Abstract: A method of forming small features, comprising the following steps. A substrate having a dielectric layer formed thereover is provided. A spacing layer is formed over the dielectric layer. The spacing layer has a thickness equal to the thickness of the small feature to be formed. A patterned, re-flowable masking layer is formed over the spacing layer. The masking layer having a first opening with a width “L”. The patterned, re-flowable masking layer is re-flowed to form a patterned, re-flowed masking layer having a re-flowed first opening with a lower width “1”. The re-flowed first opening lower width “1” being less than the pre-reflowed first opening width “L”. The spacing layer is etched down to the dielectric layer using the patterned, re-flowed masking layer as a mask to form a second opening within the etched spacing layer having a width equal to the re-flowed first opening lower width “1”. Removing the patterned, re-flowed masking layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating dual gate oxide thicknesses comprising the following steps. A substrate is provided having a first pillar and a second pillar. A gate dielectric layer is formed over the substrate and the first and second pillars. First and second thin spacers are formed over the gate dielectric layer covered side walls of the first and second pillars respectively. The second pillar is masked leaving the first pillar unmasked. The first thin spacers are removed from the unmasked first pillar. The mask is removed from the masked second pillar. The structure is oxidized to convert the second thin spacers to second preliminary gate oxide over the previously masked second pillar and to form first preliminary gate oxide over the unmasked first pillar. The second gate oxide over the second pillar being thicker than the first gate oxide over the first pillar.

Abstract: A method of forming narrow gates comprising the following steps. A substrate is provided having an overlying Si3N4 or an SiO2/Si3N4 stack gate dielectric layer. A gate material layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer. A hard mask layer is formed over the gate material layer. The hard mask layer and the gate material layer are patterned to form a hard mask/gate material layer stack. A planarized dielectric layer is formed surrounding the hard mask/gate material layer stack. The patterned hard mask layer is removed from over the patterned gate material layer to form a cavity having exposed dielectric layer side walls. Masking spacers are formed on the exposed dielectric layer side walls over a portion of the patterned gate material layer. The patterned gate material layer is etched using the masking spacers as masks to expose a portion of the gate dielectric layer. The planarized dielectric layer is removed. The masking spacers are removed to form narrow gates comprising gate material.

Abstract: A new method of forming a sharp tip on a floating gate in the fabrication of a EEPROM memory cell is described. A first gate dielectric layer is provided on a substrate. A second gate dielectric layer is deposited overlying the first gate dielectric layer. A floating gate/control gate stack is formed overlying the second gate dielectric layer. One sidewall portion of the floating gate is covered with a mask. The second gate dielectric layer not covered by the mask is etched away whereby an undercut of the floating gate is formed in the second gate dielectric layer. The mask is removed. Polysilicon spacers are formed on sidewalls of the floating gate wherein one of the polysilicon spacers fills the undercut thereby forming a sharp polysilicon tip to improve the erase efficiency of the memory cell.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a dual gate electrode CMOS device having dual gate electrodes. An N+ poly gate is used for the nMOSFET and a metal gate is used for the pMOSFET. The N+ nMOSFET poly gate may be capped with a highly conductive metal to reduce its gate resistance. A sacrificial cap is used for the N+ poly gate to eliminate a mask level for the dual gate electrodes.

Abstract: A method of forming a gate comprising the following steps. A substrate is provided. A pre-gate structure is formed over the substrate. The pregate structure includes a sacrificial metal layer between an upper gate conductor layer and a lower gate dielectric layer. The pre-gate structure is annealed to form the gate. The gate comprising: an upper silicide layer formed from a portion of the sacrificial metal layer and a portion of the upper gate conductor layer from the anneal; and a lower metal oxide layer formed from a portion of the gate dielectric layer and a portion of the sacrificial metal layer from the anneal.

Abstract: A method for forming a thermally stable cobalt disilicide film in the fabrication of an integrated circuit is described. A semiconductor substrate is provided having silicon regions to be silicided. A cobalt layer is deposited overlying the silicon regions to be silicided. A capping layer is deposited overlying the cobalt layer. The substrate is subjected to a first rapid thermal anneal whereby the cobalt is transformed to cobalt monosilicide where it overlies the silicon regions and wherein the cobalt not overlying the silicon regions is unreacted. The unreacted cobalt layer and the capping layer are removed. A titanium layer is deposited overlying the cobalt monosilicide layer. Thereafter the substrate is subjected to a second rapid thermal anneal whereby the cobalt monosilicide is transformed to cobalt disilicide. The titanium layer provides titanium atoms which diffuse into the cobalt disilicide thereby increasing its thermal stability.

