Abstract: A method including forming an insulating film over first, second, third and fourth regions of a semiconductor substrate; forming a polyimide film on the insulating film; and patterning the polyimide film with a lithography method using a photomask including at least a first region of a first transmittance rate, a second region of a second transmittance rate, a third region. having a shading material, and a fourth region, wherein the first, second, third and fourth regions of the photomask correspond to the first, second, third and fourth regions of the semiconductor substrate, respectively.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising first and second interconnections spaced apart from one another, an interlayer insulating material over the first and second interconnections, first and second contacts in the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, third and fourth interconnections over the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, and compensation capacitors in a capacitor region. The third interconnections are coupled with the first interconnections through the first contacts and the fourth interconnections are coupled with the second interconnections through the second contacts. The compensation capacitors comprise lower electrodes over the interlayer insulating material, dielectric materials over the lower electrodes, and upper electrodes over the dielectric materials. The lower electrodes comprise edge portions in contact with the second contacts.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; and a multilevel wiring structure on the semiconductor substrate, the multilevel wiring structure including at least an intermediate metal layer over the semiconductor substrate and an uppermost metal layer over the intermediate metal layer, and the multilevel wiring structure being divided into a main circuit portion and a scribe portion surrounding the main circuit portion; wherein the scribe portion of the multilevel wiring layer includes at least a metal pad exposed in the intermediate metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate; a first insulating film and a second insulating film provided above the semiconductor substrate; a low-k film provided between the first insulating film and the second insulating film; an element formation region in which elements included in an electric circuit are formed in the semiconductor substrate; a scribe region provided around the element formation region; a cut portion provided on the outer periphery of the scribe region; and a groove formed between the cut portion and the element formation region, wherein the groove penetrates through the low-k film.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a semiconductor substrate having a main surface including a first portion; a redistribution layer provided over the first portion of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer covering the first portion of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate and the redistribution layer; and a first polyimide film covering the insulating layer; wherein the polyimide film has a substantially flat upper surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a main circuit region; and a scribe region surrounding the main circuit region; wherein the main circuit region and the scribe region comprises first and second insulating films and a low-k film formed therebetween; and wherein the low-k film of the scribe region includes a plurality of cavities lining along a border between. the main circuit region and the scribe region.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising first and second interconnections spaced apart from one another, an interlayer insulating material over the first and second interconnections, first and second contacts in the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, third and fourth interconnections over the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, and compensation capacitors in a capacitor region. The third interconnections are coupled with the first interconnections through the first contacts and the fourth interconnections are coupled with the second interconnections through the second contacts. The compensation capacitors comprise lower electrodes over the interlayer insulating material, dielectric materials over the lower electrodes, and upper electrodes over the dielectric materials. The lower electrodes comprise edge portions in contact with the second contacts.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a multilevel wiring structure comprising aluminum interconnections. The aluminum interconnections comprise a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, where the second portion is between the first portion and the third portion. The third portion comprises a greater width in a lateral direction than a width in the lateral direction of the second portion. A memory device comprising a memory array comprising memory cells and a control logic component electrically connected to the memory array. At least one of the memory cells comprises a multilevel wiring structure comprising interconnect structures, where the interconnect structures comprise a first portion, a second portion adjacent to the first portion, and a third portion adjacent to the second portion. The third portion comprises a greater width in a lateral direction than a width in the lateral direction of the second portion. Related apparatus, memory devices, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having metallization structures including crack-inhibiting structures, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a metallization structure formed over a semiconductor substrate. The metallization structure can include a bond pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via one or more layers of conductive material, and an insulating material—such as a low-? dielectric material—at least partially around the conductive material. The metallization structure can further include a crack-inhibiting structure positioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate. The crack-inhibiting structure can include (a) a metal lattice extending laterally between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate and (b) barrier members extending vertically between the metal lattice and the bond pad.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising first and second interconnections spaced apart from one another, an interlayer insulating material over the first and second interconnections, first and second contacts in the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, third and fourth interconnections over the interlayer insulating material and spaced apart from one another, and compensation capacitors in a capacitor region. The third interconnections are coupled with the first interconnections through the first contacts and the fourth interconnections are coupled with the second interconnections through the second contacts. The compensation capacitors comprise lower electrodes over the interlayer insulating material, dielectric materials over the lower electrodes, and upper electrodes over the dielectric materials. The lower electrodes comprise edge portions in contact with the second contacts.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having metallization structures including crack-inhibiting structures, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a metallization structure formed over a semiconductor substrate. The metallization structure can include a bond pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via one or more layers of conductive material, and an insulating material—such as a low-? dielectric material—at least partially around the conductive material. The metallization structure can further include a crack-inhibiting structure positioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate. The crack-inhibiting structure can include (a) a metal lattice extending laterally between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate and (b) barrier members extending vertically between the metal lattice and the bond pad.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having metallization structures including crack-inhibiting structures, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a metallization structure formed over a semiconductor substrate. The metallization structure can include a bond pad electrically coupled to the semiconductor substrate via one or more layers of conductive material, and an insulating material—such as a low-? dielectric material—at least partially around the conductive material. The metallization structure can further include a crack-inhibiting structure positioned beneath the bond pad between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate. The crack-inhibiting structure can include (a) a metal lattice extending laterally between the bond pad and the semiconductor substrate and (b) barrier members extending vertically between the metal lattice and the bond pad.

