Patents by Inventor Kathryn T. Schonenberg

Kathryn T. Schonenberg has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10707167
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention includes a method for forming a contact in a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method may comprise: forming a contact opening in a dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate to expose an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a first liner layer to conformally coat the contact opening; causing a portion of the first liner layer to diffuse into the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first intermix region at the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a refractory metal layer over the first intermix region; and depositing a metal in the contact opening thereby forming the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 10032883
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved semiconductor structure (e.g., a silicon germanium (SiGe) hetero-junction bipolar transistor) having a narrow essentially interstitial-free SIC pedestal with minimal overlap of the extrinsic base. Also, disclosed is a method of forming the transistor which uses laser annealing, as opposed to rapid thermal annealing, of the SIC pedestal to produce both a narrow SIC pedestal and an essentially interstitial-free collector. Thus, the resulting SiGe HBT transistor can be produced with narrower base and collector space-charge regions than can be achieved with conventional technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleg Gluschenkov, Rajendran Krishnasamy, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Publication number: 20180090447
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention includes a method for forming a contact in a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method may comprise: forming a contact opening in a dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate to expose an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a first liner layer to conformally coat the contact opening; causing a portion of the first liner layer to diffuse into the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first intermix region at the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a refractory metal layer over the first intermix region; and depositing a metal in the contact opening thereby forming the contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9865546
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention includes a method for forming a contact in a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method may comprise: forming a contact opening in a dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate to expose an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a first liner layer to conformally coat the contact opening; causing a portion of the first liner layer to diffuse into the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first intermix region at the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a refractory metal layer over the first intermix region; and depositing a metal in the contact opening thereby forming the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9633946
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to seamless metallization structures and methods of manufacture. A structure includes: a contact opening formed in an oxide material and in alignment with an underlying structure; a metal liner lining the sidewalls and bottom of the contact opening, in direct electrical contact with the underlying structure; a conductive liner on the metal liner, within the contact opening; and tungsten fill material on the conductive liner and within the contact opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Jim Shih-Chun Liang, Domingo A. Ferrer, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Shahrukh Akbar Khan, Wei-Tsu Tseng
  • Patent number: 9553157
    Abstract: A device is created by forming a layer of dielectric material on a silicon-containing region of a semiconductor substrate. An opening is created through the layer of dielectric material, the opening having a bottom and exposing the silicon-containing region. A metal stack is formed within the opening. The metal stack includes at least a first metal film on the silicon-containing region and a second gettering metal film on the first metal film. The metal stack is annealed to cause oxygen to migrate from the substrate to the gettering metal film. A first liner is formed within the opening. A fill metal is deposited in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Viraj Y. Sardesai, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Cung D. Tran
  • Publication number: 20160358860
    Abstract: An aspect of the invention includes a method for forming a contact in a dielectric layer over a semiconductor substrate. The method may comprise: forming a contact opening in a dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate to expose an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a first liner layer to conformally coat the contact opening; causing a portion of the first liner layer to diffuse into the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first intermix region at the upper portion of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a refractory metal layer over the first intermix region; and depositing a metal in the contact opening thereby forming the contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Publication number: 20160351682
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved semiconductor structure (e.g., a silicon germanium (SiGe) hetero-junction bipolar transistor) having a narrow essentially interstitial-free SIC pedestal with minimal overlap of the extrinsic base. Also, disclosed is a method of forming the transistor which uses laser annealing, as opposed to rapid thermal annealing, of the SIC pedestal to produce both a narrow SIC pedestal and an essentially interstitial-free collector. Thus, the resulting SiGe HBT transistor can be produced with narrower base and collector space-charge regions than can be achieved with conventional technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleg Gluschenkov, Rajendran Krishnasamy, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9472406
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. A first transition metal liner including at least one first transition metal element, a second transition metal liner including at least one second transition metal element that is different from the at least one first transition metal element and a metal contact are sequentially formed within each contact opening. Following a planarization process, the structure is annealed forming metal semiconductor alloy contacts at the bottom of each contact opening. Each metal semiconductor alloy contact that is formed includes the at least one first transition metal element, the at least one second transition metal element and a semiconductor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9450069
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved semiconductor structure (e.g., a silicon germanium (SiGe) hetero-junction bipolar transistor) having a narrow essentially interstitial-free SIC pedestal with minimal overlap of the extrinsic base. Also, disclosed is a method of forming the transistor which uses laser annealing, as opposed to rapid thermal annealing, of the SIC pedestal to produce both a narrow SIC pedestal and an essentially interstitial-free collector. Thus, the resulting SiGe HBT transistor can be produced with narrower base and collector space-charge regions than can be achieved with conventional technology.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ultratech, Inc.
