Abstract: A method and apparatus for crystallizing a semiconductor that includes a first layer having a first crystal lattice orientation and a second layer having a second crystal lattice orientation, comprising amorphizing at least a portion of the second layer, applying a stress to the second layer and heating the second layer above a recrystallization temperature.

Abstract: Methods of forming field effect transistors include methods of forming PMOS and NMOS transistors by forming first and second gate electrodes on a substrate and then forming an electrically insulating layer having etch-enhancing impurities therein, on the first and second gate electrodes. The electrically insulating layer may be formed as a boron-doped silicon nitride layer or an electrically insulating layer that is doped with germanium and/or fluorine. The electrically insulating layer is etched-back to define first sidewall spacers on the first gate electrode and second sidewall spacers on the second gate electrode. P-type source and drain region dopants are then implanted into the semiconductor substrate, using the first sidewall spacers as a first implant mask. The second sidewall spacers on the second gate electrode are then etched back to reduce their lateral dimensions.

Abstract: A CMOS integrated circuit has NMOS and PMOS transistors therein and an insulating layer extending on the NMOS transistors. The insulating layer is provided to impart a relatively large tensile stress to the NMOS transistors. In particular, the insulating layer is formed to have a sufficiently high internal stress characteristic that imparts a tensile stress in a range from about 2 gigapascals (2 GPa) to about 4 gigapascals (4 GPa) in the channel regions of the NMOS transistors.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device having an increased source/drain contact area by a formed silicided polysilicon spacer. The polysilicon sidewall spacer is formed having a height less than seventy percent of said gate conductor height, and having a continuous surface silicide layer over the deep source and drain regions. The contact area is enhanced by the silicided polysilicon spacer.

Abstract: Methods of forming integrated circuit devices include patterning an electrically insulating layer to support dual-damascene interconnect structures therein. The steps of patterning the electrically insulating layer include using multiple planarization layers having different porosity characteristics. Forming an interconnect structure within an integrated circuit device may include forming an electrically insulating layer on a substrate and forming at least one via hole extending at least partially through the electrically insulating layer. The at least one via hole is filled with a first electrically insulating material having a first porosity. The filled at least one via hole is then covered with a second electrically insulating material layer having a second porosity lower than the first porosity. The second electrically insulating material layer is selectively etched back to expose a first portion of the first electrically insulating material in the at least one via hole.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer having multi-layer metallization structures that are fabricated to include embedded interconnection structures which serve as low-resistance electroplating current paths to conduct bulk electroplating current fed to portions of a metallic seed layer at peripheral surface regions of the wafer to portions of the metallic seed layer at inner/central surface regions of the semiconductor wafer to achieve uniformity in metal plating in chip regions across the wafer.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a dual stress liner for improving electron mobility, the dual stress liner includes a first liner portion formed on a PMOSFET and a second liner portion formed on an NMOSFET. The first liner portion has a first compressive stress, and the second liner portion has a second compressive stress smaller than the first compressive stress. The dual stress liner may be formed by forming a stress liner on a semiconductor substrate on which the PMOSFET and the NMOSFET are formed and selectively exposing a portion of the stress liner on the NMOSFET.

Abstract: A test structure of a semiconductor device is provided. The test structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor which includes a gate electrode formed on first and second active regions defined within the semiconductor substrate, and first and second junction regions which are arranged at both sidewalls of the gate electrode to reside within the first and second active regions and are silicided, and first and second pads through which electrical signals are applied to the silicided first and second junction regions and detected and which are formed on the same level as the gate electrode or the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a metal gate pattern is provided in which capping layers are used to control the relative oxidation rates of portions of the metal gate pattern during a oxidation process. The capping layer may be a multilayer structure and may be etched to form insulating spacers on the sidewalls of the metal gate pattern. The capping layer(s) allow the use of a selective oxidation process, which may be a wet oxidation process utilizing partial pressures of both H2O and H2 in an H2-rich atmosphere, to oxidize portions of the substrate and metal gate pattern while suppressing the oxidation of metal layers that may be included in the metal gate pattern. This allows etch damage to the silicon substrate and edges of the metal gate pattern to be reduced while substantially maintaining the original thickness of the gate insulating layer and the conductivity of the metal layer(s).

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a dual stress liner for improving electron mobility, the dual stress liner includes a first liner portion formed on a PMOSFET and a second liner portion formed on an NMOSFET. The first liner portion has a first compressive stress, and the second liner portion has a second compressive stress smaller than the first compressive stress. The dual stress liner may be formed by forming a stress liner on a semiconductor substrate on which the PMOSFET and the NMOSFET are formed and selectively exposing a portion of the stress liner on the NMOSFET.

Abstract: Electrically programmable integrated fuses are provided for low power applications. Integrated fuse devices have stacked structures with a polysilicon layer and a conductive layer formed on the polysilicon layer. The integrated fuses have structural features that enable the fuses to be reliably and efficiently programmed using low programming currents/voltages, while achieving consistency in fusing locations. For example, programming reliability and consistency is achieved by forming the conductive layers with varied thickness and forming the polysilicon layers with varied doping profiles, to provide more precise localized regions in which fusing events readily occur.

