic capacity. A process for fabrication of said semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has a capacitive element of MIMC structure, a PN photodiode, and a vertical NPN bipolar transistor which are mounted together on the same semiconductor substrate. The lower wiring layer connected to the TiN lower electrode layer of the capacitive element of MIMC structure is formed on the insulating film and the first interlayer insulating film. Between this insulating film and the p-type semiconductor substrate is the p?-type low-concentration semiconductor layer whose impurity concentration is lower than that of the p-type semiconductor substrate. This construction suppresses the parasitic capacity of the capacitive element of the MIMC structure.