Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a semiconductor structure, a design structure for the semiconductor structure and a method of forming the semiconductor structure. The embodiments reduce harmonics and improve isolation between the active semiconductor layer and the substrate of a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. Specifically, the embodiments incorporate a trench isolation region extending to a fully or partially amorphized region of the wafer substrate. The trench isolation region is positioned outside lateral boundaries of at least one integrated circuit device located at or above the active semiconductor layer of the SOI wafer and, thereby improves isolation. The fully or partially amorphized region of the substrate reduces substrate mobility, which reduces the charge layer at the substrate/BOX interface and, thereby reduces harmonics. Optionally, the embodiments can incorporate an air gap between the wafer substrate and integrated circuit device(s) in order to further improve isolation.

Abstract: A structure comprises a single wafer with a first subcollector formed in a first region having a first thickness and a second subcollector formed in a second region having a second thickness, different from the first thickness. A method is also contemplated which includes providing a substrate including a first layer and forming a first doped region in the first layer. The method further includes forming a second layer on the first layer and forming a second doped region in the second layer. The second doped region is formed at a different depth than the first doped region. The method also includes forming a first reachthrough in the first layer and forming a second reachthrough in second layer to link the first reachthrough to the surface.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device having two different strains therein is provided. The method includes forming a strain in a first region with a first straining film, and forming a second strain in a second region with a second straining film. Either of the first or second strains may be either tensile or compressive. Additionally the strains may be formed at right angles to one another and may be additionally formed in the same region. In particular a vertical tensile strain may be formed in a base and collector region of an NPN bipolar transistor and a horizontal compressive strain may be formed in the extrinsic base region of the NPN bipolar transistor. A PNP bipolar transistor may be formed with a compression strain in the base and collector region in the vertical direction and a tensile strain in the extrinsic base region in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a self-aligned heterobipolar transistor (HBT) device in a BiCMOS technology. The method includes forming a raised extrinsic base structure by using an epitaxial growth process in which the growth rate between single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon is different and by using a low temperature oxidation process such as a high-pressure oxidation (HIPOX) process to form a self-aligned emitter/extrinsic base HBT structure.

Abstract: Disclosed is a bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) or NPN/PNP device that has a collector, an intrinsic base above the collector, shallow trench isolation regions adjacent the collector, a raised extrinsic base above the intrinsic base, a T-shaped emitter above the extrinsic base, spacers adjacent the emitter, and a silicide layer that is separated from the emitter by the spacers.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device having two different strains therein is provided. The method includes forming a strain in a first region with a first straining film, and forming a second strain in a second region with a second straining film. Either of the first or second strains may be either tensile or compressive. Additionally the strains may be formed at right angles to one another and may be additionally formed in the same region. In particular a vertical tensile strain may be formed in a base and collector region of an NPN bipolar transistor and a horizontal compressive strain may be formed in the extrinsic base region of the NPN bipolar transistor. A PNP bipolar transistor may be formed with a compression strain in the base and collector region in the vertical direction and a tensile strain in the extrinsic base region in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: A backside contact structure and method of fabricating the structure. The method includes: forming a dielectric isolation in a substrate, the substrate having a frontside and an opposing backside; forming a first dielectric layer on the frontside of the substrate; forming a trench in the first dielectric layer, the trench aligned over and within a perimeter of the dielectric isolation and extending to the dielectric isolation; extending the trench formed in the first dielectric layer through the dielectric isolation and into the substrate to a depth less than a thickness of the substrate; filling the trench and co-planarizing a top surface of the trench with a top surface of the first dielectric layer to form an electrically conductive through via; and thinning the substrate from a backside of the substrate to expose the through via.

Abstract: A structure comprises a single wafer with a first subcollector formed in a first region having a first thickness and a second subcollector formed in a second region having a second thickness, different from the first thickness. A method is also contemplated which includes providing a substrate including a first layer and forming a first doped region in the first layer. The method further includes forming a second layer on the first layer and forming a second doped region in the second layer. The second doped region is formed at a different depth than the first doped region. The method also includes forming a first reachthrough in the first layer and forming a second reachthrough in second layer to link the first reachthrough to the surface.

Abstract: A heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), an integrated circuit (IC) chip including at least one HBT and a method of forming the IC. The HBT includes an extrinsic base with one or more buried interstitial barrier layer. The extrinsic base may be heavily doped with boron and each buried interstitial barrier layer is doped with a dopant containing carbon, e.g., carbon or SiGe:C. The surface of the extrinsic base may be silicided.