    Inventors: Oleg Gluschenkov, Rajendran Krishnasamy, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9449827
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. A first transition metal liner including at least one first transition metal element, a second transition metal liner including at least one second transition metal element that is different from the at least one first transition metal element and a metal contact are sequentially formed within each contact opening. Following a planarization process, the structure is annealed forming metal semiconductor alloy contacts at the bottom of each contact opening. Each metal semiconductor alloy contact that is formed includes the at least one first transition metal element, the at least one second transition metal element and a semiconductor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9443772
    Abstract: A contact can be formed by forming a layer of dielectric material on a silicon-containing region of a semiconductor substrate. An opening is created through the layer of dielectric material that exposes the silicon-containing region. A metal stack is formed within the opening. The metal stack includes at least a first metal film having a first and second type of metal and a second metal film. The metal stack and the silicon-containing region of the semiconductor substrate are annealed to form a silicide that includes the first and second types of metal and that is in contact with the semiconductor substrate. A first liner is formed within the opening and a fill metal is deposited in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Keith Kwong Hon Wong
  • Patent number: 9397181
    Abstract: A device is created by forming a layer of dielectric material on a silicon-containing region of a semiconductor substrate. An opening is created through the layer of dielectric material, the opening having a bottom and exposing the silicon-containing region. A metal stack is formed within the opening. The metal stack includes at least a first metal film on the silicon-containing region and a second gettering metal film on the first metal film. The metal stack is annealed to cause oxygen to migrate from the substrate to the gettering metal film. A first liner is formed within the opening. A fill metal is deposited in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Viraj Y. Sardesai, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Cung D. Tran
  • Patent number: 9379012
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. An interfacial oxide layer is then formed in each contact opening and on an exposed surface portion of the interfacial oxide layer. A NiPt alloy layer is formed within each opening and on the exposed surface portion of each interfacial oxide layer. An anneal is then performed that forms a contact structure of, from bottom to top, a nickel disilicide alloy body having an inverted pyramidal shape, a Pt rich silicide cap region and an oxygen rich region. A metal contact is then formed within each contact opening and atop the oxygen rich region of each contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Publication number: 20160118298
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. An interfacial oxide layer is then formed in each contact opening and on an exposed surface portion of the interfacial oxide layer. A NiPt alloy layer is formed within each opening and on the exposed surface portion of each interfacial oxide layer. An anneal is then performed that forms a contact structure of, from bottom to top, a nickel disilicide alloy body having an inverted pyramidal shape, a Pt rich silicide cap region and an oxygen rich region. A metal contact is then formed within each contact opening and atop the oxygen rich region of each contact structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Patent number: 9293554
    Abstract: Metal semiconductor alloy contacts are provided on each of a source region and a drain region which are present in a semiconductor substrate. A transition metal is then deposited on each of the metal semiconductor alloy contacts, and during the deposition of the transition metal, the deposited transition metal reacts preferably, but not necessarily always, in-situ with a portion of each the metal semiconductor alloy contacts forming a transition metal-metal semiconductor alloy liner atop each metal semiconductor alloy contact. Each transition metal-metal semiconductor alloy liner that is provided has outer edges that are vertically coincident with outer edges of each metal semiconductor alloy contact. The transition metal-metal semiconductor alloy liner is more etch resistant as compared to the underlying metal semiconductor alloy. As such, the transition metal-metal semiconductor alloy liner can serve as an effective etch stop layer during any subsequently performed etch process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Nicolas Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Jian Yu
  • Publication number: 20160035574
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. A first transition metal liner including at least one first transition metal element, a second transition metal liner including at least one second transition metal element that is different from the at least one first transition metal element and a metal contact are sequentially formed within each contact opening. Following a planarization process, the structure is annealed forming metal semiconductor alloy contacts at the bottom of each contact opening. Each metal semiconductor alloy contact that is formed includes the at least one first transition metal element, the at least one second transition metal element and a semiconductor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Publication number: 20160027889
    Abstract: A device is created by forming a layer of dielectric material on a silicon-containing region of a semiconductor substrate. An opening is created through the layer of dielectric material, the opening having a bottom and exposing the silicon-containing region. A metal stack is formed within the opening. The metal stack includes at least a first metal film on the silicon-containing region and a second gettering metal film on the first metal film. The metal stack is annealed to cause oxygen to migrate from the substrate to the gettering metal film. A first liner is formed within the opening. A fill metal is deposited in the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Viraj Y. Sardesai, Kathryn T. Schonenberg, Cung D. Tran
  • Patent number: 9236345
    Abstract: Contact openings are formed into a dielectric material exposing a surface portion of a semiconductor substrate. An interfacial oxide layer is then formed in each contact opening and on an exposed surface portion of the interfacial oxide layer. A NiPt alloy layer is formed within each opening and on the exposed surface portion of each interfacial oxide layer. An anneal is then performed that forms a contact structure of, from bottom to top, a nickel disilicide alloy body having an inverted pyramidal shape, a Pt rich silicide cap region and an oxygen rich region. A metal contact is then formed within each contact opening and atop the oxygen rich region of each contact structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Emre Alptekin, Nicolas L. Breil, Christian Lavoie, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg
  • Publication number: 20150371952
    Abstract: A contact is created by forming a layer of dielectric material on a silicon-containing region of a semiconductor substrate. An opening is created through the layer of dielectric material, the opening having a bottom and exposing the silicon-containing region. An oxygen-containing layer is formed on type of the semiconductor substrate. A metal stack is formed within the opening and includes a first metal film with a first type of metal and a second type of metal and a second metal film. The metal stack, the oxygen-containing layer and the silicon-containing region of the semiconductor substrate are annealed to form a metallic oxide layer and a metal silicide layer. A first liner is formed within the opening. A fill metal is deposited in the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Nicolas L. Breil, Vijay Narayanan, Ahmet S. Ozcan, Kathryn T. Schonenberg