Abstract: A semiconductor memory device and manufacturing method, including a bit line connector and a lower electrode connector that respectively connect a bit line and a capacitor lower electrode of the device to active areas of a semiconductor substrate. The connectors are formed using a line-type self-aligned photoresist mask pattern positioned on an interlevel dielectric layer formed on the substrate, which exposes only a portion of the dielectric layer corresponding to a source region and which extends in a direction which a gate electrode extends, to provide a misalignment margin. The bit line connector and the lower electrode connector are respectively formed by one-time mask processes. A contact hole for the bit line connector in a cell area, and a contact hole for a metal wiring plug in a peripheral area are simultaneously formed, alleviating etching burden during subsequent forming of a metal wiring pad.

Abstract: In one aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a material comprising tungsten and nitrogen, comprising: a) providing a substrate; b) depositing a layer comprising tungsten and nitrogen over the substrate; and c) in a separate step from the depositing, exposing the layer comprising tungsten and nitrogen to a nitrogen-containing plasma. In another aspect, the invention includes a method of forming a capacitor, comprising: a) forming a first electrical node; b) forming a dielectric layer over the first electrical node; c) forming a second electrical node; and d) providing a layer comprising tungsten and nitrogen between the dielectric layer and one of the electrical nodes, the providing comprising; i) depositing a layer comprising tungsten and nitrogen; and ii) in a separate step from the depositing, exposing the layer comprising tungsten and nitrogen to a nitrogen-containing plasma.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of easily planarizing the uneven surface of a substrate having an uneven surface. This method comprises the steps of forming a coating film containing spherical fine particles on a surface of a smooth substrate; sticking the surface of the smooth substrate provided with the coating film containing spherical fine particles to the uneven surface of a substrate having an uneven surface; and transferring the coating film containing spherical fine particles to the uneven surface of the substrate so that the uneven surface is planarized.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having improved metal line structure has a first dielectric layer formed on a semiconductor substrate, a metal film pattern formed on the first dielectric layer, an interface protection layer on the metal film pattern, and a second dielectric layer on the interface protection layer, wherein the second dielectric layer contains a reactive material, e.g., fluorine, which is prevented by the interface protection layer from diffusing to the metal film pattern and reacting with the metal in the metal film pattern to form a damage film, e.g., metal fluoride, which is a highly resistive material that, if formed on the semiconductor device, would reduce the reliability of the metal film pattern and thus reduce the reliability of the semiconductor device as a whole.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is arranged to have a DRAM area in which to form at a high density gate electrodes of transistors serving as DRAM components, and a peripheral circuit area in which to form at a relatively low density gate electrodes of transistors as peripheral circuit components. A resist film is formed in corresponding relation to the gate electrodes of the DRAM. After an insulating film is etched, a resist film is formed in corresponding relation to the gate electrodes of the peripheral circuits. A conductive layer is then etched while the resist film and insulating film left in the DRAM area are being used as masks, whereby the gate electrodes are formed in the DRAM area and peripheral circuit area.

Abstract: A plug fabricating method, capable of fabricating a minute plug with a good configuration, reducing scum and simplifying the plug fabricating process, makes an inter-layer insulating film on a Si substrate and forms a contact hole in the inter-layer insulating film. A direct contact layer in form of a Ti/TiN film is formed on the inter-insulating, film to also cover the bottom surface and the side wall of the contact hole. After a W film is formed on the entire surface in a deposition chamber, ClF3 gas exhibiting a strong reducing property is supplied as an etching gas into the deposition chamber, and the W film and the direct contact layer are partly removed an by etch-back processing using gas etching by the ClF3 gas. As a result, a contact plug of W deposited on the direct contact layer as the base is formed inside the contact hole.

Abstract: An improved method and structure which increases the alignment tolerances in multiple, singularized plugs are provided. The invention discloses a novel method for forming individual plug contacts with increased surface area for improved registration between semiconducting layers. Also the improved plug contacts are particularly well suited to receiving contact formations which have any taper to them. IGFETS and other devices formed from this design can be used in a variety of beneficial applications, e.g. logic or memory.