Abstract: Methods of forming integrated circuit devices include patterning an electrically insulating layer to support dual-damascene interconnect structures therein. The steps of patterning the electrically insulating layer include using multiple planarization layers having different porosity characteristics. Forming an interconnect structure within an integrated circuit device may include forming an electrically insulating layer on a substrate and forming at least one via hole extending at least partially through the electrically insulating layer. The at least one via hole is filled with a first electrically insulating material having a first porosity. The filled at least one via hole is then covered with a second electrically insulating material layer having a second porosity lower than the first porosity. The second electrically insulating material layer is selectively etched back to expose a first portion of the first electrically insulating material in the at least one via hole.

Abstract: Methods are provided for forming dual damascene interconnect structures using different conductor materials to fill via holes and line trenches. For example, a method for forming an interconnection structure includes depositing dielectric material on a semiconductor substrate and etching the dielectric material to form a dual damascene recess structure comprising a via hole and trench. A layer of first conductive material is then conformally deposited to fill the via hole with the first conductive material, and the layer of first conductive material is etched to remove the first conductive material from the trench and an upper region of the via hole below the trench. A layer of second conductive material is then deposited to fill the trench and upper region of the via hole with the second conductive material.

Abstract: Provided are exemplary methods for forming a semiconductor devices incorporating silicide layers formed at temperatures below about 700° C., such as nickel silicides, that are formed after completion of a silicide blocking layer (SBL). The formation of the SBL tends to deactivate dopant species in the gate, lightly-doped drain and/or source/drain regions. The exemplary methods include a post-SBL activation anneal either in place of or in addition to the traditional post-implant activation anneal. The use of the post-SBL anneal produces CMOS transistors having properties that reflect reactivation of sufficient dopant to overcome the SBL process effects, while allowing the use of lower temperature silicides, including nickel silicides and, in particular, nickel silicides incorporating a minor portion of an alloying metal, such as tantalum, the exhibits reduced agglomeration and improved temperature stability.

Abstract: A stress nitride structure is formed on an integrated circuit field effect transistor by high density plasma (HDP) depositing a first stress nitride layer on the integrated circuit field effect transistor and then plasma enhanced chemical vapor depositing (PECVD) a second stress nitride layer on the first stress nitride layer. The first stress nitride layer is non-conformial and the second stress nitride layer is conformal. Related structures also are described.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a dual stress liner for improving electron mobility, the dual stress liner includes a first liner portion formed on a PMOSFET and a second liner portion formed on an NMOSFET. The first liner portion has a first compressive stress, and the second liner portion has a second compressive stress smaller than the first compressive stress. The dual stress liner may be formed by forming a stress liner on a semiconductor substrate on which the PMOSFET and the NMOSFET are formed and selectively exposing a portion of the stress liner on the NMOSFET.

Abstract: Methods of forming metal interconnect structures include forming a first electrically insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate and forming a second electrically insulating layer on the first electrically insulating layer. The second and first electrically insulating layers are selectively etched in sequence to define a contact hole therein. A first metal layer (e.g., tungsten) is deposited. This first metal layer extends on the second electrically insulating layer and into the contact hole. The first metal layer is then patterned to expose the second electrically insulating layer. The second electrically insulating layer is selectively etched for a sufficient duration to expose the first electrically insulating layer and expose a metal plug within the contact hole. This selective etching step is performed using the patterned first metal layer as an etching mask. A seam within the exposed metal plug is then filled with an electrically conductive filler material (e.g., CoWP).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a metal gate pattern is provided in which capping layers are used to control the relative oxidation rates of portions of the metal gate pattern during a oxidation process. The capping layer may be a multilayer structure and may be etched to form insulating spacers on the sidewalls of the metal gate pattern. The capping layer(s) allow the use of a selective oxidation process, which may be a wet oxidation process utilizing partial pressures of both H2O and H2 in an H2-rich atmosphere, to oxidize portions of the substrate and metal gate pattern while suppressing the oxidation of metal layers that may be included in the metal gate pattern. This allows etch damage to the silicon substrate and edges of the metal gate pattern to be reduced while substantially maintaining the original thickness of the gate insulating layer and the conductivity of the metal layer(s).

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a metal gate pattern is provided in which capping layers are used to control the relative oxidation rates of portions of the metal gate pattern during a oxidation process. The capping layer may be a multilayer structure and may be etched to form insulating spacers on the sidewalls of the metal gate pattern. The capping layer(s) allow the use of a selective oxidation process, which may be a wet oxidation process utilizing partial pressures of both H2O and H2 in an H2-rich atmosphere, to oxidize portions of the substrate and metal gate pattern while suppressing the oxidation of metal layers that may be included in the metal gate pattern. This allows etch damage to the silicon substrate and edges of the metal gate pattern to be reduced while substantially maintaining the original thickness of the gate insulating layer and the conductivity of the metal layer(s).

Abstract: Provided are an improved structure for measuring gate misalignment and a measuring method thereof. The structure includes an active region and a device isolation region, a first gate group including a plurality of gates extending in one direction at one side of the active region, widths of the gates being the same with one another and lengths of the respective gates overlapping with the active region being different from one another, and a second gate group including a plurality of gates extending in one direction at the other side of the active region, widths of the gates being the same as one another and lengths of the respective gates overlapping with the active region being different from one another.