Abstract: A method of fabricating a MEMS switch that is fully integratable in a semiconductor fabrication line. The method consists of forming two posts, each end thereof terminating in a cap; a rigid movable conductive plate having a surface terminating in a ring in each of two opposing edges, the rings being loosely connected to guiding posts; forming upper and lower electrode pairs and upper and lower interconnect wiring lines connected and disconnected by the rigid movable conductive plate. The conductive plate moves up, shorting two upper interconnect wirings lines. Conversely, the conductive plate moves down when the voltage is applied to the lower electrode pair, while the upper electrode pair is grounded, shorting the two lower interconnect wiring lines and opening the upper wiring lines.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method in which a low-resistance connection between the MOS channel and silicided source/drain regions is provided that has an independence from the extension ion implant process as well as device overlap capacitance. The method of the present invention broadly includes selectively removing outer spacers of an MOS structure and then selectively plating a metallic or intermetallic material on exposed portions of a semiconductor substrate that were previously protected by the outer spacers. The present invention also provides a semiconductor structure that is formed utilizing the method. The semiconductor structure includes a low-resistance connection between the silicided source/drain regions and the channel regions which includes a selectively plated metallic or intermetallic material.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical programmable metal resistor and a method of fabricating the same in which electromigration stress is used to create voids in the structure that increase the electrical resistance of the resistor. Specifically, a semiconductor structure is provided that includes an interconnect structure comprising at least one dielectric layer, wherein said at least one dielectric layer comprises at least two conductive regions and an overlying interconnect region embedded therein, said at least two conductive regions are in contact with said overlying interconnect region by at least two contacts and at least said interconnect region is separated from said at least one dielectric layer by a diffusion barrier, wherein voids are present in at least the interconnect region which increase the electrical resistance of the interconnect region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an field effect transistor (FET) comprising an inverted source/drain metallic contact that has a lower portion located in a first, lower dielectric layer and an upper portion located in a second, upper dielectric layer. The lower portion of the inverted source/drain metallic contact has a larger cross-sectional area than the upper portion. Preferably, the lower portion of the inverted source/drain metallic contact has a cross-sectional area ranging from about 0.03 ?m2 to about 3.15 ?m2, and such an inverted source/drain metallic contact is spaced apart from a gate electrode of the FET by a distance ranging from about 0.001 ?m to about 5 ?m.

Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack formed over a lower wiring level, a hardmask formed on the MTJ stack, and an upper wiring level formed over the hardmask. The upper wiring level includes a slot via bitline formed therein, the slot via bitline in contact with the hardmask and in contact with an etch stop layer partially surrounding sidewalls of the hardmask.

Abstract: A system and methodology for intelligent power management of wirelessly networked devices. The system provides for reliable wireless communication via a wireless power charging method and, a method to maintain power capacity of batteries in a wireless device. The batteries are charged via an RF harvesting unit embedded inside the wireless device. An intelligent wireless power charging system further comprises at least two batteries and at least two RF adaptor devices coupled to an AC power line. The first adaptor is set for data communication while the second adaptor is used to transmit the power. In addition, when a first battery is in use during active mode, the second battery is subjected to wireless charging.

Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) stack formed over a lower wiring level, a hardmask formed on the MTJ stack, and an upper wiring level formed over the hardmask. The upper wiring level includes a slot via bitline formed therein, the slot via bitline in contact with the hardmask and in contact with an etch stop layer partially surrounding sidewalls of the hardmask.

Abstract: A masking layer is applied over a top semiconductor layer and patterned to expose in an opening a shallow trench isolation structure and a portion of a top semiconductor region within which a first source/drain region and a body is to be formed. Ions are implanted into a portion of a buried insulator layer within the area of the opening to form damaged buried insulator region. The shallow trench isolation structure is removed and the damaged buried insulator region is etched selective to undamaged buried insulator portions to form a cavity. A dielectric layer is formed on the sidewalls and the exposed bottom surface of the top semiconductor region and a back gate filling the cavity is formed. A contact is formed to provide an electrical bias to the back gate so that the electrical potential of the body and the first source/drain region is electrically modulated.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of forming a bottle shaped trench in a substrate which includes forming at least one trench having an upper portion and a lower portion into a semiconductor substrate, the at least one trench having vertical sidewalls that extend to a common bottom wall; implanting ions into the semiconductor substrate abutting the upper portion of the at least one trench to form an amorphous region in the semiconductor substrate abutting the upper portion of the at least one trench; and etching the lower portion of the at least one trench selective to the amorphous region to provide an elongated bottom portion which extends laterally beyond the upper portion.

Abstract: A method of forming a stochastically based integrated circuit encryption structure includes forming a lower conductive layer over a substrate, forming a short prevention layer over the lower conductive layer, forming an intermediate layer over the short prevention layer, wherein the intermediate layer is characterized by randomly structured nanopore features. An upper conductive layer is formed over the random nanopore structured intermediate layer. The upper conductive layer is patterned into an array of individual cells, wherein a measurable electrical parameter of the individual cells has a random distribution from cell to cell with respect to a reference value of the electrical parameter.

Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor IC (integrated circuit) chips having high-Q on-chip inductors formed on the chip backside and connected to integrated circuits on the chip frontside using through-wafer interconnects. For example, a semiconductor device with a backside integrated inductor includes a semiconductor substrate having a frontside, a backside and a buried insulating layer interposed between the front and backsides of the substrate. An integrated circuit is formed on the frontside of the semiconductor substrate and an integrated inductor is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate. An interconnection structure is formed through the buried insulating layer to connect the integrated inductor to the integrated circuit. The semiconductor substrate may be an SOI (silicon on insulator) structure.

Abstract: A non-photosensitive polymeric resist containing at least two immiscible polymeric block components is deposited on the planar surface. The non-photosensitive polymeric resist is annealed to allow phase separation of immiscible components and developed to remove at least one of the at least two polymeric block components. Nanoscale features, i.e., features of nanometer scale, including at least one recessed region having a nanoscale dimension is formed in the polymeric resist. The top surface of the polymeric resist is modified for enhanced etch resistance by an exposure to an energetic beam, which allows the top surface of the patterned polymeric resist to become more resistant to etching processes and chemistries. The enhanced ratio of etch resistance between the two types of surfaces provides improved image contrast and fidelity between areas having the top surface and the at least one recessed region.

Abstract: A transistor device and method of forming the same comprises a substrate; a first gate electrode over the substrate; a second gate electrode over the substrate; and a landing pad comprising a pair of flanged ends overlapping the second gate electrode, wherein the structure of the second gate electrode is discontinuous with the structure of the landing pad.

Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor IC (integrated circuit) chips having high-Q on-chip capacitors formed on the chip back-side and connected to integrated circuits on the chip front-side using through-wafer interconnects. In one aspect, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side, a back side, and a buried insulating layer interposed between the front and back sides of the substrate. An integrated circuit is formed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, an integrated capacitor is formed on the back side of the semiconductor substrate, and an interconnection structure is formed through the buried insulating layer to connect the integrated capacitor to the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method of forming a magnetic domain wall memory apparatus with write/read capability includes forming a plurality of coplanar shift register structures each comprising an elongated track formed from a ferromagnetic material having a plurality of magnetic domains therein, the shift register structures further having a plurality of discontinuities therein to facilitate domain wall location: forming a magnetic read element associated with each of the shift register structures: and forming a magnetic write element associated with each of the shift register structures, the magnetic write element further comprising a write wire having a constriction therein, the constriction located at a point corresponding to the location of one of the plurality of discontinuities in the associated shift register structure.

Abstract: A trench capacitor is filled with a set of two or more storage plates by consecutively depositing layers of dielectric and conductor and making contact to the ground plates by etching an aperture through the plates to the buried plate in the substrate and connecting the one or more ground plate to the substrate; the charge storage plates are connected at the top of the capacitor by blocking the end of the first plate during the formation of the second ground plate and exposing the material of the first storage plate during deposition of the second storage plate.

Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor IC (integrated circuit) chips having high-Q on-chip capacitors formed on the chip back-side and connected to integrated circuits on the chip front-side using through-wafer interconnects. In one aspect, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front side, a back side, and a buried insulating layer interposed between the front and back sides of the substrate. An integrated circuit is formed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate, an integrated capacitor is formed on the back side of the semiconductor substrate, and an interconnection structure is formed through the buried insulating layer to connect the integrated capacitor to the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method of making an interconnect comprising: providing an interconnect structure in a dielectric material, recessing the dielectric material such that a portion of the interconnect structure extends above an upper surface of the dielectric; and depositing an encasing cap over the extended portion of the interconnect structure.

Abstract: A method of forming a stochastically based integrated circuit encryption structure includes forming a lower conductive layer over a substrate, forming a short prevention layer over the lower conductive layer, forming an intermediate layer over the short prevention layer, wherein the intermediate layer is characterized by randomly structured nanopore features. An upper conductive layer is formed over the random nanopore structured intermediate layer. The upper conductive layer is patterned into an array of individual cells, wherein a measurable electrical parameter of the individual cells has a random distribution from cell to cell with respect to a reference value of the electrical parameter.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided having a plurality of data transmitters, including a plurality of default data transmitters for transmitting data from a plurality of data sources and at least one redundancy data transmitter. A plurality of connection elements are provided having a first, low impedance connecting state and having a second, high impedance, disconnecting state. The connection elements are operable to disconnect a failing data transmitter from a corresponding output signal line and to connect the redundancy data transmitter to that output signal line in place of the failing data transmitter. In one preferred form, the connection elements include a fuse and an antifuse. In another form, the connection elements include micro-electromechanical (MEM) switches. The connecting elements preferably present the low impedance connecting state at frequencies which include signal switching frequencies above about 500 MHz.