Abstract: Concurrently forming different metal gate transistors having respective work functions is disclosed. In one example, a metal carbide, which has a relatively low work function, is formed over a semiconductor substrate. Oxygen and/or nitrogen are then added to the metal carbide in a second region to establish a second work function in the second region, where the metal carbide itself establishes a first work function in a first region. One or more first metal gate transistor types are then formed in the first region and one or more second metal gate transistor types are formed in the second region.

Abstract: Multi-gate MOS transistors and fabrication methods are described, in which the transistor semiconductor body thickness or width is lithography independent, allowing scaled triple and quad-gate devices having semiconductor bodies smaller than a lateral gate length dimension. A form structure is provided over a semiconductor wafer starting structure, and spacers are formed along one or more sidewalls of an opening in the form structure. A semiconductor material is deposited in the opening by epitaxial growth or other deposition process, and the form structure and the spacer are removed. A gate structure is then formed along the top and sides of a central portion of the formed semiconductor body. The spacer may be L-shaped, providing an undercut or recess at the bottom of the semiconductor body sidewall, and the gate may be formed in the undercut area to allow fabrication of more than three gates.

Abstract: Concurrently forming different metal gate transistors having respective work functions is disclosed. In one example, a metal carbide, which has a relatively low work function, is formed over a semiconductor substrate. Oxygen and/or nitrogen are then added to the metal carbide in a second region to establish a second work function in the second region, where the metal carbide itself establishes a first work function in a first region. One or more first metal gate transistor types are then formed in the first region and one or more second metal gate transistor types are formed in the second region.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide triple-gate semiconductor devices isolated by reverse STI structures and methodologies for their manufacture. In an exemplary process, stacked layers including a form layer over a dielectric layer can be formed over a semiconductor substrate. One or more trenches can be formed by etching through the stacked layers. The one or more trenches can be filled by an active area material to form one or more active areas, which can be isolated by remaining portions of the dielectric layer. Bodies of the active area material can be exposed by removing the form layer. One or more triple-gate devices can then be formed on the exposed active area material. The exemplary triple-gate semiconductor devices can control the dimensions for the active areas and provide less isolation spacing between the active areas, which optimizes manufacturing efficiency and device integration quality.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide structures and fabrication methods for dual work function metal gate electrodes. The work function value of a metal gate electrode can be increased and/or decreased by disposing various electronegative species and/or electropositive species at the metal/dielectric interface to control interface dipoles. In an exemplary embodiment, various electronegative species can be disposed at the metal/dielectric interface to increase the work function value of the metal, which can be used for a PMOS metal gate electrode in a dual work function gated device. Various electropositive species can be disposed at the metal/dielectric interface to decrease the work function value of the metal, which can be used for an NMOS metal gate electrode in the dual work function gated device.

Abstract: Multi-gate MOS transistors and fabrication methods are described, in which the transistor semiconductor body thickness or width is lithography independent, allowing scaled triple and quad-gate devices having semiconductor bodies smaller than a lateral gate length dimension. A form structure is provided over a semiconductor wafer starting structure, and spacers are formed along one or more sidewalls of an opening in the form structure. A semiconductor material is deposited in the opening by epitaxial growth or other deposition process, and the form structure and the spacer are removed. A gate structure is then formed along the top and sides of a central portion of the formed semiconductor body. The spacer may be L-shaped, providing an undercut or recess at the bottom of the semiconductor body sidewall, and the gate may be formed in the undercut area to allow fabrication of more than three gates.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates semiconductor fabrication by providing methods of fabrication that selectively form high-k dielectric layers within NMOS regions. An oxide layer is formed in core and I/O regions of a semiconductor device (506). The oxide layer is removed (508) from the core region of the device. A high-k dielectric layer is formed (510) over the core and I/O regions. Then, the high-k dielectric layer is removed (512) from PMOS regions of the core and I/O regions. A silicon nitride layer is grown (516) within PMOS regions of the core and I/O regions by a low temperature thermal process. Subsequently, an oxidation process is performed (518) that oxidizes the silicon nitride into silicon oxynitride.

Abstract: Forming metal gate transistors that have different work functions is disclosed. In one example, a first metal, which is a ‘mid gap’ metal, is manipulated in first and second regions by second and third metals, respectively, to move the work function of the first metal in opposite directions in the different regions. The resulting work functions in the different regions correspond to that of different types of the transistors that are to be formed.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates semiconductor fabrication by providing methods of fabrication that selectively form high-k dielectric layers within NMOS regions. A first oxide layer is formed in core and I/O regions of a semiconductor device (506). The first oxide layer is removed (508) from the core region of the device. A high-k dielectric layer is formed (510) over the core and I/O regions. Then, the high-k dielectric layer is removed (512) from PMOS regions of the core and I/O regions. A second oxide layer is formed (516) within NMOS regions of the core and I/O regions and a nitridation process is performed (518) that nitrides the second oxide layer and the high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates semiconductor fabrication by providing methods of fabrication that selectively form high-k dielectric layers within NMOS regions. An I/O dielectric layer is formed in core and I/O regions of a semiconductor device (506). The I/O dielectric layer is removed (508) from the core region of the device. A core dielectric layer is formed in the core region (510). A barrier layer is deposited and patterned to expose the NMOS devices of the core region (512). The core dielectric layer is removed from the core NMOS devices (514). A high-k dielectric layer is formed (514) over the core and I/O regions. Then, the high-k dielectric layer is removed (512) from PMOS regions/devices of the core region and the NMOS and PMOS regions/devices of the I/O region.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that facilitate formation of dielectric layers having a particular composition profile by forming the dielectric layer as a number of sub-layers. The sub-layers are thin enough so that specific relative compositions can be achieved for each layer and, therefore, the sub-layers collectively yield a dielectric layer with a particular profile. The formation of individual sub layers is accomplished by controlling one or more processing parameters for a chemical vapor deposition process that affect relative compositions. Some processing parameters that can be employed include wafer temperature, pressure, and precursor flow rate.

