Abstract: This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices related to electron beam and nanoprobing techniques with probe tips for fault isolation in integrated circuits. A method may include generating a signal at a circuit device under test while a probe tip electrically interacts with a transistor of the circuit device under test; detecting, based on the signal and the laser at the transistor, an electrical output of the circuit device under test; and identifying, based on the electrical output, a location of a fault at the circuit device under test.

Abstract: Pulsed beam prober systems, devices, and techniques are described herein related to providing a beam detection frequency that is less than a electrical test frequency. An electrical test signal at the electrical test frequency is provided to die under test. A pulsed beam is applied to the die such that the pulsed beam has packets of beam pulses or a frequency delta with respect to the electrical test frequency. The packets of beam pulses or the frequency delta elicits a detectable beam modulation in an imaging signal reflected from the die such that the imaging signal is modulated at a detection frequency less than the electrical test frequency.

Abstract: Wafer level electron beam prober systems, devices, and techniques, are described herein related to providing wafer level testing for fabricated device structures. Such wafer level testing contacts a first side of a die of a wafer with a probe to provide test signals to the die under test and performs e-beam imaging of the first side of the die while the test signals are provided to the die under test.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are transistor arrangements with trench contacts that have two parts—a first trench contact and a second trench contact—stacked over one another. Such transistor arrangements may be fabricated by forming a first trench contact over a source or drain contact of a transistor, recessing the first trench contact, forming the second trench contact over the first trench contact, and, finally, forming a gate contact that is electrically isolated from, while being self-aligned to, the second trench contact. Such a fabrication process may provide improvements in terms of increased edge placement error margin, cost-efficiency, and device performance, compared to conventional approaches to forming trench and gate contacts. The conductive material of the first trench contact may also be deposited over the gate electrodes of transistors, forming a gate strap, to advantageously reduce gate resistance.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are transistor arrangements of field-effect transistors with dual thickness gate dielectrics. An example transistor arrangement includes a semiconductor channel material, a source region and a drain region, provided in the semiconductor material, and a gate stack provided over a portion of the semiconductor material that is between the source region and the drain region. The gate stack has a thinner gate dielectric in a portion that is closer to the source region and a thicker gate dielectric in a portion that is closer to the drain region, which may effectively realize tunable ballast resistance integrated with the transistor arrangement and may help increase the breakdown voltage and/or decrease the gate leakage of the transistor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are transistor arrangements of field-effect transistors with dual thickness gate dielectrics. An example transistor arrangement includes a semiconductor channel material, a source region and a drain region, provided in the semiconductor material, and a gate stack provided over a portion of the semiconductor material that is between the source region and the drain region. The gate stack has a thinner gate dielectric in a portion that is closer to the source region and a thicker gate dielectric in a portion that is closer to the drain region, which may effectively realize tunable ballast resistance integrated with the transistor arrangement and may help increase the breakdown voltage and/or decrease the gate leakage of the transistor.

Abstract: In a CMOS semiconductor device using a silicon germanium gate and a method of fabricating the same, a gate insulating layer, a conductive electrode layer that is a seed layer, a silicon germanium electrode layer, and an amorphous conductive electrode layer are sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate. A photolithographic process is then carried out to remove the silicon germanium electrode layer in the NMOS region, so that the silicon germanium layer is formed only in the PMOS region and is not formed in the NMOS region.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode are sequentially formed on a substrate on which an active region is defined. A planarized layer is formed on the substrate including the gate electrode. The planarized layer partially removed, and an upper portion of the gate electrode is exposed. A silicon epitaxial layer is selectively formed only on the exposed gate electrode, and the planarized layer is completely removed. A gate spacer is formed along side surfaces of the gate electrode and the silicon epitaxial layer. A source/drain region is formed on a surface portion of the active region corresponding to the gate electrode. Since the silicon epitaxial layer is formed only on the gate region except the source/drain region, the gate resistance is stabilized and the parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and the source/drain region is reduce.

