Abstract: A semiconductor component having analog and logic circuit elements manufactured from an SOI substrate and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component. An SOI substrate has a support wafer coupled to an active wafer through an insulating material. Openings are formed in the active wafer, extend through the insulating material, and expose portions of the support wafer. Epitaxial semiconductor material is grown on the exposed portions of the support wafer. Analog circuitry is manufactured from the epitaxially grown semiconductor material and high performance logic circuitry is manufactured from the active wafer. The processing steps for manufacturing the analog circuitry are decoupled from the steps for manufacturing the high performance logic circuitry. A substrate contact is made from a portion of the epitaxially grown semiconductor material that is electrically isolated from the portion in which the analog circuitry is manufactured.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit with a semiconductor substrate is provided. A gate dielectric is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is formed on the gate dielectric. Source/drain junctions are formed in the semiconductor substrate. A transition metal layer is formed on the source/drain junctions and on the gate. An interlayer dielectric is formed above the semiconductor substrate. Contacts are then formed in the interlayer dielectric, whereby a silicide is formed from the transition metal layer at a temperature no higher than the maximum temperature at which the interlayer dielectric and the contacts are formed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit having a plurality of active areas separated from each other by a field region and a method for manufacturing the integrated circuit. A first polysilicon finger is formed over the first active area and the field region and a second polysilicon finger is formed over the second active area and the field region. A first dielectric layer is formed over the first active area and the field region and a second dielectric layer is formed over the second active area and the portion of the first dielectric layer over the field region. A first electrical interconnect is formed over and dielectrically isolated from the first polysilicon finger and a second electrical interconnect is formed over and dielectrically isolated from the second active area. The second electrical interconnect is electrically coupled to the second polysilicon finger.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided with a semiconductor substrate that is doped with a set concentration of an oxidizable dopant of a type that segregates to the top surface of a suicide when the semiconductor substrate is reacted to form such a silicide. A gate dielectric is on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is on the gate dielectric. Source/drain junctions are in the semiconductor substrate. A silicide is on the source/drain junctions and dopant is segregated to the top surface of the silicide. The dopant on the top surface of the segregated dopant is oxidized to form an insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide. An interlayer dielectric is above the semiconductor substrate. Contacts and connection points are in the interlayer dielectric to the insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide.

Abstract: A semiconductor component having analog and logic circuit elements manufactured from an SOI substrate and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component. An SOI substrate has a support wafer coupled to an active wafer through an insulating material. Openings are formed in the active wafer, extend through the insulating material, and expose portions of the support wafer. Epitaxial semiconductor material is grown on the exposed portions of the support wafer. Analog circuitry is manufactured from the epitaxially grown semiconductor material and high performance logic circuitry is manufactured from the active wafer. The processing steps for manufacturing the analog circuitry are decoupled from the steps for manufacturing the high performance logic circuitry. A substrate contact is made from a portion of the epitaxially grown semiconductor material that is electrically isolated from the portion in which the analog circuitry is manufactured.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit with a semiconductor substrate is provided. A gate dielectric is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is formed on the gate dielectric. Source/drain junctions are formed in the semiconductor substrate. A silicide is formed on the source/drain regions and on the gate. Trenches are formed in the semiconductor substrate around the gate. An interlayer dielectric is deposited above the semiconductor substrate, and contacts are then formed to the silicide.

Abstract: A method is provided of forming an integrated circuit with a semiconductor substrate that is doped with a set concentration of an oxidizable dopant of a type that segregates to the top surface of a silicide when the semiconductor substrate is reacted to form such a silicide. A gate dielectric is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a gate is formed on the gate dielectric. Source/drain junctions are formed in the semiconductor substrate. A silicide is formed on the source/drain junctions and dopant is segregated to the top surface of the silicide. The dopant on the top surface of the segregated dopant is oxidized to form an insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide. An interlayer dielectric is deposited above the semiconductor substrate. Contacts and connection points are then formed in the interlayer dielectric to the insulating layer of oxidized dopant above the silicide.

Abstract: Planarized STI with minimized topography is formed by selectively etching back the dielectric trench fill with respect to the polish stop film prior to removing the polish stop film. Embodiments include etching back a silicon oxide trench filled to a depth of about 200 ? to about 1,500 ?, and then stripping a silicon nitride polish stop layer leaving a substantially planarized surface, thereby improving the accuracy of subsequent gate electrode patterning and reducing stringers.

Abstract: Patterning of a gate line is terminated prior to etching completely through the conductive layer from which it is patterned. Surfaces of the conductive layer are then reacted in a reactive atmosphere, and the reacted surfaces are removed, creating a narrow gate line. The protection provided by the remaining portion of the conductive layer during reaction protects the lower corners of the patterned feature from undercutting growth of reacted material. Alternatively, a gate line is patterned from a multi-layered conductive structure that includes a lower conductive layer and an upper conductive layer that exhibits higher reactivity in a reactive atmosphere than the lower layer. The upper layer is patterned and then the structure is reacted in the reactive atmosphere. Reacted portions of the upper layer are then removed and the lower layer is patterned in a self-aligned manner to complete the formation of a gate line and gate insulator.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device provides a gate electrode on a substrate and forms a polysilicon reoxidation layer over the substrate and the gate electrode. A nitride layer is deposited over the polysilicon reoxidation layer and anisotropically etched The etching stops on the polysilicon reoxidation layer, with nitride offset spacers being formed on the gate electrode. The use of the polysilicon reoxidation layer as an etch stop layer prevents the gouging of the silicon substrate underneath the nitride layer, while allowing the offset spacers to be formed.

