Abstract: A plurality of storage node electrodes are formed on a semiconductor substrate. A capacitor insulating film is formed on the storage node electrodes. A plate electrode, facing the storage node electrodes, is formed on the capacitor insulating film. A cavity is formed in the plate electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning exposure method, in which, when a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a wafer via an optical projection, the projecting region of the mask is limited by a slit, and the mask and the wafer are scanned in synchronism with the slit fixed so as to transfer the entire pattern region of the mask onto the wafer. In the scanning exposure method of the present invention, the exposure of the entire mask by the scanning of mask and the wafer is carried out twice by changing the exposure conditions. The first exposure and the second exposure are made opposite to each other in the scanning direction of the mask and the wafer so as to improve the pattern transfer accuracy.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a capacitor comprises the steps of: forming a lower electrode of a metal over a substrate; forming a capacitor dielectric film of an oxide dielectric film on the lower electrode; depositing a metal film on the capacitor dielectric film; performing a thermal processing in a hydrogen-content atmosphere after the step of depositing the metal film; and patterning the metal film to form an upper electrode of the metal film after the step of performing the thermal processing. Thus, the adhesion between the upper electrode and the capacitor dielectric film is improved, and capacitor characteristics can be improved.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a first film and a second film on a semiconductor substrate, selectively removing the second film, the first film and a top portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first groove, burying a first insulator film in the first groove to form an isolation region, patterning the second film surrounded by the isolation region to form a dummy gate layer, doping the semiconductor substrate with an impurity using the dummy gate layer as a mask, forming a second insulator film on the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the dummy gate layer and the first insulator film, removing the dummy gate layer and the first film to form a second groove, forming a gate insulator film on the semiconductor substrate in the second groove, and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulator film in the second groove.

Abstract: The capacitor related to the present invention has a lower electrode, a dielectric film provided on the lower electrode and made mainly of crystal containing at Ti, O and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ba and Sr, and an upper electrode provided on the dielectric film, wherein the dielectric film includes a layer which contacts the upper electrode. In case the dielectric film which has a thickness of at least 5 nm and exhibits a first-order differential spectrum measured by means of Auger electron spectroscopy, and the in the first-order differential spectrum, a ratio A/B is at most 0.3, where A is the absolute value A of a difference between a third peak appearing near 420 eV and a fourth peak appearing at a higher energy level and near the third peak, and B is the absolute value B of a difference between a first peak appearing near 410 eV and a third peak appearing at a lower energy level and near the first level.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a transistor structure including an epitaxial silicon layer formed on a main surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate, source-drain diffusion layers formed on at least the epitaxial silicon layer, a channel region formed between the source and drain regions, and a gate electrode formed on the channel region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, an element isolation region being sandwiched between adjacent transistor structures, wherein a punch-through stopper layer formed in a lower portion of the channel region has an impurity concentration higher than that of the channel region, and the source-drain diffusion layers do not extend to overlap with edge portion of insulating films for the element isolation.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a first film and a second film on a semiconductor substrate, selectively removing the second film, the first film and a top portion of the semiconductor substrate to form a first groove, burying a first insulator film in the first groove to form an isolation region, patterning the second film surrounded by the isolation region to form a dummy gate layer, doping the semiconductor substrate with an impurity using the dummy gate layer as a mask, forming a second insulator film on the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the dummy gate layer and the first insulator film, removing the dummy gate layer and the first film to form a second groove, forming a gate insulator film on the semiconductor substrate in the second groove, and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulator film in the second groove.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of columnar portions formed in memory cell array regions on a semiconductor substrate. The columnar portions are isolated from one another by a plurality of trenches, and these trenches have first and second bottoms that are different in depth. The semiconductor device comprises a plurality of cell transistors which include first diffusion layer regions formed in the first bottoms, which are shallower than the second bottoms, second diffusion layer regions formed in surface portions of the columnar portions, and a plurality of gate electrodes which are adjacent to both the first and second diffusion layer regions and extend along at least one side-surface portions of the columnar portions.

Abstract: Presented is an etching method capable of easily etching an oxide containing an alkaline-earth metal. One method is to etch the oxide by using an etching gas containing a halogen gas except for fluorine, an interhalogen compound consisting of only a halogen element except for fluorine, or a halogen hydride consisting of a halogen element except for fluorine and hydrogen. Particularly chlorides, bromides, and iodides of alkaline-earth metals have relatively high vapor pressures, so a thin film containing an alkaline-earth metal can be etched by using chlorine gas, bromine gas, or iodine gas. When a halogen gas containing fluorine is used, damages to SiO2 portions used in a film formation apparatus are prevented by coating these SiO2 portions with a fluoride of an alkaline-earth metal.

