Abstract: A metal-to-metal conductive plug-type antifuse has a conductive plug disposed in an opening in an insulating layer. A programmable material feature (for example, amorphous silicon) overlies the conductive plug. A conductor involving a metal (for example, aluminum or copper) that migrates in the programmable material overlies the programmable material. To prevent migration of metal from the conductor into the programmable material when the antifuse is not programmed, the conductor has a layer of barrier metal between the metal that migrates and the programmable material. In some embodiments, there are two layers of barrier metal. An airbreak after formation of the first barrier metal layer improves the ability of the barrier metal to prevent diffusion between the programmable material and the overlying conductor.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit with trenches, without parasitic edge transistors, for isolating FET transistors from each other without degrading the FETs operating characteristics by junction leakage, breakdown or shorting when a metal silicide is used in the source/drain regions. A silicon wafer, is formed with a gate electrode material on a gate insulating layer before forming the trenches for isolation. Now, with an etch protective layer on the gate electrode, trenches are etched and filled with an insulating material in the gate electrode material, the gate insulating layer and the silicon wafer to isolate the active regions. After the gate electrode material is etched to define the gate electrodes, the tops of gate electrodes are in essentially the same plane as the tops of the trenches. Preferably in the fabrication process, sidewalls are formed on the walls of the trenches and the gate electrodes.

Abstract: Borderless vias are formed by depositing a hard dielectric mask layer on the upper surface of a lower metal feature and forming sidewall spacers on the side surfaces of the metal feature and mask layer. A dielectric interlayer is deposited and a misaligned through-hole formed therein by etching. The dielectric material of the sidewall spacer and dielectric material of the dielectric interlayer are different. The etchant employed to form the through-hole exhibits a high selectivity with respect to the sidewall spacer material. The dielectric mask layer enables the formation of a sidewall spacer extending above the metal feature such that, after etching to form the misaligned through-hole, the sidewall spacer covers the side surface of the metal feature.

Abstract: A field programmable gate array has antifuses disposed over logic modules. Each of these antifuses includes a conductive plug and an overlaying region of programmable material (for example, amorphous silicon). To program one of these antifuses, an electric connection is formed through the programmable material to couple the conductive plug to a metal conductor that overlays the region of programmable material. The metal conductor includes a layer of a barrier metal to separate another metal of the conductor (for example, aluminum from an aluminum layer) from migrating into the programmable material when the antifuse is unprogrammed. In some embodiments, less than three percent of all antifuses of the field programmable gate array has a corner (from the top-down perspective) of the region of programmable material that is disposed (within lateral distance DIS of the conductive plug) underneath the metal conductor of that antifuse.

Abstract: In a programmable device employing antifuses, first digital logic transistors the gates of which will experience a programming voltage Vpp have a greater gate insulator thickness than do second digital logic transistors the gates of which will not experience the programming voltage. The first digital logic transistors may be logic module input device transistors. The first digital logic transistors may be transistors coupled to an enable input lead where the enable input lead is couplable to a tie-high conductor or to a tie-low conductor depending on which of two antifuses is programmed.

Abstract: A metal-to-metal conductive plug-type antifuise has a conductive plug disposed in an opening in an insulating layer. A programmable material feature (for example, amorphous silicon) overlies the conductive plug. A conductor involving a metal (for example, aluminum or copper) that migrates in the programmable material overlies the programmable material. To prevent migration of metal from the conductor into the programmable material when the antifuse is not programmed, the conductor has a layer of barrier metal between the metal that migrates and the programmable material. In some embodiments, there are two layers of barrier metal. An airbreak after formation of the first barrier metal layer improves the ability of the barrier metal to prevent diffusion between the programmable material and the overlying conductor.

Abstract: Vias are formed by depositing a hard dielectric mask layer on the upper surface of a lower metal feature and forming sidewall spacers on the side surfaces of the metal feature and mask layer. Embodiments include depositing a dielectric interlayer and forming a misaligned through-hole therein by etching. The dielectric material of the sidewall spacer and dielectric material of the dielectric interlayer are different. The etchant employed to form the through-hole exhibits a high selectivity with respect to the sidewall spacer material. The dielectric mask layer enables the formation of a sidewall spacer extending above the metal feature such that, after etching to form the misaligned through-hole, the sidewall spacer covers the side surface of the metal feature.

Abstract: A field programmable gate array has antifuses disposed over logic modules. Each of these antifuses includes a conductive plug and an overlaying region of programmable material (for example, amorphous silicon). To program one of these antifuses, an electric connection is formed through the programmable material to couple the conductive plug to a metal conductor that overlays the region of programmable material. The metal conductor includes a layer of a barrier metal to separate another metal of the conductor (for example, aluminum from an aluminum layer) from migrating into the programmable material when the antifuse is unprogrammed. In some embodiments, less than three percent of all antifuses of the field programmable gate array has a corner (from the top-down perspective) of the region of programmable material that is disposed (within lateral distance DIS of the conductive plug) underneath the metal conductor of that antifuse.

Abstract: A capacitor is provided for analog applications which can be fabricated with processes conventionally employed to fabricate digital circuitry and which has line spacing that is smaller than interlayer spacing. The capacitor of the present invention is based on intralayer capacitive coupling, rather than interlayer capacitive coupling which is conventionally employed in prior art capacitors. A capacitance can be achieved with the capacitor of the present invention that is higher than can be obtained with conventional capacitors occupying an area on the integrated circuit structure having similar size. Additionally, the capacitor of the present invention can be formed from upper metal layer such as metal-3, metal-4, and metal-5, and when the capacitor is formed from any of the upper metal layers the parasitic capacitance to ground is small.

