Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a low resistance poly landing pad which is achieved by shunting the polysilicon of a landing pad with metallic conductors. A window is opened through a first dielectric layer to expose a conducting region over a semiconductor substrate. A metallic layer, deposited overall, is followed by an overall deposition of a polysilicon layer, with the layers being sufficient to fill the window completely. Metal and polysilicon outside the window is removed by chemical/mechanical polishing which also provides global planarization. Salicidation provides a silicide cover over the exposed surface of polysilicon, which was formed by the polishing. A second dielectric is deposited and an opening is formed to the landing pad.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a metal contact in a reduced aspect ratio contact hole. The method begins by forming a first insulating layer and a first barrier layer having a first barrier opening over a substrate. The first insulating layer is anisotropically etched through the first barrier opening forming an upper contact hole. A second barrier layer is formed on the first barrier layer and the first insulating layer. The second barrier layer is anisotropically etched forming spacers on sidewalls of the first insulating layer. The first insulating layer is anisotropically etched using the first barrier layer and the spacers as an etch mask forming a lower contact hole. The first barrier layer and the spacers are removed to form the reduced aspect ratio contact hole. The reduced aspect ratio contact hole is comprised by the upper and lower contact holes. The reduced aspect ratio contact hole is filled with a contact metal to contact the contact region in the substrate.

Abstract: A method and test site for monitoring the extent of buried contact trench formation in MOS FET integrated circuit wafers is described. A number of doped silicon parallel first test electrodes are formed in test site regions of a wafer and connected in series. The test site regions are located in the spaces between chip regions of the wafer. A layer of gate oxide is then deposited over the wafer. Test openings over the first test electrodes and buried contact openings are etched in the gate oxide layer at the same time. The test openings have the same size and shape as the buried contact openings. After polysilicon and metal silicide is deposited a photoresist mask is formed to etch the buried contact electrodes, the gate electrodes, and second test electrodes which are located directly above the test openings. Any misalignment in the photoresist mask will cause trenches to be formed in the first test electrodes as well as the formation of buried contact trenches.

Abstract: The present invention provides a structure and a method of fabricating a thermoelectric Cooler directly on the backside of a semiconductor substrate. The thermoelectric (TE) cooler (thermoelectric cooler) disperses heat from an integrated circuit (IC) that is formed on the front-side of the silicon substrate. Spaced first bonding pad holes 28 are formed in the backside of a substrate that expose bonding pads 24. Second holes 32 are formed between the spaced first bonding pad holes 28. A first insulating layer 34 is formed over the backside of the substrate, but not over the bonding pad 24. A metal layer is formed lining the first bonding pad holes 28. A polysilicon layer 46 is formed over the surface of the backside of the substrate in the second holes. The polysilicon layer is implanted thereby forming alternating adjacent N and P doped sections 46p 46n in the second holes. The adjacent N and P doped polysilicon sections 46n 46p are electrically connected to the bonding pads 24 by the metal layer 38.

Abstract: A method of creating a non-volatile memory device, featuring self-alignment of a control gate structure, to an underlying floating gate structure, has been developed. The formation of a first polysilicon floating gate shape, completely covering the semiconductor substrate, with openings only to underlying field oxide regions, prevents a deleterious trenching phenomena from occurring during a subsequent patterning, used to define an overlying, control gate structure. A photoresist shape is used as a mask to allow patterning of the control gate structure to be performed, via an anisotropic procedure, applied to a polysilicon layer, followed by the continuation of the anisotropic RIE procedure, applied to the first polysilicon floating gate shape, creating the floating gate structure.

Abstract: A new method of forming a tunneling oxide film having a uniform thickness in the fabrication of a Flash EEPROM memory cell is described. A first oxide layer is provided on the surface of a semiconductor substrate wherein a portion of the first oxide layer is removed to expose the semiconductor substrate wherein the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises a tunneling window. A second oxide layer is deposited within the tunneling window. Thereafter, a thermal oxide layer is grown underlying the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer within the tunneling area wherein the presence of the second oxide layer provides for a uniform thermal oxide thickness throughout the tunneling window and wherein the second oxide layer and the thermal oxide layer together within the tunneling window form the tunneling oxide film in the fabrication of a memory cell.