Abstract: Circuits using four terminal junction field effect transistors (JFETs) are disclosed. Such circuits can include various static and dynamic logic circuits, flip-flops, multiplexer, tri-state driver, phase detector, logic having variable speeds of operation, and/or analog circuit with such four terminal JFETs operating in a linear or nonlinear mode.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for manufacturing metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors that are operable at voltages below 1.5V, which MOS transistors are area efficient, and where the drive strength and leakage current of the MOS transistors is improved. The invention uses a dynamic threshold voltage control scheme that does not require a change to the existing MOS technology process. The invention provides a technique that controls the threshold voltage of the transistor. In the OFF state, the threshold voltage of the transistor is set high, keeping the transistor leakage to a small value. In the ON state, the threshold voltage is set to a low value, resulting in increased drive strength. The invention is particularly useful in MOS technology for both bulk and silicon on insulator (SOI) CMOS.

Abstract: A method for using an inverter with a pair of complementary junction field effect transistors (CJFET) with a small linewidth is provided. The method includes having an input capacitance for said CJFET inverter to be less than the corresponding input capacitance of a CMOS inverter of similar linewidth. The CJFET operates at a power supply with a lesser value than the voltage drop across a forward-biased diode having a reduced switching power as compared to said CMOS inverter and having a propagation delay for said CJFET inverter that is at least comparable to the corresponding delay of said CMOS inverter.

Abstract: A JFET integrated onto a substrate having a semiconductor layer at least and having source and drain contacts over an active area and made of first polysilicon (or other conductors such as refractive metal or silicide) and a self-aligned gate contact made of second polysilicon which has been polished back to be flush with a top surface of a dielectric layer covering the tops of the source and drain contacts. The dielectric layer preferably has a nitride cap to act as a polish stop. In some embodiments, nitride covers the entire dielectric layer covering the source and drain contacts as well as the field oxide region defining an active area for said JFET. An embodiment with an epitaxially grown channel region formed on the surface of the substrate is also disclosed.

Abstract: Use of a forward biased diode to reduce leakage current of transistors implemented on silicon on insulator (SOI) is a particular challenge due to the difficulty of achieving effective contact with the region beneath the gate of the transistor. An improved implementation in SOI gate fingers that reach under the source through tunnels that are contacted with a region outside the transistor. A further embodiment uses drain extension implants to provide good channel connection.

Abstract: A JFET structure with self-aligned metal source, drain and gate contacts with very low resistivity and very small feature sizes. Small source, drain and gate openings are etched in a thin dielectric layer which has a thickness set according to the desired source, gate and drain opening sizes, said dielectric layer having a nitride top layer. Metal is deposited on top of said dielectric layer to fill said openings and the metal is polished back to the top of the dielectric layer to achieve thin source, drain and gate contacts. Some embodiments include an anti-leakage poly-silicon layer lining the contact holes and all embodiments where spiking may occur include a barrier metal layer.

Abstract: A JFET integrated onto a substrate having a semiconductor layer at least and having source and drain contacts over an active area and made of first polysilicon (or other conductors such as refractive metal or silicide) and a self-aligned gate contact made of second polysilicon which has been polished back to be flush with a top surface of a dielectric layer covering the tops of the source and drain contacts. The dielectric layer preferably has a nitride cap to act as a polish stop. In some embodiments, nitride covers the entire dielectric layer covering the source and drain contacts as well as the field oxide region defining an active area for said JFET. An embodiment with an epitaxially grown channel region formed on the surface of the substrate is also disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor device that includes transmitter circuits and receiver circuits that share a common data line and method is disclosed. Each transmitter circuit may include a frequency modulator that receives a stream of data and provides a frequency modulated data output at a predetermined carrier frequency. Each receiver may include a band pass filter that allows a corresponding frequency modulated data output from a corresponding transmitter circuit to pass through to a demodulator while essentially excluding the other frequency modulated data. In this way, a plurality of transmitter circuits can simultaneously transmit data with each one of the plurality of transmitter circuits transmitting data to a predetermined receiver circuit.

Abstract: A method for using an inverter with a pair of complementary junction field effect transistors (CJFET) with a small linewidth is provided. The method includes having an input capacitance for said CJFET inverter to be less than the corresponding input capacitance of a CMOS inverter of similar linewidth. The CJFET operates at a power supply with a lesser value than the voltage drop across a forward-biased diode having a reduced switching power as compared to said CMOS inverter and having a propagation delay for said CJFET inverter that is at least comparable to the corresponding delay of said CMOS inverter.

Abstract: Junction field effect transistors (JFET) formed in substrates containing germanium. JFETs having polycrystalline semiconductor surface contacts with self-aligned silicide formed thereon and self-aligned source, drain and gate regions formed by thermal drive-in of impurities from surface contacts into the substrate, and implanted link regions. Others have a polycrystalline semiconductor gate surface contact and metal back gate, source and drain contacts and a metal surface contact to the gate surface contact with implanted source and drains and a self-aligned gate region. JFETs having a polycrystalline semiconductor gate surface contact and metal back gate, source and drain contacts and a metal surface contact to the gate surface contact with implanted source and drains and a self-aligned gate region and silicide formed on the top of the source, drain and back gate contacts and on top of the gate polycrystalline semiconductor gate contact to which the metal surface contacts make electrical contact.