Abstract: A ground shield is disclosed that includes a ‘cheesed’ metal positioned within a dielectric layer and a metal region positioned within a first metal level over the cheesed metal. The ground shield can have different forms depending on the metal used, and provisions are made to prevent diffusion of copper (Cu) when that is used as the metal in the cheese metal of the ground shield. The ground shield provides a low resistance, very thick metal at a first metal (M1) level for passive RF elements in conjunction with the standard back-end-of-line (BEOL) integration. The invention also includes a method of forming the ground shield.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device having two different strains therein is provided. The method includes forming a strain in a first region with a first straining film, and forming a second strain in a second region with a second straining film. Either of the first or second strains may be either tensile or compressive. Additionally the strains may be formed at right angles to one another and may be additionally formed in the same region. In particular a vertical tensile strain may be formed in a base and collector region of an NPN bipolar transistor and a horizontal compressive strain may be formed in the extrinsic base region of the NPN bipolar transistor. A PNP bipolar transistor may be formed with a compression strain in the base and collector region in the vertical direction and a tensile strain in the extrinsic base region in the horizontal direction.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of fabricating a bipolar transistor that adds a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer or a third insulator layer of, e.g., high pressure oxide (HIPOX), atop an emitter cap adjacent the intrinsic base prior to forming a link-up layer. This addition allows for removal of the link-up layer using wet etch chemistries to remove the excess SiGe or third insulator layer formed atop the emitter cap without using oxidation. In this case, an oxide section (formed by deposition of an oxide or segregation of the above-mentioned HIPOX layer) and nitride spacer can be used to form the emitter-base isolation. The invention results in lower thermal cycle, lower stress levels, and more control over the emitter cap layer thickness, which are drawbacks of the first embodiment. The invention also includes the resulting bipolar transistor structure.

Abstract: A high fT and fmax bipolar transistor includes an emitter, a base, and a collector. The emitter has a lower portion and an upper portion that extends beyond the lower portion. The base includes an intrinsic base and an extrinsic base. The intrinsic base is located between the lower portion of the emitter and the collector. The extrinsic base extends from the lower portion of the emitter beyond the upper portion of the emitter and includes a continuous conductor that extends from underneath the upper portion of the emitter and out from underneath the upper portion of the emitter. The continuous conductor provides a low electrical resistance path from a base contact (not shown) to the intrinsic base. The transistor may include a second conductor that does not extend underneath the upper portion of the emitter, but which further reduces the electrical resistance through the extrinsic base.

Abstract: A heterobipolar transistor (HBT) for high-speed BiCMOS applications is provided in which the collector resistance, Rc, is lowered by providing a buried refractory metal silicide layer underneath the shallow trench isolation region on the subcollector of the device. Specifically, the HBT of the present invention includes a substrate including at least a subcollector; a buried refractory metal silicide layer located on the subcollector; and a shallow trench isolation region located on a surface of the buried refractory metal silicide layer. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such a HBT. The method includes forming a buried refractory metal silicide underneath the shallow trench isolation region on the subcollector of the device.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor with raised extrinsic base and selectable self-alignment between the extrinsic base and the emitter is disclosed. The fabrication method may include the formation of a predefined thickness of a first extrinsic base layer of polysilicon or silicon on an intrinsic base. A dielectric landing pad is then formed by lithography on the first extrinsic base layer. Next, a second extrinsic base layer of polysilicon or silicon is formed on top of the dielectric landing pad to finalize the raised extrinsic base total thickness. An emitter opening is formed using lithography and RIE, where the second extrinsic base layer is etched stopping on the dielectric landing pad. The degree of self-alignment between the emitter and the raised extrinsic base is achieved by selecting the first extrinsic base layer thickness, the dielectric landing pad width, and the spacer width.

Abstract: Schottky barrier diodes use a dielectric separation region to bound an active region. The dielectric separation region permits the elimination of a guard ring in at least one dimension. Further, using a dielectric separation region in an active portion of the integrated circuit device may reduce or eliminate parasitic capacitance by eliminating this guard ring.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a self-aligned heterobipolar transistor (HBT) device in a BiCMOS technology. The method includes forming a raised extrinsic base structure by using an epitaxial growth process in which the growth rate between single crystal silicon and polycrystalline silicon is different and by using a low temperature oxidation process such as a high-pressure oxidation (HIPOX) process to form a self-aligned emitter/extrinsic base HBT structure.

Abstract: A heterojunction bipolar transistor is formed in a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type including a collector region. A base region is formed on the substrate and an emitter region is formed over the base region. At least one of the collector, base and emitter regions includes a first region doped with an impurity having a first concentration and a second region doped with the impurity having a second concentration. Noise performance and reliability of the heterojunction bipolar transistor is improved without degrading ac performance.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of fabricating a bipolar transistor that adds a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer or a third insulator layer of, e.g., high pressure oxide (HIPOX), atop an emitter cap adjacent the intrinsic base prior to forming a link-up layer. This addition allows for removal of the link-up layer using wet etch chemistries to remove the excess SiGe or third insulator layer formed atop the emitter cap without using oxidation. In this case, an oxide section (formed by deposition of an oxide or segregation of the above-mentioned HIPOX layer) and nitride spacer can be used to form the emitter-base isolation. The invention results in lower thermal cycle, lower stress levels, and more control over the emitter cap layer thickness, which are drawbacks of the first embodiment. The invention also includes the resulting bipolar transistor structure.

Abstract: A method for removing silicon dioxide residuals is disclosed. The method includes reacting a portion of a silicon dioxide layer (i.e., oxide) to form a reaction product layer, removing the reaction product layer and annealing in an environment to remove oxide residuals. The method finds application in a variety of semiconductor fabrication processes including, for example, fabrication of a vertical HBT or silicon-to-silicon interface without an oxide interface.