Abstract: Borderless vias are formed by depositing a hard dielectric mask layer on the upper surface of a lower metal feature and forming sidewall spacers on the side surfaces of the metal feature and mask layer. A dielectric interlayer is deposited and a misaligned through-hole formed therein by etching. The dielectric material of the sidewall spacer and dielectric material of the dielectric interlayer are different. The etchant employed to form the through-hole exhibits a high selectivity with respect to the sidewall spacer material. The dielectric mask layer enables the formation of a sidewall spacer extending above the metal feature such that, after etching to form the misaligned through-hole, the sidewall spacer covers the side surface of the metal feature.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device has a plurality of active devices which are formed on a semiconductor body. A plurality of narrow isolating regions of insulating material are vertically formed on the semiconductor body such that at least one of the narrow isolating regions separates and thereby isolates adjacent active devices. Essentially all of said isolating regions are substantially equal in width, preferably less than or equal to about 0.5 .mu.m.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit with trenches, without parasitic edge transistors, for isolating FET transistors from each other without degrading the FETs operating characteristics by junction leakage, breakdown or shorting, when a metal silicide is used in the source/drain regions. A silicon wafer is formed with sidewalls on the sides of each area in which a groove is to be etched. In etching the silicon, the sidewalls define the lateral dimension of the trenches. After the trenches are etched, the sidewalls are removed and the trenched are filled with an insulating material using a high density plasma reactor, such as an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma reactor. This type of reactor simultaneously deposits and sputter etches so that silicon edges at the base of the now removed sidewalls become tapered at an angle of about 45.degree. during deposition.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fabricating small structures to be employed in integrated circuits formed on a semiconductor substrate. Examples of such small structures include contacts, vias, and metal lines. The method of the present invention employs an image reversal technique to obtain improved feature definition. In forming a feature in a layer of material, a clear field reticle is used to form patterned segments of photoresist each having a size, a shape, and a location substantially identical to the size, the shape, and the location of one of the features intended to be formed in the layer of material. This method is employed instead of using a dark field reticle which forms windows in a photoresist each having a size, a shape, and a location substantially identical to the size, the shape, and the location of one of the features intended to be formed in the layer of material.

Abstract: A novel interconnect layout method and metallization scheme is provided that simplifies the process of fabricating multilayer interconnects. The process of the present invention provides a multilevel interconnect structure formed solely from patterned metal layers stacked on top of each other. Both interconnect lines which form electrical connections along horizontal paths, as well as contacts which form electrical connections along vertical paths, can be formed using patterned metal interconnects as building-blocks. No specific process module is needed for contact layers. The use of patterned metal layers formed from the same process modules makes both design and construction of multilayer interconnects simpler. Accordingly, the manufacturing process is simplified, thus resulting in lower cost. To form thicker metal layers for the purpose of constructing thick interconnect lines, two or more patterned metal layers may be stacked on each other. In this manner, vertical low ohmic bussing is made possible.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit with trenches, without parasitic edge transistors, for isolating FET transistors from each other without degrading the FETs operating characteristics by junction leakage, breakdown or shorting when a metal silicide is used in the source/drain regions. A silicon wafer, is formed with a gate electrode material on a gate insulating layer before forming the trenches for isolation. Now, with an etch protective layer on the gate electrode, trenches are etched and filled with an insulating material in the gate electrode material, the gate insulating layer and the silicon wafer to isolate the active regions. After the gate electrode material is etched to define the gate electrodes, the tops of gate electrodes are in essentially the same plane as the tops of the trenches. Preferably in the fabrication process, sidewalls are formed on the walls of the trenches and the gate electrodes.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device has a plurality of active devices which are formed on a semiconductor body. A plurality of narrow isolating regions of insulating material are vertically formed on the semiconductor body such that at least one of the narrow isolating regions separates and thereby isolates adjacent active devices. Essentially all of said isolating regions are substantially equal in width, preferably less than or equal to about 0.5 .mu.m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a solid-state bi-stable circuit functioning as a six-bulk transistor static memory cell, the circuit comprising a plurality of bitlines and at least a first and second reference line, all of which are positioned in parallel with a plurality of wordlines. The circuit further comprises a plurality of transistors including a first and second load transistor, a first and a second pull-down transistor and a first and a second access transistor, in which each of the plurality of transistors includes a gate, source and drain. The gates of the plurality of transistors are positioned in parallel to minimize area usage.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is set forth, comprising a silicon body (1) having a surface (4) where there are situated a number of semiconductor regions (5, 6) and field oxide regions (7). The semiconductor regions is formed, after the field oxide regions have been provided, by implantations of n-type and p-type dopants. In accordance with the invention the implantations with the n-type dopant (10, 11, 14), which are performed using an implantation mask (8) provided on the surface and comprising openings (9) at the area of a part of the semiconductor regions (5) to be formed, are combined with the implantations with the p-type dopant (12, 13, 15) which are carried out without using the implantation mask. Thus, the semiconductor regions (5, 6) are realised by means of a single implantation mask (8).

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of contacting a metal silicide pattern on an integrated semiconductor circuit which is provided with a planarized dielectric layer. A silicide-forming metal layer (9), preferably a titanium layer, is provided on the surface of a silicon substrate having a field oxide patter (2) which is provided with a conductor pattern (4) of silicon. A layer (10) of amorphous (a-) silicon is provided locally on this metal layer to form "straps". The entire device is heated in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere, by which the metal layer (9) is converted at least partly into metal silicide (12). A dielectric layer (13), for example of silicon oxide, is provided over the entire surface. The layer (13) is planarized and provided with contact windows (15) on the metal silicide by etching, after which a metallization (16) is provided.