Abstract: An improved and new process for fabricating MOSFET's in shallow trench isolation (STI), with sub-quarter micron ground rules, includes a passivating trench cap layer of silicon nitride. The silicon nitride passivating trench cap is utilized in the formation of borderless or “unframed” electrical contacts, without reducing the poly to poly spacing. Borderless contacts are formed, wherein contact openings are etched in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over both an active region (P-N junction) and an inactive trench isolation region. During the contact hole opening, a selective etch process is utilized which etches the ILD layer, while the protecting passivating silicon nitride trench cap layer remains intact protecting the P-N junction at the edge of trench region. Subsequent processing of conductive tungsten metal plugs are prevented from shorting by the passivating trench cap.

Abstract: An improved and new process for fabricating MOSFET's in shallow trench isolation (STI), with sub-quarter micron ground rules, includes a passivating trench cap layer of silicon nitride. The silicon nitride passivating trench cap is utilized in the formation of borderless or “unframed” electrical contacts, without reducing the poly to poly spacing. Borderless contacts are formed, wherein contact openings are etched in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over both an active region (P-N junction) and an inactive trench isolation region. During the contact hole opening, a selective etch process is utilized which etches the ILD layer, while the protecting passivating silicon nitride trench cap layer remains intact protecting the P-N junction at the edge of trench region. Subsequent processing of conductive tungsten metal plugs are prevented from shorting by the passivating trench cap.

Abstract: An improved and new process for fabricating MOSFET's in shallow trench isolation (STI), with sub-quarter micron ground rules, includes a passivating trench cap layer of silicon nitride. The silicon nitride passivating trench cap is utilized in the formation of borderless or “unframed” electrical contacts, without reducing the poly to poly spacing. Borderless contacts are formed, wherein contact openings are etched in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over both an active region (P-N junction) and an inactive trench isolation region. During the contact hole opening, a selective etch process is utilized which etches the ILD layer, while the protecting passivating silicon nitride trench cap layer remains intact protecting the P-N junction at the edge of trench region. Subsequent processing of conductive tungsten metal plugs are prevented from shorting by the passivating trench cap.

Abstract: A new method is established to form different silicide layers over the top of the gate electrode and the surface of the source/drain regions. A thin layer of TiSi2 is formed over the source/drain regions by depositing a layer of titanium and annealing this layer with the silicon substrate. The gate electrode is created as a recessed electrode, in the top recession of the electrode a layer of CoSi2 is formed by depositing a layer of cobalt over the gate electrode. This layer of COSi2 serves as the electrical gate contact point.

Abstract: An improved and new process for fabricating MOSFET's in shallow trench isolation (STI), with sub-quarter micron ground rules, includes a passivating trench liner of silicon nitride. The silicon nitride passivating liner is utilized in the formation of borderless or “unframed” electrical contacts, without reducing the poly to poly spacing. Borderless contacts are formed, wherein contact openings are etched in an interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer over both an active region (P-N junction) and an inactive trench isolation region. During the contact hole opening, a selective etch process is utilized which etches the ILD layer, while the protecting passivating silicon nitride liner remains intact protecting the P-N junction at the edge of trench region. Subsequent processing of conductive tungsten metal plugs are prevented from shorting by the passivating trench liner.

Abstract: A method of fabricating shallow trench isolations has been achieved. A semiconductor substrate is provided. A pad oxide layer is grown overlying the semiconductor substrate. A silicon nitride layer is deposited. The silicon nitride layer and the pad oxide layer are patterned to form a hard mask. The openings in the hard mask correspond to planned trenches in the semiconductor substrate. A silicon dioxide layer is deposited overlying the silicon nitride layer and the semiconductor substrate. The silicon dioxide layer is anisotropically etched to form sidewall spacers on the inside of the openings of the hard mask. The semiconductor substrate is etched to form the trenches. The sidewall spacers are etched away. The semiconductor substrate is sputter etched to round the corners of the trenches. An oxide trench lining layer is grown overlying the semiconductor substrate. A trench fill layer is deposited overlying the silicon nitride layer and filling the trenches.

Abstract: A method for forming a stepped shallow trench isolation is described. A pad oxide layer is deposited on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. A first nitride layer is deposited overlying the pad oxide layer. The first nitride layer is etched through where it is not covered by a mask to provide an opening to the pad oxide layer. A first trench is etched through the pad oxide layer within the opening and into the semiconductor substrate. A second nitride layer is deposited overlying the first nitride layer and filling the first trench. Simultaneously, the second nitride layer is anisotropically etched to form nitride spacers on the sidewalls of the first trench and the semiconductor substrate is etched into where it is not covered by the spacers to form a second trench. Ions are implanted into the semiconductor substrate underlying the second trench. The first and second trenches are filled with an oxide layer.

Abstract: An in-line non-destructive method is described for identifying phases in a micro-structure such as a fine line pattern. This is accomplished by observing the Raman spectrum of the micro-structure. A particular application is a silicide layer, prepared using the SALICIDE process, where the crystal phases before and after Rapid Thermal Anneal are often different. This is reflected by the appearance of different lines in the Raman spectra so that the fraction of each phase can be determined. If the silicide layer agglomerated during the anneal, this is also detected by the Raman spectrum. The method has been used successfully down to line widths of about 0.35 microns.