Abstract: In order to provide a light oxidation process technique for use in a CMOS LSI employing a polymetal gate structure and a dual gate structure, so that both oxidation of a refractory metal film constituting a part of a gate electrode and diffusion of boron contained in a p-type polycrystalline silicon film constituting a part of the gate electrode can be prevented, a mixed gas containing a hydrogen gas and steam synthesized from an oxygen gas and a hydrogen gas is supplied to a major surface of a semiconductor wafer A1, and a heat treatment for improving a profile of a gate insulating film that has been cut by etching under an edge part of the gate electrode is conducted under a low thermal load condition in that the refractory metal film is substantially not oxidized, and boron contained in a p-type polycrystalline silicon film constituting a part of the gate electrode is not diffused to the semiconductor substrate through the gate oxide film.

Abstract: A first level packaging wafer is made of a semiconductor or insulating material. The bumps on the wafer are made using vertical integration technology, without solder or electroplating. More particularly, vias are etched part way into a first surface of the substrate. Metal is deposited into the vias. Then the substrate is blanket-etched from the back side until the metal is exposed and protrudes from the vias to form suitable bumps. Dicing methods and vertical integration methods are also provided. Solder or electroplating are used in some embodiments.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device having a capacitor, a resistor and a MOS transistor with characteristics conforming to design. To this end, a polysilicon film (4), a capacitor-dielectric/insulating film (5), a polysilicon film (6) are deposited, and an upper electrode (7) of the capacitor is formed from the polysilicon film (6), and edge portions (7a) of the upper electrode (7) are oxidized. On top of this, an inorganic anti-reflection coating film (9) and a CAP oxide film (10) are deposited and etched to form a mask pattern (12) for forming the capacitor and the resistor. On the other hand, a tungsten silicide film (13), an inorganic anti-reflection coating film (14) and a CAP oxide film (15) are deposited and etched to form a mask pattern (17) for forming a gate electrode. The polysilicon film (4) is etched by using the mask patterns (12) and (17), leaving behind the tungsten silicide film (13) beneath the mask pattern 17.

Abstract: In a semiconductor memory having a cylindrical storage electrode which is electrically connected to a semiconductor substrate through a contact hole formed to penetrate through an insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, the cylindrical storage electrode has a horizontal fin formed integrally with the cylindrical storage electrode and to extend inwardly from an inner surface of the cylindrical storage electrode to form an annular ring extending along the inner circumference of the cylindrical storage electrode one turn. A dielectric film is formed to cover a surface of the cylindrical storage electrode including the surface of the horizontal fin, and is covered with a plate electrode. Thus, the cylindrical storage electrode has an increased effective surface area even if the area per memory cell is reduced. Accordingly, a necessary storage capacitance can be obtained with an increased integration density.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a capacitor in a DRAM cell, includes the steps of: forming a plurality of wordlines each having a first cap insulating film on a semiconductor substrate; forming source/drain impurity regions in an active region of the semiconductor substrate on both sides of each of the wordlines; forming first sidewall insulating films at the both sides of said each of the wordlines; forming first plugs for contacting either capacitor nodes or bitlines on each of the source/drain impurity regions; forming an interlayer insulating film on the semiconductor substrate and forming a contact hole to the first plugs for contacting to the bitlines therein; forming a plurality of bitlines in a direction perpendicular to the wordlines, each of the bitlines being in contact with the first plugs, and having a second cap insulating film; forming second sidewall insulating films at both sides of each of the bitlines and selectively removing the interlayer insulating film to expose surfaces of the first plugs; fo