Abstract: In a trench isolation method, a semiconductor substrate having an N-MOS region and a P-MOS region is prepared. A first mask pattern exposing an N-MOS field region is formed on the N-MOS region, and a second mask pattern exposing a P-MOS field region is formed on the P-MOS region. A first photoresist pattern is formed to cover the P-MOS region and expose the N-MOS region. First impurity ions are implanted into the N-MOS region, using the first mask pattern and the first photoresist pattern as ion implantation masks, thereby forming a first impurity layer in the N-MOS field region. In this case, a portion of the first impurity layer is formed to extend below the first mask pattern. The first photoresist pattern is removed. The semiconductor substrate is etched using the first and second mask patterns as etch masks, thereby forming trenches in the N-MOS field region and the P-MOS field region and concurrently, forming a first impurity pattern of the first impurity layer remaining below the first mask pattern.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a multi-thickness gate dielectric layer of a semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A second dielectric layer is formed using a different dielectric material from the material constituting the first dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer. A portion of the second dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the first dielectric layer under the second dielectric layer. A portion of the exposed first dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the semiconductor substrate under the exposed first dielectric layer. Thereafter, a third dielectric layer having a thinner thickness than the first dielectric layer is formed on the exposed semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device having improved performance includes a first device active region including at least one pair of transistor active regions wherein one transistor active region has a first width and the other transistor active region for forming a contact has a second width, a first gate arranged on the first device active region, a MOS transistor of a first conductivity type including a source/drain region of the first conductivity type formed in the first device active region, a second device active region having a third width greater than the first width, a second gate arranged on the second device active region, and a MOS transistor of a second conductivity type including a source/drain region of the second conductivity type formed in the second device active region.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a multi-thickness gate dielectric layer of a semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A second dielectric layer is formed using a different dielectric material from the material constituting the first dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer. A portion of the second dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the first dielectric layer under the second dielectric layer. A portion of the exposed first dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the semiconductor substrate under the exposed first dielectric layer. Thereafter, a third dielectric layer having a thinner thickness than the first dielectric layer is formed on the exposed semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a multi-thickness gate dielectric layer of a semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A second dielectric layer is formed using a different dielectric material from the material constituting the first dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer. A portion of the second dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the first dielectric layer under the second dielectric layer. A portion of the exposed first dielectric layer is selectively removed so as to selectively expose the semiconductor substrate under the exposed first dielectric layer. Thereafter, a third dielectric layer having a thinner thickness than the first dielectric layer is formed on the exposed semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: In a trench isolation method, a semiconductor substrate having an N-MOS region and a P-MOS region is prepared. A first mask pattern exposing an N-MOS field region is formed on the N-MOS region, and a second mask pattern exposing a P-MOS field region is formed on the P-MOS region. A first photoresist pattern is formed to cover the P-MOS region and expose the N-MOS region. First impurity ions are implanted into the N-MOS region, using the first mask pattern and the first photoresist pattern as ion implantation masks, thereby forming a first impurity layer in the N-MOS field region. In this case, a portion of the first impurity layer is formed to extend below the first mask pattern. The first photoresist pattern is removed. The semiconductor substrate is etched using the first and second mask patterns as etch masks, thereby forming trenches in the N-MOS field region and the P-MOS field region and concurrently, forming a first impurity pattern of the first impurity layer remaining below the first mask pattern.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode are sequentially formed on a substrate on which an active region is defined. A planarized layer is formed on the substrate including the gate electrode. The planarized layer partially removed, and an upper portion of the gate electrode is exposed. A silicon epitaxial layer is selectively formed only on the exposed gate electrode, and the planarized layer is completely removed. A gate spacer is formed along side surfaces of the gate electrode and the silicon epitaxial layer. A source/drain region is formed on a surface portion of the active region corresponding to the gate electrode. Since the silicon epitaxial layer is formed only on the gate region except the source/drain region, the gate resistance is stabilized and the parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and the source/drain region is reduce.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode are sequentially formed on a substrate on which an active region is defined. A planarized layer is formed on the substrate including the gate electrode. The planarized layer partially removed, and an upper portion of the gate electrode is exposed. A silicon epitaxial layer is selectively formed only on the exposed gate electrode, and the planarized layer is completely removed. A gate spacer is formed along side surfaces of the gate electrode and the silicon epitaxial layer. A source/drain region is formed on a surface portion of the active region corresponding to the gate electrode. Since the silicon epitaxial layer is formed only on the gate region except the source/drain region, the gate resistance is stabilized and the parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and the source/drain region is reduce.

Abstract: A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device having improved performance includes a first device active region including at least one pair of transistor active regions wherein one transistor active region has a first width and the other transistor active region for forming a contact has a second width, a first gate arranged on the first device active region, a MOS transistor of a first conductivity type including a source/drain region of the first conductivity type formed in the first device active region, a second device active region having a third width greater than the first width, a second gate arranged on the second device active region, and a MOS transistor of a second conductivity type including a source/drain region of the second conductivity type formed in the second device active region.

Abstract: In a CMOS semiconductor device using a silicon germanium gate and a method of fabricating the same, a gate insulating layer, a conductive electrode layer that is a seed layer, a silicon germanium electrode layer, and an amorphous conductive electrode layer are sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate. A photolithographic process is then carried out to remove the silicon germanium electrode layer in the NMOS region, so that the silicon germanium layer is formed only in the PMOS region and is not formed in the NMOS region.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode are sequentially formed on a substrate on which an active region is defined. A planarized layer is formed on the substrate including the gate electrode. The planarized layer partially removed, and an upper portion of the gate electrode is exposed. A silicon epitaxial layer is selectively formed only on the exposed gate electrode, and the planarized layer is completely removed. A gate spacer is formed along side surfaces of the gate electrode and the silicon epitaxial layer. A source/drain region is formed on a surface portion of the active region corresponding to the gate electrode. Since the silicon epitaxial layer is formed only on the gate region except the source/drain region, the gate resistance is stabilized and the parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and the source/drain region is reduce.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a silicon substrate; a source/drain region formed in the substrate including a lightly doped region and an adjacent heavily doped region, the depth of the heavily doped region being greater than the depth of the lightly doped region; a gate oxide layer on the silicon substrate; and a notched gate electrode on the substrate, the notched gate electrode including a notch along an outer side surface of a lower portion such that a top portion of the notched gate electrode is wider than the lower portion, the gate oxide layer extending between the interface of the notched gate electrode and the substrate, and a gate poly oxide layer provided along an outer side surface of the notched gate electrode and along an inner wall of the notch, a portion of the lightly doped region being under the notch.