Abstract: In an SOI semiconductor device, substrate diodes may be formed on the basis of a superior design of the contact level and the metallization layer, thereby avoiding the presence of metal lines connecting to both diode electrodes in the critical substrate diode area. To this end, contact trenches may be provided so as to locally connect one type of diode electrodes within the contact level. Consequently, additional process steps for planarizing the surface topography upon forming the contact level may be avoided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various methods of forming conductive contacts with reduced dimensions and various semiconductor devices incorporating such conductive contacts. In one example, one method disclosed herein includes forming a layer of insulating material above a semiconducting substrate, wherein the layer of material has a first thickness, forming a plurality of contact openings in the layer of material having the first thickness and forming an organic material in at least a portion of each of the contact openings. This illustrative method further includes the steps of, after forming the organic material, performing an etching process to reduce the first thickness of the layer of insulating material to a second thickness that is less than the first thickness, after performing the etching process, removing the organic material from the contact openings and forming a conductive contact in each of the contact openings.

Abstract: By appropriately designing the geometric configuration of a contact level of a sophisticated semiconductor device, the tensile stress level of contact elements in N-channel transistors may be increased, while the tensile strain component of contact elements caused in the P-channel transistor may be reduced.

Abstract: In a “via first/trench last” approach for forming metal lines and vias in a metallization system of a semiconductor device, a combination of two hard masks may be used, wherein the desired lateral size of the via openings may be defined on the basis of spacer elements, thereby resulting in significantly less demanding lithography conditions compared to conventional approaches.

Abstract: In a replacement gate approach, the semiconductor material of the gate electrode structures may be efficiently removed during a wet chemical etch process, while this material may be substantially preserved in electronic fuses. Consequently, well-established semiconductor-based electronic fuses may be used instead of requiring sophisticated metal-based fuse structures. The etch selectivity of the semiconductor material may be modified on the basis of ion implantation or electron bombardment.

Abstract: By forming the first metallization layer of a semiconductor device as a dual damascene structure, the contact elements may be formed on the basis of a significantly reduced aspect ratio, thereby enhancing process robustness and also improving electrical performance of the contact structure.

Abstract: By providing an implantation blocking material on the gate electrode structures of advanced semiconductor devices during high energy implantation processes, the required shielding effect with respect to the channel regions of the transistors may be accomplished. In a later manufacturing stage, the implantation blocking portion may be removed to reduce the gate electrode height to a desired level in order to enhance the process conditions during the deposition of an interlayer dielectric material, thereby significantly reducing the risk of creating irregularities, such as voids, in the interlayer dielectric material, even in densely packed device regions.

Abstract: By forming a protection layer prior to the application of the planarization layer during a dual damascene strategy for first patterning vias and then trenches, enhanced etch fidelity may be accomplished. In other aspects disclosed herein, via openings and trenches may be patterned in separate steps, which may be accomplished by different etch behaviors of respective dielectric materials and/or the provision of an appropriate etch stop layer, while filling the via opening and the trench with a barrier material and a highly conductive metal may be achieved in a common fill sequence. Hence, the via opening may be formed on the basis of a reduced aspect ratio, while nevertheless providing a highly efficient overall process sequence.

Abstract: Enhanced efficiency of a stress relaxation implantation process may be achieved by depositing a first layer of reduced thickness and relaxing the same at certain device regions, thereby obtaining an enhanced amount of substantially relaxed dielectric material in close proximity to the transistor under consideration, wherein a desired high amount of stressed dielectric material may be obtained above other transistors by performing a further deposition process. Hence, the negative effect of the highly stressed dielectric material for specific transistors, for instance in densely packed device regions, may be significantly reduced by depositing the highly stressed dielectric material in two steps with an intermediate relaxation implantation process.

Abstract: In sophisticated semiconductor devices, strain-inducing materials having a reduced dielectric strength or having certain conductivity, such as metal nitride and the like, may be used in the contact level in order to enhance performance of circuit elements, such as field effect transistors. For this purpose, a strain-inducing material may be efficiently encapsulated on the basis of a dielectric layer stack that may be patterned prior to forming the actual interlayer dielectric material in order to mask sidewall surface areas on the basis of spacer elements.

