Abstract: A method for CMOS device fabrication utilizes selective laser annealing to form raised source/drain contact structures. The raised source/drain contact structures provide for an increased contact area to the source/drain impurity regions. The method includes forming an amorphous silicon layer over the substrate and contacting the substrate surface in the source/drain regions. Dopant impurities are preferably introduced into the amorphous silicon layer. A laser annealing process using an excimer laser, selectively anneals the exposed amorphous silicon and is non-absorptive by other exposed materials so that the other materials are not heated past their respective heating critical points. The laser annealing process preferably urges the diffusion of the dopant impurities from the liquified silicon layer into the substrate in the source/drain regions, thereby forming source/drain impurity regions with shallow junction depths and low sheet resistivity.

Abstract: A method for forming single crystalline silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structures over a silicon substrate includes forming an amorphous silicon layer over an insulating layer and contacting the substrate through the insulating layer. An excimer laser having operating conditions and a wavelength chosen to selectively melt amorphous silicon irradiates the entire substrate surface and is largely non-absorbed by materials other than silicon when incident upon them. Heating of the substrate and other materials is therefore minimal. After a blanket radiation process selectively melts the amorphous silicon layer, cooling conditions are chosen such that a single crystal silicon film is formed during the solidification process due to contact to the single crystal silicon substrate which acts as a seed layer. Various devices may be formed on the SOI islands as well as on exposed portions of the substrate not covered by the SOI islands.

Abstract: A process for device fabrication, including coating a wafer with a layer including SiO2, SiNx, and a first resist, defining shallow trench isolation and alignment patterns in the first resist, transferring the first resist pattern into the SiO2 and SiNx, removing the first resist, etching trenches to a depth suitable for shallow trench isolation, coating the wafer with a second photoresist, defining open areas around alignment-marks, etching alignment mark trenches to a depth greater than the trench depth, suitable for alignment mark detection, removing the second resist and the SiNx, depositing SiO2 to fill the trenches for shallow trench isolation and partially fill the alignment mark trenches for alignment mark detection; and performing chemical mechanical polishing, leaving shallow trench isolation features and topographical alignment marks.

Abstract: A process for device fabrication, including coating a wafer with a layer including SiO2, SiNx, and a first resist, defining shallow trench isolation and alignment patterns in the first resist, transferring the first resist pattern into the SiO2 and SiNx, removing the first resist, etching trenches to a depth suitable for shallow trench isolation, coating the wafer with a second photoresist, defining open areas around alignment marks, etching alignment mark trenches to a depth greater than the trench depth, suitable for alignment mark detection, removing the second resist and the SiNx, depositing SiO2 to fill the trenches for shallow trench isolation and partially fill the alignment mark trenches for alignment mark detection; and performing chemical mechanical polishing, leaving shallow trench isolation features and topographical alignment marks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device located on a semiconductor substrate having opposite types of first and second transistors formed thereon. The device preferably includes a first gate electrode that includes a first metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the first transistor, and a second gate electrode that includes a second metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the second transistor and the first metal gate electrode material is also located over the second metal gate electrode material, which forms a gate stack.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device located on a semiconductor substrate having opposite types of first and second transistors formed thereon. The device preferably includes a first gate electrode that includes a first metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the first transistor, and a second gate electrode that includes a second metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the second transistor and the first metal gate electrode material is also located over the second metal gate electrode material, which forms a gate stack.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of manufacturing a field oxide isolation structure over a semiconductor. One of the methods includes the steps of: (1) depositing a first stack-nitride sublayer over the semiconductor at a first deposition rate and (2) subsequently depositing a second stack-nitride sublayer over the first stack-sublayer at a second deposition rate that is either greater or less than the first deposition rate. The first and second deposition rates provide first and second stack-nitride sublayers that cooperate to form a relatively thin, uniform thickness of the field oxide isolation structure over the semiconductor and provide a stress-accommodating system within the semiconductor. The varying rates of deposition and accompanying changes in mixture ratio, produce a stack that is better able to absorb stress, has greater uniformity and is far less subject to the disadvantageous phenomenon of stack-lifting, particularly encountered in semiconductor having a PADOX layer deposited thereon.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device located on a semiconductor substrate having opposite types of first and second transistors formed thereon. The device preferably includes a first gate electrode that includes a first metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the first transistor, and a second gate electrode that includes a second metal gate electrode material having a work function compatible with the second transistor and the first metal gate electrode material is also located over the second metal gate electrode material, which forms a gate stack.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a metal stack structure over a substrate of a semiconductor device, comprising: (a) forming a first metal layer over the substrate, (b) forming a tungsten silicide nitride layer over the first metal layer, (c) forming a second metal layer over the tungsten silicide nitride layer, and (d) annealing the metal stack structure at a diffusion temperature. The tungsten silicide nitride layer inhibits diffusion of the metal in the metal stack. In one embodiment, the annealing is performed in the presence of a forming gas mixture comprising deuterium. In one particularly advantageous embodiment, the metal stack is formed in a contact opening or via. In yet other embodiments, the first metal layer may be a stack layer of titanium and titanium nitride and the second metal layer may be aluminum or copper.

Abstract: The present invention provides a unique a resistor formed on a semiconductor substrate. The resistor preferably comprises a first resistor layer that includes a first metal silicide, such as tungsten silicide, and nitrogen and that is formed on the substrate. The first layer has a first thickness and a concentration of nitrogen incorporated therein. The nitrogen concentration may be varied to obtain a desired resistive value of the resistor. Thus, depending on the concentration of nitrogen, a wide range of resistive values may be achieved. The resistor further comprises a second resistor layer with a second thickness that includes a second metal silicide and that is formed on the first resistor layer. Thus, the present invention provides a metal silicide-based resistor having nitrogen incorporated therein which allows the resistance of the resistor to be tailored to specific electrical applications.