Abstract: Integrate circuit systems and semiconductor devices for generating, transmitting, receiving, and manipulating clock and/or data signals. A semiconductor device including a clock circuit having field effect transistors and a clock driver circuit having bipolar junction transistors is disclosed. The clock circuit may provide a first clock output having a first voltage swing. The clock driver circuit may receive the first clock output and provide a second clock output having a second voltage swing substantially less than the first voltage swing. The field effect transistors can be junction field effect transistors or insulated gate field effect transistors, or the like. The system/devices further including a translator circuit, for translating signals with a lower voltage swing into signals with a higher voltage swing, and a circuit block, for operating at such higher voltage swing.

Abstract: In deep submicron memory arrays there is noted a relatively steady on current value and, therefore, threshold values of the transistors comprising the memory cell are reduced. This, in turn, results in an increase in the leakage current of the memory cell. With the use of an ever increasing number of memory cells leakage current must be controlled. Random access memories with a dynamic threshold voltage control scheme implemented with no more than minor changes to the existing MOS process technology is disclosed. The disclosed invention controls the threshold voltage of MOS transistors. Methods for enhancing the impact of the dynamic threshold control technology using this apparatus are also included. The invention is particularly useful for SRAM, DRAM and NVM devices.

Abstract: In deep submicron memory arrays there is noted a relatively steady on current value and, therefore, threshold values of the transistors comprising the memory cell are reduced. This, in turn, results in an increase in the leakage current of the memory cell. With the use of an ever increasing number of memory cells leakage current must be controlled. A method of manufacture of a dynamic threshold voltage control scheme implemented with no more than minor changes to the existing MOS process technology is disclosed. The disclosed invention controls the threshold voltage of MOS transistors. Methods for enhancing the impact of the dynamic threshold control technology using this apparatus are also included. The invention is particularly useful for SRAM, DRAM, and NVM devices.

Abstract: In deep submicron memory arrays there is noted a relatively steady on current value and, therefore, threshold values of the transistors comprising the memory cell are reduced. This, in turn, results in an increase in the leakage current of the memory cell. With the use of an ever increasing number of memory cells leakage current must be controlled. A method and apparatus using a dynamic threshold voltage control scheme implemented with no more than minor changes to the existing MOS process technology is disclosed. The disclosed invention controls the threshold voltage of MOS transistors. Methods for enhancing the impact of the dynamic threshold control technology using this apparatus are also included. The invention is particularly useful for SRAM, DRAM, and NVM devices.

Abstract: A JFET structure with self-aligned metal source, drain and gate contacts with very low resistivity and very small feature sizes. Small source, drain and gate openings are etched in a thin dielectric layer which has a thickness set according to the desired source, gate and drain opening sizes, said dielectric layer having a nitride top layer. Metal is deposited on top of said dielectric layer to fill said openings and the metal is polished back to the top of the dielectric layer to achieve thin source, drain and gate contacts. Some embodiments include an anti-leakage poly-silicon layer lining the contact holes and all embodiments where spiking may occur include a barrier metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device can include a first circuit section having at least one transistor coupled to at least three conductive lines formed from a conductive layer. No more than one of the at least one of the three conductive lines forms a control terminal of the at least one transistor. In addition, a second circuit section includes at least two transistors. Each such transistor can have a control terminal formed by a conductive line formed from the same conductive layer. The three conductive lines of the first circuit section can have the same pitch pattern as the conductive lines of the second circuit section.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including complementary junction field effect transistors (JFETS) manufactured on a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer is disclosed. A p-type JFET includes a control gate formed from n-type polysilicon and an n-type JFET includes a control gate formed from p-type polysilicon. The complementary JFETs may include four terminal JFETs having a back gate formed below a channel region. The back gate may be electrically connected to a control gate formed above a channel region via a cut region in an isolation structure. Furthermore, the complementary JFETs may be formed on strained silicon formed on a silicon germanium (SiGe) or silicon germanium carbon (SiGeC) layer, or the like.

Abstract: A JFET integrated onto a substrate having a semiconductor layer at least and having source and drain contacts over an active area and made of first polysilicon (or other conductors such as refractive metal or silicide) and a self-aligned gate contact made of second polysilicon which has been polished back to be flush with a top surface of a dielectric layer covering the tops of the source and drain contacts. The dielectric layer preferably has a nitride cap to act as a polish stop. In some embodiments, nitride covers the entire dielectric layer covering the source and drain contacts as well as the field oxide region defining an active area for said JFET. An embodiment with an epitaxially grown channel region formed on the surface of the substrate is also disclosed.

Abstract: A scalable device structure and process for forming a normally off JFET with 45 NM linewidths or less. The contacts to the source, drain and gate areas are formed by forming a layer of oxide of a thickness of less than 1000 angstroms, and, preferably 500 angstroms or less on top of the substrate. A nitride layer is formed on top of the oxide layer and holes are etched for the source, drain and gate contacts. A layer of polysilicon is then deposited so as to fill the holes and the polysilicon is polished back to planarize it flush with the nitride layer. The polysilicon contacts are then implanted with the types of impurities necessary for the channel type of the desired transistor and the impurities are driven into the semiconductor substrate below to form source, drain and gate regions.

Abstract: Circuits using four terminal junction field effect transistors (JFETs) are disclosed. Such circuits can include various static and dynamic logic circuits, flip-flops, multiplexer, tri-state driver, phase detector, logic having variable speeds of operation, and/or analog circuit with such four terminal JFETs operating in a linear or nonlinear mode.