Abstract: Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to modern sophisticated semiconductor devices and methods for forming the same, wherein electrical interconnects between circuit elements based on a buried sublevel metallization may provide improved transistor density. One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a contact dielectric layer above first and second transistor elements of a semiconductor device, and after forming the contact dielectric layer, forming a buried conductive element below an upper surface of the contact dielectric layer, the conductive element providing an electrical connection between the first and second transistor elements.

Abstract: A contact element may be formed on the basis of a hard mask, which may be patterned on the basis of a first resist mask and on the basis of a second resist mask, to define an appropriate intersection area which may represent the final design dimensions of the contact element. Consequently, each of the resist masks may be formed on the basis of a photolithography process with less restrictive constraints, since at least one of the lateral dimensions may be selected as a non-critical dimension in each of the two resist masks.

Abstract: The thickness of drain and source areas may be reduced by a cavity etch used for refilling the cavities with an appropriate semiconductor material, wherein, prior to the epitaxial growth, an implantation process may be performed so as to allow the formation of deep drain and source areas without contributing to unwanted channel doping for a given critical gate height. In other cases, the effective ion blocking length of the gate electrode structure may be enhanced by performing a tilted implantation step for incorporating deep drain and source regions.

Abstract: In a replacement gate approach for forming high-k metal gate electrodes in semiconductor devices, a tapered configuration of the gate openings may be accomplished by using a tensile stressed dielectric material provided laterally adjacent to the gate electrode structure. Consequently, superior deposition conditions may be achieved while the tensile stress component may be efficiently used for the strain engineering in one type of transistor. Furthermore, an additional compressively stressed dielectric material may be applied after providing the replacement gate electrode structures.

Abstract: When forming substrate diodes in SOI devices, superior diode characteristics may be preserved by providing an additional spacer element in the substrate opening and/or by using a superior contact patterning regime on the basis of a sacrificial fill material. In both cases, integrity of a metal silicide in the substrate diode may be preserved, thereby avoiding undue deviations from the desired ideal diode characteristics. In some illustrative embodiments, the superior diode characteristics may be achieved without requiring any additional lithography step.

Abstract: The thickness of drain and source areas may be reduced by a cavity etch used for refilling the cavities with an appropriate semiconductor material, wherein, prior to the epitaxial growth, an implantation process may be performed so as to allow the formation of deep drain and source areas without contributing to unwanted channel doping for a given critical gate height. In other cases, the effective ion blocking length of the gate electrode structure may be enhanced by performing a tilted implantation step for incorporating deep drain and source regions.

Abstract: In sophisticated semiconductor devices, superior contact resistivity may be accomplished for a given contact configuration by providing hybrid contact elements, at least a portion of which may be comprised of a highly conductive material, such as copper. To this end, a well-established contact material, such as tungsten, may be used as buffer material in order to preserve integrity of sensitive device areas upon depositing the highly conductive metal.

Abstract: By providing a protective layer in an intermediate manufacturing stage, an increased surface protection with respect to particle contamination and surface corrosion may be achieved. In some illustrative embodiments, the protective layer may be used during an electrical test procedure, in which respective contact portions are contacted through the protective layer, thereby significantly reducing particle contamination during a respective measurement process.

Abstract: When forming metal silicide regions, such as nickel silicide regions, in sophisticated transistors requiring a shallow drain and source dopant profile, superior controllability may be achieved by incorporating a silicide stop layer. To this end, in some illustrative embodiments, a carbon species may be incorporated on the basis of an implantation process in order to significantly modify the metal diffusion during the silicidation process. Consequently, an increased thickness of the metal silicide may be provided, while not unduly increasing the probability of creating contact failures.

Abstract: When forming a metal silicide within contact openings in complex semiconductor devices, a silicidation of sidewall surface areas of the contact openings may be initiated by forming a silicon layer therein, thereby reducing unwanted diffusion of the refractory metal species into the laterally adjacent dielectric material. In this manner, superior reliability and electrical performance of the resulting contact elements may be achieved on the basis of a late silicide process.