Abstract: A method is provided for controlling the critical dimensions of a polysilicon gate electrode, and for improving transistor drive current control. The method involves subjecting the gate structure of a transistor to a thermal treatment process in the presence of hydrogen gas. The thermal treatment process is performed subsequent to gate etching and photoresist mask removal, and provides gate electrodes having a more homogeneous linewidth, thereby improving transistor performance.

Abstract: During a semiconductor substrate ion implant process thermal energy is supplied to raise the temperature of the semiconductor wafer. The increased temperature of the semiconductor wafer during implantation acts to anneal the implanted impurities or dopants in the wafer, reducing impurity diffusion and reducing the number of fabrication process steps. An ion implant device includes an end station that is adapted for application and control of thermal energy to the end station for raising the temperature of a semiconductor substrate wafer during implantation. The adapted end station includes a heating element for heating the semiconductor substrate wafer, a thermocouple for sensing the temperature of the semiconductor substrate wafer, and a controller for monitoring the sensed temperature and controlling the thermal energy applied to the semiconductor substrate wafer by the heating element.

Abstract: An IGFET with a gate electrode and insulative spacers in a trench is disclosed. The IGFET includes a trench with opposing sidewalls and a bottom surface in a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulator on the bottom surface, a gate electrode on the gate insulator, and insulative spacers between the gate electrode and the sidewalls.

Abstract: A local interconnect (LI) structure is formed by forming a silicide layer in selected regions of a semiconductor structure then depositing an essentially uniform layer of transition or refractory metal overlying the semiconductor structure. The metal local interconnect is deposited without forming in intermediate insulating layer between the silicide and metal layers to define contact openings or vias. In some embodiments, titanium a suitable metal for formation of the local interconnect. Suitable selected regions for silicide layer formation include, for example, silicided source/drain (S/D) regions and silicided gate contact regions. The silicided regions form uniform structures for electrical coupling to underlying doped regions that are parts of one or more semiconductor devices. In integrated circuits in which an etchstop layer is desired for the patterning of the metal film, a first optional insulating layer is deposited prior to deposition of the metal film.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit with a transistor formed within an active area defined by side-walls of a shallow trench isolation region, and method of fabrication thereof, is described. A gate electrode is formed over a portion of the active area and LDD regions formed that are self-aligned to both the gate electrode and the trench side-walls. A dielectric spacer is formed adjacent the gate electrode and extending to the trench side-walls. In this manner, the spacers essentially cover the LDD regions. Source and drain regions are formed that are adjacent the trench side-walls wherein the spacer serves to protect at least a portion of the LDD regions to maintain a spacing of the S/D regions from the gate electrode edge. In this manner an advantageously lowered E.sub.M provided by LDD regions is maintained. In some embodiments of the present invention, S/D regions are formed by implantation through the trench side-walls.

Abstract: A transistor having a source/drain metal silicide in close proximity to the channel region may be formed according to the following process. A masking structure is formed upon a semiconductor substrate, and a metal is deposited self-aligned to sidewall surfaces of the masking structure. The metal is then annealed to form a metal silicide. Following formation of lightly doped drain impurity areas self-aligned to the sidewall surfaces of the masking structure, spacers may be formed adjacent the sidewall surfaces and source and drain impurity areas may be formed self-aligned to sidewall surfaces of the spacers. Fill structures are then formed adjacent the spacers and the masking structure is removed to form an opening between the spacers. A gate dielectric is formed upon the exposed upper surface of the semiconductor substrate within the opening, and a gate conductor is formed within the opening.

Abstract: A method for implanting a dopant into a thin gate electrode layer includes forming a displacement layer on the gate electrode layer to form a combined displacement/gate electrode layer, and implanting the dopant into the combined layer. The implanted dopant profile may substantially reside entirely within the gate electrode layer, or may substantially reside partially within the gate electrode layer and partially within the displacement layer. If the displacement layer is ultimately removed, at least some portion of the implanted dopant remains within the gate electrode layer. The gate electrode layer may be implanted before or after patterning and etching the gate electrode layer to define gate electrodes. Moreover, two different selective implants may be used to define separate regions of differing dopant concentration, such as P-type polysilicon and N-type polysilicon regions.

Abstract: Improvements in the compactness and performance of integrated circuit devices are gained through the fabrication of vertical transistors for which channel sizes are determined by the accuracy of etch techniques rather than the resolution of photolithographic techniques. A method of fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a plurality of doped layers in a series of depths in a substrate wafer, and etching a trench in the substrate wafer. The trench extends through the doped layers at a plurality of depths and is bounded by vertical sidewalls and a planar horizontal floor. The method further includes forming a conductive sidewall spacer adjacent to the vertical sidewalls of the trench.

Abstract: A resistor is formed between devices in an integrated circuit by forming a patterned trench in an intralayer dielectric (ILD) deposited over the devices, filling the trench with polysilicon and planarizing the polysilicon. The resistance of the resistor is defined by determining and selecting the size and form of the trench including the width, length, depth and orientation of the trench. In some embodiments, the resistance of the resistor is also controlled by adding selected amounts and species of dopants to the polysilicon. In some embodiments, the resistance is controlled by directly saliciding the polysilicon in the trench.