Abstract: A hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of doped amorphous carbon and undoped amorphous carbon. The undoped amorphous carbon layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the doped amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The stack is provided with a top capping layer. The layer beneath the capping layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning. An alternative hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of capping material and amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon layers may be doped or undoped. The capping material layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The top layer of the stack is formed of a capping material. The layer beneath the top layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning.

Abstract: A silicon oxide stress relief portion is provided between an amorphous carbon hardmask and a polysilicon layer to be etched to form a gate line. The stress relief portion relieves stress between the hardmask and the polysilicon, thereby reducing the risk of delamination of the hardmask prior to patterning of the polysilicon. The stress relief portion may be trimmed prior to patterning and used as an etch mask for patterning the polysilicon. The amorphous carbon hardmasked may be trimmed prior to patterning the stress relief portion to achieve a further reduction in gate line width.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a silicon semiconductor layer over an insulating layer, and partially removing a first portion of the silicon layer. The silicon layer includes the first portion and a second portion, and a thickness of the second portion is greater than a thickness of the first portion. Initially, the first and second portions of the silicon layer initially can have the same thickness. A semiconductor device is also disclosed.

Abstract: An amorphous carbon layer is implanted with one or more dopants that enhance the etch resistivity of the amorphous carbon to etchants such as chlorine and HBr that are typically used to etch polysilicon. Such a layer may be pattern to form a handmask for etching polysilicon that provides improved pattern transfer accuracy compared to conventional undoped amorphous carbon.

Abstract: A hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of doped amorphous carbon and undoped amorphous carbon. The undoped amorphous carbon layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the doped amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The stack is provided with a top capping layer. The layer beneath the capping layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning. An alternative hardmask stack is comprised of alternating layers of capping material and amorphous carbon. The amorphous carbon layers may be doped or undoped. The capping material layers serve as buffer layers that constrain the effects of compressive stress within the amorphous carbon layers to prevent delamination. The top layer of the stack is formed of a capping material. The layer beneath the top layer is preferably undoped amorphous carbon to reduce photoresist poisoning.

Abstract: A transistor device on an SOI wafer includes a metal connect that is in contact with an underside (a bottom surface) of a body of the device. A part of the metal connect is between an active semiconductor region of the device and an underlying buried insulator layer. The metal connect is also in contact with a source of the device, thereby providing some electrical coupling between the source and the body, and as a result reducing or eliminating floating body effects in the device. A method of forming the metal interconnect includes etching away part of the buried insulator layer, for example by lateral etching or isotropic etching, and filling with metal, for example by chemical vapor deposition.

Abstract: A method of isolation of active islands on a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor device, including steps of (1) providing a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor wafer having a silicon active layer, a dielectric insulation layer and a silicon substrate; (2) etching through the silicon active layer to form an isolation trench, the isolation trench defining an active island in the silicon active layer, the active island having at least one upper sharp corner; (3) rounding the at least one upper sharp corner of the active island, whereby at least one strained edge portion of the active island is formed; (4) removing at least a part of the at least one strained edge portion; and (5) at least partially filling the isolation trench with a dielectric trench isolation material to form a shallow trench isolation structure. An SOI wafer semiconductor device having a STI isolation structure free from a strained edge portion and a bird's beak.

Abstract: A transistor device on an SOI wafer includes a metal connect that is in contact with an underside (a bottom surface) of a body of the device. A part of the metal connect is between an active semiconductor region of the device and an underlying buried insulator layer. The metal connect is also in contact with a source of the device, thereby providing some electrical coupling between the source and the body, and as a result reducing or eliminating floating body effects in the device. A method of forming the metal interconnect includes etching away part of the buried insulator layer, for example by lateral etching or isotropic etching, and filling with metal, for example by chemical vapor deposition.

Abstract: A method of trench isolation includes removal of insulation material after planarization of the insulation material and before stripping of a nitride layer such as polish stop layer. The removal of insulation material may be accomplished, for example, by etching. The amount of material removed may be selected so that a surface of the device is substantially planar after one or more subsequent processing steps.

Abstract: At least one patterned dielectric layer is provided within a transistor arrangement to prevent a local interconnect from electrically contacting,the gate conductor due to misalignments during the damascene formation of etched openings used in forming local interconnects. By selectively etching through a plurality of dielectric layers during the local interconnect etching process, the patterned dielectric layer is left in place to prevent short-circuiting of the gate to an adjacent local interconnect that is slightly misaligned.