Abstract: A method for forming a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer within a microelectronics fabrication, and the microelectronics fabrication having the silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer formed therein. There is first provided a substrate employed within a microelectronics fabrication. There is then formed over the substrate a first silicon nitride layer through a first deposition method. There is then formed upon the first silicon nitride layer a second silicon nitride layer through a second deposition method. Finally, there is annealed thermally in an oxidizing environment the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer to form therefrom a silicon nitride/silicon oxide (NO) layer.

Abstract: A process and structure are described wherein logic and memory share the same chip. Contacts to the memory circuits are made using the SAC process, thus ensuring maximum density, while contacts to the logic circuits are made using the SALICIDE process, thus ensuring high performance. The two processes have been integrated within a single chip by first depositing the various layers needed by the gate pedestals in both the logic and the memory areas and then forming the two sets of gate pedestals in separate steps. Gates located in the logic area are formed only from polysilicon while those located in the memory areas also have an overlay of tungsten silicide topped by a hard mask of silicon nitride. With the two sets of gates in place, source/drain regions are formed in the usual way. This includes growing of silicon nitride spacers on the vertical sides of the pedestals. The pedestals in the memory area are much longer than those in the logic area since they extend all the way to the top of the hard masks.