Abstract: A method of making NMOS and PMOS devices with reduced masking steps is disclosed. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate with a first active region of first conductivity type and a second active region of second conductivity type, forming a gate material over the first and second active regions, forming a first masking layer over the gate material, etching the gate material using the first masking layer as an etch mask to form a first gate over the first active region and a second gate over the second active region, implanting a dopant of second conductivity type into the first and second active regions using the first masking layer as an implant mask, forming a second masking layer that covers the first active region and includes an opening above the second active region, and implanting a dopant of first conductivity type into the second active region using the first and second masking layers as an implant mask.

Abstract: A method for forming a local interconnect coupled to an active area of a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method comprises etching a local interconnect trench into an interlevel dielectric horizontally above the substrate. A titanium layer may be deposited across the semiconductor topography. A TiN diffusion layer is advantageously CVD deposited across the exposed surfaces of the titanium layer. A plasma containing N.sub.2 and H.sub.2 ions is used to bombard the surface of the TiN layer. The resulting TiN layer is conformal and has a low resistivity. A tungsten fill material is then deposited upon the TiN layer to a level above the dielectric. The tungsten adheres well to the TiN layer and is substantially free of voids. The TiN and the tungsten may be removed down to level commensurate with the surface of the dielectric. In this manner a local interconnect is formed electrically coupled to the active area.

Abstract: A method of making N-channel and P-channel IGFETs is disclosed.

Abstract: Each region of multiple regions on a semiconductor substrate is imaged in an exposure field defined by a reticle. The regions are separated and electrically isolated within the semiconductor substrate by an isolation such as a field oxide or trench isolation. The regions are interconnected by imaging using a stitching reticle having an exposure field overlapping a plurality of the regions. The combination of reticle-imaged fields effectively increases the size of a field formed using a step and repeat technique while achieving high imaging resolution within the combined regions. Similarly, a plurality of integrated chip sets, including microprocessor, memory, and support chips, are constructed on a single semiconductor wafer using separate reticle imaging of each of the plurality of integrated chip sets. The different circuits are interconnected using a stitch mask and etch operation that combines the regions.

Abstract: A broadband pyrometer is used for sensing temperature of a semiconductor wafer in an RTA system in association with a monochromator to cancel the backside characteristics of the semiconductor wafer. A rapid thermal anneal (RTA) system includes a rapid thermal anneal (RTA) chamber, a heating lamp arranged in the vicinity of the RTA chamber for heating interior to the RTA chamber, a broadband pyrometer disposed in the vicinity of the RTA chamber and directed to measure interior to the RTA chamber, and a grating monochromator connected to the broadband pyrometer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having an elevated silicidation layer and process for fabricating such a device is provided. Consistent with one embodiment of the invention, at least one gate electrode is formed over a substrate and silicon is formed over at least one active region of the substrate adjacent the gate electrode. A layer of metal is then formed over the silicon. Using the metal layer and the silicon, a silicidation layer is formed over the active region. The active region may, for example, include a source/drain region. The ratio of the depth of the silicidation layer to the depth of the source/drain region may, for example, be greater than or equal to 0.75:1. In other embodiments, the ratio of the silicidation layer depth to source/drain region depth may be greater than or equal to 1:1, 1.5:1 or 2:1.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device by using a pillar to form a contact with an active region of the device. A semiconductor device is formed by forming one or more active regions on a substrate of the semiconductor device and forming a pillar over at least a portion of one of the active regions. An insulating film selective to the pillar is provided over portions of the substrate adjacent the pillar. The pillar is then used to form a conductive contact with the active region over which it is formed. In one embodiment, the pillar is formed from a photoresist, while in other embodiments, the pillar is formed from a conductor material such as a metal. The active region may form a source/drain region or a gate electrode.

Abstract: A resistor protect mask is used on a shallow trench isolation device junction to cover a device area except for a strip on the perimeter of the device area. The silicide layer formed on the central surface portion of the device and the strip area on the perimeter of the device upon which silicide formation is prevented forms a test structure for evaluation of junction formation that is immune from the effects of silicide formation on a device trench sidewall. Electrical tests and leakage measurements upon the test structure are compared directly to similar silicide shallow trench isolated devices which do not incorporate the resistor protect mask and shallow trench isolated devices without silicide to determine whether salicide processing is a cause of junction effects including junction leakage and short-circuiting.

Abstract: A method of stitching segments defined by adjacent image patterns of a photolithographic system during the manufacture of a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes forming a material over a semiconductor substrate, projecting a first image pattern over the substrate that defines a first segment and a contact region, projecting a second image pattern over the substrate that defines a second segment with an end that overlaps the contact region, and removing a portion of the material corresponding to the first and second image patterns to form the first and second segments stitched by a portion of the contact region. The contact region has a greater width than the first and second segments. In this manner, the contact region accommodates misalignments that might otherwise lead to inadequate coupling or decoupling between the first and second segments. The invention is particularly well-suited for stitching polysilicon gates of N-channel and P-channel devices.

Abstract: An IGFET with a gate electrode and a source contact in a trench is disclosed. The IGFET includes a trench with opposing sidewalls and a bottom surface in a semiconductor substrate, a gate insulator on the bottom surface, a gate electrode on the gate insulator, a source contact on the bottom surface, insulative spacers between the gate electrode, the source contact and the sidewalls, and a source and drain adjacent to the bottom surface. Advantageously, the source contact overlaps the trench, thereby improving packing density.

Abstract: A method of making enhancement-mode and depletion-mode IGFETs with different gate thicknesses is disclosed.