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: The invention includes a number of methods and structures pertaining to semiconductor circuit technology, including: methods of forming DRAM memory cell constructions; methods of forming capacitor constructions; DRAM memory cell constructions; capacitor constructions; and monolithic integrated circuitry. The invention includes a method of forming a capacitor comprising the following steps: a) forming a mass of silicon material over a node location, the mass comprising exposed doped silicon and exposed undoped silicon; b) substantially selectively forming rugged polysilicon from the exposed undoped silicon and not from the exposed doped silicon; and c) forming a capacitor dielectric layer and a complementary capacitor plate proximate the rugged polysilicon and doped silicon.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, adjacent ones of aluminum wirings are electrically isolated from each other through an interlayer insulation film containing a void space portion which is disposed between the adjacent ones of the aluminum wirings in a condition in which the void space portion makes its lower surface substantially flush with a lower surface of each of the aluminum wirings. A trench is formed between the adjacent ones of the aluminum wirings in an upper surface of a semiconductor substrate. Each of the trench and the aluminum wirings has its side surfaces covered with a damage preventing silicon oxide film, i.e., side-wall insulation film which is used to form the trench. The trench is filled with the interlayer insulation film.

Abstract: A new method is provided for the creation of a salicided polysilicon capacitor. A salicided layer of polysilicon is created as the lower plate of a salicided polysilicon capacitor over the surface of a field isolation region. A layer of silicon nitride is deposited over the field oxide isolation region including the surface of the salicided polysilicon layer. A layer of TEOS is deposited over the surface of the layer of silicon nitride, a layer if titanium nitride is deposited over the surface of the layer of TEOS. The layer of TiN is etched after which the layer of TEOS is etched. The etch of the layer of TEOS is an overetch whereby TEOS is symmetrically removed from underneath the etched layer of TiN, leaving remnants of TEOS in place underneath the etched layer of TiN while at the same time creating air gaps underneath the etched layer of TiN.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an avalanche diode of determined threshold in a substrate of a first conductivity type with a low doping level, including the steps of diffusing in the substrate at least one first region of the first conductivity type; diffusing in the substrate a second region of the second conductivity type protruding from the first region. The opening of a mask of definition of the first region has a lateral extent smaller than the diffusion depth of the first region in the substrate, this lateral extent being chosen all the smaller as the desired avalanche threshold is high.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the same includes a plurality of memory cells, each cell having a transistor formed on a first semiconductor substrate and comprising first and second impurity regions and a gate electrode, and a capacitor comprising a first electrode connected with the first impurity region of the transistor and a second electrode formed on the first electrode with a dielectric film disposed therebetween, wherein a channel region formed between the first impurity region and the second impurity region of the transistor is vertically located on the capacitor, and a contact hole connecting the second impurity region of the transistor with the bit-line is vertically located on the channel region, thus achieving the cell area required for one-giga-bit memory devices and beyond and enabling increased capacitance.

Abstract: Methods are provided for separating microcircuit dies from a wafer, which includes microcircuit dies containing componentry on a circuit side thereof and streets separating the dies from each other. A first wafer mount film is affixed to the circuit side of the wafer, and the dies are detached along the streets with the circuit side of the wafer fixed to the first wafer mount film, thereby forming a divided wafer. A second wafer mount film is fixed to the back side of the divided wafer, and the first wafer mount film is removed from the divided wafer so that the dies remain fixed to the second wafer mount film with their circuit sides exposed. The second wafer mount film preferably has greater adhesion to the divided wafer than the first wafer mount film when the first wafer mount film is removed from the divided wafer. The first wafer mount film may comprise a protective film having holes aligned with fragile components on the dies and a cover film that covers the holes.

Abstract: The invention comprises capacitors and methods of forming capacitors. In one implementation, a method of forming a capacitor includes forming a first capacitor electrode. An Si3N4 comprising capacitor dielectric layer is formed over the first capacitor electrode. The Si3N4 comprising layer is oxidized in the presence of a chlorine containing atmosphere under conditions which form a silicon oxynitride layer comprising chlorine atop the Si3N4 layer. In one aspect, the oxidizing sequentially comprises a dry oxidation in the presence of an oxygen containing gas in the substantial absence of chlorine, a dry oxidation in the presence of a gas comprising oxygen and chlorine, and a wet oxidation comprising chlorine. A second capacitor electrode is formed over the chlorine containing silicon oxynitride layer. In one implementation, a method of forming a capacitor comprises forming a first capacitor electrode.