Abstract: Multi-gate MOS transistors and fabrication methods are described, in which the transistor semiconductor body thickness or width is lithography independent, allowing scaled triple and quad-gate devices having semiconductor bodies smaller than a lateral gate length dimension. A form structure is provided over a semiconductor wafer starting structure, and spacers are formed along one or more sidewalls of an opening in the form structure. A semiconductor material is deposited in the opening by epitaxial growth or other deposition process, and the form structure and the spacer are removed. A gate structure is then formed along the top and sides of a central portion of the formed semiconductor body. The spacer may be L-shaped, providing an undercut or recess at the bottom of the semiconductor body sidewall, and the gate may be formed in the undercut area to allow fabrication of more than three gates.

Abstract: Fabrication methods are presented in which a semiconductor body is deposited in a cavity of a temporary form structure above a semiconductor starting structure. The formed semiconductor body can be epitaxial silicon deposited in the form cavity over a silicon substrate, and includes three body portions, two of which are doped to form source/drains, and the other forming a transistor channel that overlies the starting structure. A gate structure is formed along one or more sides of the channel body portion to create a MOS transistor.

Abstract: The present invention forms a nitrided dielectric layer without substantial harm to a semiconductor layer on which the dielectric layer is formed. The invention employs a multi-stage process in which dielectric sub-layers are individually nitrided before formation of a next dielectric sub-layer. The net result is a nitrided multi-layered dielectric layer comprised of a plurality of dielectric sub-layers wherein the sub-layers have been individually deposited and incorporated with nitrogen.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for fabricating transistor gate structures in which high-k dielectric layer roughness is reduced by formation of a nucleation promotion layer over the substrate or any intentional interface layers, and a high-k gate dielectric is formed over the nucleation promotion layer. The nucleation promotion layer has a thickness of 10 Å or less, such as a monolayer or a sub-monolayer, comprising a metal, a metal silicide, or a metal silicate, which promotes uniform chemical vapor deposition of high-k gate dielectric materials by increasing the density of nucleation sites on the substrate or intentional interface layer.

Abstract: The present invention forms a nitrided dielectric layer without substantial harm to a semiconductor layer on which the dielectric layer is formed. The invention employs a multi-stage process in which dielectric sub-layers are individually nitrided before formation of a next dielectric sub-layer. The net result is a nitrided multi-layered dielectric layer comprised of a plurality of dielectric sub-layers wherein the sub-layers have been individually deposited and incorporated with nitrogen.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed that facilitate formation of dielectric layers having a particular composition profile by forming the dielectric layer as a number of sub-layers. The sub-layers are thin enough so that specific relative compositions can be achieved for each layer and, therefore, the sub-layers collectively yield a dielectric layer with a particular profile. The formation of individual sub layers is accomplished by controlling one or more processing parameters for a chemical vapor deposition process that affect relative compositions. Some processing parameters that can be employed include wafer temperature, pressure, and precursor flow rate.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for fabricating transistor gate structures in which high-k dielectric layer roughness is reduced by formation of a nucleation promotion layer over the substrate or any intentional interface layers, and a high-k gate dielectric is formed over the nucleation promotion layer. The nucleation promotion layer has a thickness of 10 Å or less, such as a monolayer or a sub-monolayer, comprising a metal, a metal silicide, or a metal silicate, which promotes uniform chemical vapor deposition of high-k gate dielectric materials by increasing the density of nucleation sites on the substrate or intentional interface layer.

Abstract: Methods are disclosed for fabricating transistor gate structures and high-k dielectric layers therefor by sputter deposition, in which nitridation and/or oxidation or other adverse reaction of the semiconductor material is reduced or minimized by reducing the bombardment of the semiconductor body by positively charged reactive ions such as oxygen ions or nitrogen ions during the sputter deposition process. The sputtering operation may be a two-step process in which ionic bombardment of the semiconductor material is minimized in an initial deposition step to form a first layer portion covering the semiconductor body, and the second step completes the desired high-k dielectric layer. Mitigation of unwanted nitridation and/or oxidation or other adverse reaction is achieved through one, some, or all of high sputtering deposition pressure, repulsive wafer biasing, increased wafer-plasma spacing, low partial pressures for reactant gases, and low sputtering powers or power densities.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to a method of etching a high-k dielectric. The method involves removing an exposed portion of a high-k dielectric layer from a substrate by wet etching with a solution comprising water, a strong acid, an oxidizing agent, and a fluorine compound. The etching solution provides selectivity towards the high-k film against insulating materials and polysilicon and is therefore useful in manufacturing FETs.