Abstract: Subcollector layers or emitter layers constituting a bipolar transistor having different thicknesses form a two-layered structure. A resistor layer is formed at the same as one of the subcollector layers or one of the emitter layers, from the same material as that of the subcollector layer or emitter layer. A resistor is formed by the resistor layer made of the same material as that of the subcollector layer or emitter layer. A resistor with a desired resistance can be integrally built into a semiconductor device without adversely affecting the characteristics of a bipolar transistor.

Abstract: A method for forming a self-aligned mask read only memory by dual damascene trenches is disclosed. In the method, a thickness difference is formed between the gate area and periphery to be formed with a dual damascene trench so as to be formed with a condition of self-alignment of read only memory code. Thus, the manufacturing range in the lithography is enlarged, and an ion implantation process with self-aligned ability complete. Therefore, self-aligned read only memory codes and metal word lines are formed. The defect of disalignment in the read only memory code is resolved and the difficulty in the manufacturing process is reduced.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for forming an embedded metal wiring comprising the steps of: forming a wiring trench, a barrier metal film and a conductive metal film; exposing the barrier metal film by polishing the conductive metal film by use of a polishing liquid and an oxidizing agent having a first concentration; and forming a wiring by polishing and removing the exposed barrier metal film by use of a polishing liquid and an oxidizing agent having a second concentration lower than the first concentration. The excessive polishing of the conductive metal occurs when an oxidizing agent having a relatively large concentration while such an oxidizing agent is needed when the barrier metal film is polished and removed. In order to attain the smooth removal of the barrier metal film and to prevent the excessive removal of the conductive metal, the oxidizing agent having a lower concentration is employed in the polishing of the conductive metal.

Abstract: An Ir—M—O composite film has been provided that is useful in forming an electrode of a ferroelectric capacitor, where M includes a variety of refractory metals. The Ir combination film effectively prevents oxygen diffusion, and is resistant to high temperature annealing in oxygen environments. When used with an underlying barrier layer made from oxidizing the same variety of M transition metals, the resulting conductive barrier also suppresses the diffusion of Ir into any underlying Si substrates. As a result, Ir silicide products are not formed, which degrade the electrode interface characteristics. The Ir combination film remains conductive, not peeling or forming hillocks, during high temperature annealing processes, even in oxygen. The Ir—M—O conductive electrode/barrier structures are useful in nonvolatile MFMIS (metal/ferro/metal/insulator/silicon) memory devices, DRAMs, capacitors, pyroelectric infrared sensors, optical displays, and piezoelectric transducers.

Abstract: A process for eliminating an interface layer between a poly plug and a hemispherical silicon grain. A substrate comprising a conductive plug and a storage node opening is provided, and the storage node opening is located on the conductive plug. Then, a first conductive layer is formed conformably over the inside surface of the storage node opening and a hemispherical silicon grain layer is formed on the first conductive layer. Next, the hemispherical silicon grain layer and the first conductive layer is implanted and the substrate is annealed. The re-arrangement and re-crystallization of the interface layer can greatly reduce the resistance of the node contact.

Abstract: Methods of forming capacitors and related integrated circuitry are described. In a preferred embodiment, the capacitors form part of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell. According to one aspect of the invention, a first insulating layer is formed over a semiconductive material layer. A conductive gate is formed over the semiconductive material layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the gate and thereafter etched to form a capacitor container. In one implementation, such etch is conducted to outwardly expose the semiconductive material layer. In another implementation, such etch continues into the semiconductive material layer. In yet another implementation, such etch is conducted completely through the semiconductive material layer and into the first insulating layer. In a preferred implementation, a storage capacitor is formed within the capacitor container which extends both elevationally above and elevationally below the gate.

Abstract: Disclosed is a container capacitor structure and method of constructing it. An etch mask and etch are used to expose portions of an exterior surface of electrode (“bottom electrodes”) of the container capacitor structure. The etch provides a recess between proximal pairs of container capacitor structures which recess is available for forming additional capacitance. Accordingly, a capacitor dielectric and a top electrode are formed on and adjacent to, respectively, both an interior surface and portions of the exterior surface of the first electrode. Advantageously, surface area common to both the first electrode and second electrodes is increased over using only the interior surface, which provides additional capacitance without a decrease in spacing for clearing portions of the capacitor dielectric and the second electrode away from a contact hole location.

Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device in which a direction of a conformation difference in respective wiring layers of semiconductor integrated circuits can be detected and at the same time a conformation difference detection sensitivity is increased. A semiconductor device is provided with semiconductor integrated circuits 10, which are practical circuits, and conformation difference detection circuits 11 in one and same semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method for fabricating trenches for storage capacitors of DRAM semiconductor memories by plasma etching semiconductor substrates, includes fabricating a partial trench region with a cross-sectional profile deviating from essentially constant toward a larger cross-sectional profile. A surface of the partial trench region is passivated and the etching/passivating step is continued periodically, in order to fabricate further partial trench regions, until a predetermined overall trench depth has been reached.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for resist strip. Wafers (108) with a patterned resist formed thereon are placed in a carrier (104) in a process chamber (102). An ozonated deionized water mist (120) is sprayed on the surface of wafer (108). The ozonated deionized water mist (120) strips the resist and removes the resist residue without the use of hazardous chemicals. The ozonated deionized water mist (120) may be formed in an atomizer that mixes deionized water (116) with ozone (118). The ozonated deionized water mist (120) is then sprayed onto the wafers (108) while the wafers are being rotated.

Abstract: Dual gate dielectric constructions and methods therefor are disclosed for different regions on an integrated circuit. In the illustrated embodiment, gate dielectrics in memory array regions of the chip are formed of silicon oxide, while the gate dielectric in the peripheral region comprises a harder material, specifically silicon nitride, and has a lesser overall equivalent oxide thickness. The illustrated peripheral gate dielectric has an oxide-nitride-oxide construction. The disclosed process includes forming silicon nitride over the entire chip followed by selectively etching off the silicon nitride from the memory array region, without requiring a separate mask as compared to conventional processes. After the selective etch, oxide is grown over the entire chip, growing differentially thicker in the memory array region.

Abstract: A method for forming ultra shallow junctions in a semiconductor wafer uses disposable spacers and a silicon cap layer to achieve ultra-low low silicon consumption during a salicide formation process. A refractory metal layer, such as a cobalt layer, is deposited over the gate and source/drain junctions of a semiconductor device. Silicon nitride disposable spacers are formed over the metal layer in the region of the sidewall spacers previously formed on the sidewalls of the gate. A silicon cap layer is deposited over the metal layer and the disposable spacers. Rapid thermal annealing is performed to form the high-ohmic phase of the salicide, with the disposable spacers preventing interaction and between the cobalt and the silicon in the area between the gate and the source/drain junctions along the sidewall spacers. The silicon cap layer provides a source of silicon for consumption during the first phase of salicide formation, reducing the amount of silicon of the source/drain junctions that is consumed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate including a base substrate, an insulator layer, and a silicon layer, a trench capacitor including at least one trench formed in the silicon-on-insulator substrate and extending through the silicon layer and the insulator layer to the base substrate, and a resistive element formed in the silicon-on-insulator substrate. The capacitor and resistor structure provide an R-C circuit which may be used in triggering an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device.

Abstract: A new method is provided for the creation of openings in a layer of dielectric while at the same time forming a dielectric that forms the dielectric of MIM capacitors. Under the first embodiment of the invention a layer of insulation, such as SixNy or SiON or TaN and TiN, is deposited over the surface of a semiconductor substrate, points of electrical contact have been provided in this semiconductor surface. A layer of IMD is deposited over the layer of insulation, an opening is created in the layer of IMD that aligns with and overlays a contact point over which a MIM capacitor is to be created. Under the second embodiment of the invention, a stack of three layers of a first layer of TaN followed by SiOx or SixNy followed by a second layer of TaN is used as the dielectric layer for the capacitor whereby the first layer of TaN is used as an etch stop for an opening that is etched for the creation of the upper plate of the capacitor.