Abstract: The specification describes a process for making gate electrodes for silicon MOS transistor devices having tantalum pentoxide gate dielectrics. The gate electrode includes a layer of tungsten silicide, and, preferably a layer of tungsten suicide nitride. The tungsten silicide nitride/tungsten silicide reduces oxygen depletion effects in the tantalum pentoxide. The layers are preferably formed in situ in a PVD apparatus.

Abstract: A method of forming a multi-layered semiconductor structure having an alignment feature for aligning a lithography mask and that may be used in connection with a SCALPEL tool. The present invention is particularly well-suited for sub-micron CMOS technology devices and circuits, but is not limited thereto. The present invention advantageously permits use of an electron beam source for both alignment and exposure of a lithography mask on a semiconductor wafer. The present invention also advantageously enables the formation of an alignment feature early (i.e., zero-level) in the semiconductor device fabrication process.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device having a metal oxide metal (MOM) capacitor formed over a semiconductor wafer. In one embodiment, the device is a MOM capacitor that includes a first metal layer formed over the semiconductor wafer, a metal silicide layer, such as a tungsten silicide, silicide nitride or a refractory metal silicide, located on the first metal layer and an oxide layer located on the metal silicide layer. The metal silicide layer, which in an advantageous embodiment may be tungsten silicide nitride, resists the corrosive effects of deglazing that may be conducted on other portions of the wafer and is substantially unaffected by the deglazing process, unlike titanium nitride (TiN). Additionally, the metal silicide can act as an etch stop for the etching process. The MOM capacitor is completed by a second metal layer that is located on the oxide layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming a metal oxide metal (MOM) capacitor over a semiconductor wafer. The method may include forming a first metal layer over the semiconductor wafer, forming a metal silicide layer, such as a tungsten silicide, silicide nitride or a refractory metal silicide, over the first metal layer and forming an oxide layer over the metal silicide layer. The metal silicide layer, which in an advantageous embodiment may be tungsten silicide nitride, resists the corrosive effects of deglazing that may be conducted on other portions of the wafer and is substantially unaffected by the deglazing process, unlike titanium nitride (TiN). The semiconductor device is completed by forming a second metal layer over the oxide layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a gate stack structure having a dielectric material layer disposed on a substrate with a gate electrode disposed thereon. In an exemplary embodiment, the dielectric material layer has an equivalent electrical thickness of 2.2 nm or less and includes at least one layer other than silicon dioxide. Furthermore, the dielectric material layer of the present invention enables device scaling and provides (1) decreased leakage current and improved tunneling voltage compared to a conventional gate dielectric; and (2) avoids the perils of ultra-thin silicon dioxide when used exclusively as the gate dielectric.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor and a method of manufacturing the transistor. The transistor includes: (1) a substrate having a base region, an emitter region and a base-emitter junction between said base and emitter regions and (2) a substantial concentration of an isotope of hydrogen located in said biploar transistor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a heterojunction structure based upon the oxide/high-k dielectric barrier. In exemplary embodiment, a silicon layer has a silicon dioxide layer thereon, and a high-k dielectric material disposed on the oxide layer. Thereafter, a metal layer, serving as the gate metal for the device is disposed on the high-k dielectric. The silicon dioxide layer has a relatively high barrier height, but has a relatively small thickness, and relative to the high-k dielectric, the barrier height differential fosters real space transfer. In this structure, the high barrier height of the silicon dioxide layer results in higher mobility and thereby greater substrate current. By virtue of the relative thick layer of high-k dielectric, leakage current is significantly reduced.

Abstract: This invention includes a novel synthesis of a three-step process of growing, depositing and growing SiO2 under low pressure, e.g., 0.2-10 Torr, to generate high quality, robust and reliable gate oxides for sub 0.5 micron technologies. The first layer, 1.0-3.0 nm is thermally grown for passivation of the Si-semiconductor surface. The second deposited layer, which contains a substantial concentration of a hydrogen isotope, such as deuterium, forms an interface with the first grown layer. During the third step of the synthesis densification of the deposited oxide layers occurs with a simultaneous removal of the interface traps at the interface and growth of a stress-modulated SiO2 occurs at the Si/first grown layer interface in the presence of a stress-accommodating interface layer resulting in a planar and stress-reduced Si/SiO2 interface. The entire synthesis is done under low-pressure (e.g., 0.

Abstract: A method of making an integrated circuit includes forming a plurality of copper interconnect layers adjacent a semiconductor substrate. The plurality of copper interconnect layers are then annealed, in a deuterium ambient, prior to chemical mechanical polishing of such layers. The microstructure of each of the copper interconnect layers is thereby stabilized.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for fabricating merged integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer substrate. The process comprises forming a gate oxide on the semiconductor wafer substrate, forming a first transistor having a first gate on the gate oxide, and forming a second transistor having a second gate on the same gate oxide. The first transistor is optimized to a first operating voltage by varying a physical property of the first gate, varying a first tub doping profile, or varying a first source/drain doping profile. The second transistor is optimized to a second operating voltage by varying a physical property of the second gate, varying a second tub doping profile, or varying a second source/drain doping profile of the second transistor. These physical characteristics may be changed in any combination or singly to achieve the determined optimization of the operating voltage of any given transistor.