Abstract: Presented is an etching method capable of easily etching an oxide containing an alkaline-earth metal. One method is to etch the oxide by using an etching gas containing a halogen gas except for fluorine, an interhalogen compound consisting of only a halogen element except for fluorine, or a halogen hydride consisting of a halogen element except for fluorine and hydrogen. Particularly chlorides, bromides, and iodides of alkaline-earth metals have relatively high vapor pressures, so a thin film containing an alkaline-earth metal can be etched by using chlorine gas, bromine gas, or iodine gas. When a halogen gas containing fluorine is used, damages to SiO2 portions used in a film formation apparatus are prevented by coating these SiO2 portions with a fluoride of an alkaline-earth metal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor device comprising a transistor structure including an epitaxial silicon layer formed on a main surface of an n-type semiconductor substrate, source-drain diffusion layers formed on at least the epitaxial silicon layer, a channel region formed between the source and drain regions, and a gate electrode formed on the channel region with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween, an element isolation region being sandwiched between adjacent transistor structures, wherein a punch-through stopper layer formed in a lower portion of the channel region has an impurity concentration higher than that of the channel region, and the source-drain diffusion layers do not extend to overlap with edge portion of insulating films for the element isolation.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a lower electrode shaped as a convex formed on a semiconductor substrate having crystals, a grain boundary between adjacent crystals being perpendicular to a side of the lower electrode, a capacitor insulating film covering the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the capacitor insulating film.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of forming a dummy film and a dummy gate pattern at a predetermined gate-forming region on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first side wall insulating film on a side wall of the dummy gate pattern, forming an interlayer insulating film on a portion of the semiconductor substrate around the dummy gate pattern bearing the first side wall insulating film, forming a groove by removing the dummy gate pattern, removing a portion of dummy film exposed through the groove while leaving a portion of the first side wall insulating film as well as a portion of the dummy film disposed below the portion of the first side wall insulating film, forming a gate insulating film at least on a bottom surface of the groove, and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film formed in the groove.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of forming a dummy film and a dummy gate pattern at a predetermined gate-forming region on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first side wall insulating film on a side wall of the dummy gate pattern, forming an interlayer insulating film on a portion of the semiconductor substrate around the dummy gate pattern bearing the first side wall insulating film, forming a groove by removing the dummy gate pattern, removing a portion of dummy film exposed through the groove while leaving a portion of the first side wall insulating film as well as a portion of the dummy film disposed below the portion of the first side wall insulating film, forming a gate insulating film at least on a bottom surface of the groove, and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film formed in the groove.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a transistor having a gate electrode formed above a semiconductor substrate and source and drain regions formed in the semiconductor substrate, a bit line contact formed in an interlayer insulating film formed to cover the transistor and connected to one of the source and drain regions, a storage node electrode contact formed in the interlayer insulating film and connected to the other of the source and drain regions, a bit line contact plug formed on the bit line contact, a storage node electrode contact plug formed on the storage node electrode contact, a bit line formed to connect to the bit line contact plug, and a capacitor storage node electrode formed to connect to the storage node electrode contact plug.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate on which an element is formed, a lower wiring formed on the semiconductor substrate, and an upper wiring formed on and connected to the lower wiring. The upper wiring includes a plurality of regions having different thicknesses in a continuous wiring region excluding a connection region for connecting the upper and lower wirings.

Abstract: A memory cell incorporated in a dynamic RAM is disclosed. The memory cell comprises a capacitor having a storage electrode formed in a trench, a first semiconductor layer formed on the capacitor, a connection member formed in the hole, a second semiconductor layer formed on the first semiconductor layer and the connection member, and a transistor formed in the second semiconductor layer. One of the source and the drain of the transistor is connected to the connection member in a direction of lamination of the substrate and the layers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate and a capacitor provided above the semiconductor substrate and having an upper electrode, a lower electrode, and a dielectric film provided between the upper electrode and the lower electrode. At least one of the electrodes comprises an SrRuO3 film provided near the dielectric film and a conductive film made of conductive material other than SrRuO3 and provided far from the dielectric film.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning exposure method, in which, when a pattern formed on a mask is transferred onto a wafer via an optical projection, the projecting region of the mask is limited by a slit, and the mask and the wafer are scanned in synchronism with the slit fixed so as to transfer the entire pattern region of the mask onto the wafer. In the scanning exposure method of the present invention, the exposure of the entire mask by the scanning of mask and the wafer is carried out twice by changing the exposure conditions. The first exposure and the second exposure are made opposite to each other in the scanning direction of the mask and the wafer so as to improve the pattern transfer accuracy.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a convex semiconductor layer provided on a semiconductor substrate, a source region and a drain region provided in the convex semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode. The gate electrode has a side-wall gate portion provided over a side surface of the convex semiconductor layer in an insulated state with respect to the convex semiconductor layer.