Abstract: Low current leakage DRAM structures are achieved using a selective silicon epitaxial growth over an insulating layer on memory cell (device) areas. An insulating layer, that also serves as a stress-release layer, and a Si3N4 hard mask are patterned to leave portions over the memory cell areas. Shallow trenches are etched in the substrate and filled with a CVD oxide which is polished back to the hard mask to form shallow trench isolation (STI) around the memory cell areas. The hard mask is selectively removed to form recesses in the STI aligned over the memory cell areas exposing the underlying insulating layer. Openings are etched in the insulating layer to provide a silicon-seed surface from which is grown a selective epitaxial layer extending over the insulating layer within the recesses. After growing a gate oxide on the epitaxial layer, FETs and DRAM capacitors can be formed on the epitaxial layer.

Abstract: A bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor device has a c-well fabricated using profile engineering (a multi-energy implant using accurate dosages and energies determined by advance simulation) to provide a higher c-well implant dose while creating a narrow region with relatively low concentration in the collector depletion range to avoid low base-collector breakdown. This achieves a much lower collector series resistance to pull-up a frequency response, a collector sheet resistance which can be as low as 150 &OHgr;/sq., and fT may be increased to 20 GHz or higher.

Abstract: While conventionally, a Co film is deposited by directional sputtering directly on a source/drain diffusion layer formed on the surface of an Si substrate while the substrate is being heated, a thin oxide film is formed on the source/drain diffusion layer and then, the Co film is deposited by directional sputtering while the substrate is being heated. By doing this, an inner Co—Si layer the composition of which is thermally unstable is formed and a Co—Si—O layer is formed on the Co—Si layer. After the remaining unreacted Co film and the Co—Si—O layer are selectively removed, a high-temperature heat treatment is performed, so that the inner Co—Si layer is transformed into a CoSi2 layer to increase the film thickness. The formation of the oxide film curbs the speed of reaction between Co and Si, so that a Co—Si layer of the same thickness as that in the wide region can be formed in the fine region.

Abstract: The invention is a method of depositing an aluminum nitride comprising layer over a semiconductor substrate, a method of forming DRAM circuitry, DRAM circuitry, a method of forming a field emission device, and a field emission device. In one aspect, a method of depositing an aluminum nitride comprising layer over a semiconductor substrate includes positioning a semiconductor substrate within a chemical vapor deposition reactor. Ammonia and at least one of triethylaluminum and trimethylaluminum are fed to the reactor while the substrate is at a temperature of about 500° C. or less and at a reactor pressure from about 100 mTorr to about 725 Torr effective to deposit a layer comprising aluminum nitride over the substrate at such temperature and reactor pressure. In one aspect, such layer is utilized as a cell dielectric layer in DRAM circuitry. In one aspect, such layer is deposited over emitters of a field emission display.

Abstract: A process for fabricating a MOSFET device, featuring source/drain extension regions, formed after the utilization of high temperature processes, such as heavily doped source/drain regions, has been developed. Disposable insulator spacers are formed on the sides of doped, SEG silicon regions, followed formation of a gate insulator layer, and an overlying gate structure, on a region of the semiconductor substrate located between the doped SEG silicon regions. The temperature experienced during these process steps result in the formation of the heavily doped source/drain, underlying the SEG silicon regions. Selective removal of the disposable spacers, allows the source/drain extension regions to be placed in the space vacated by the disposable spacers, adjacent to the heavily doped source/drain region. Insulator spacers are then used to fill the spaces vacated by removal of the disposable spacers, directly overlying the source/drain extension regions.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a wafer level chip scale package with discrete package encapsulation and devices formed by the method are described. A dry film photoresist layer is first deposited on top of a pre-processed wafer complete with a plurality of bond pads and an I/O redistribution metal layer. The dry film photoresist layer is then patterned to form a plurality of trench openings and a plurality of via openings followed by the process of depositing a liquid photoresist material into the plurality of trench openings and plating a conductive metal into the plurality of via openings to form via plugs. After the dry film photoresist layer is removed, an encapsulant layer is printed on top of the wafer to embed the protrusions formed by the liquid photoresist material and the via plugs.