Abstract: In a MOS transistor having a structure in which a source and a drain are raised on a substrate by using a selective epitaxial growth technique, a bulk resistance can be reduced while an impurity concentration of a silicon layer is reduced in the selective epitaxial growth. A metal oxide semiconductor transistor includes a gate having a sidewall formed on a silicon substrate, a silicon layer formed on the silicon substrate by selective epitaxial growth, and an inclination portion inclined downward in a direction opposite to the gate on at least a portion of a cross-section including the silicon layer and the gate.

Abstract: A semiconductor storage device comprises a peripheral circuit region including a wiring layer having wiring patterns, a cavity formed in a non-wiring region between the wiring patterns of the wiring layer, and an insulating film forming at least a part of a wall defining the cavity, and a memory cell region.

Abstract: This semiconductor device has an MOS transistor equipped with a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, a source region next to one side of the gate electrode, and a drain region next to another side of the gate electrode, wherein an upper end of the source region and an upper end of the drain region are at positions where are higher than a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the height of the upper end of the drain region differs from the height of the upper end of the source region.

Abstract: This semiconductor device has an MOS transistor equipped with a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, a source region next to one side of the gate electrode, and a drain region next to another side of the gate electrode, wherein an upper end of the source region and an upper end of the drain region are at positions which are higher than a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the height of the upper end of the drain region differs from the height of the upper end of the source region.

Abstract: A fabrication method for a wiring structure of the present invention includes: a process of forming a conductive wiring layer; a process of forming a wiring pattern on the wiring layer; a process of forming an insulative wiring interlayer film between wires of the wiring pattern; and a process of forming a plurality of longitudinal hole-shaped fine pores in the wiring interlayer film in a thickness direction of the wiring interlayer film by etching with a mask including one of nano-particles and material including nano-particles.

Abstract: A semiconductor storage device comprises a peripheral circuit region including a wiring layer having wiring patterns, a cavity formed in a non-wiring region between the wiring patterns of the wiring layer, and an insulating film forming at least a part of a wall defining the cavity, and a memory cell region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes active areas which are insulatedly separated from each other by element-separation insulating films; a gate insulating film formed on each active area; a gate electrode which extends across the active area via the gate insulating film; a source area and a drain area formed in the active area so as to interpose the gate electrode; and a fin-channel structure in which at the intersection between the active area and the gate electrode, trenches are provided at both sides of the active area, and part of the gate electrode is embedded in each trench via the gate insulating film, so that the gate electrode extends across a fin which rises between the trenches. In the gate insulating film, the film thickness of a part which contacts the bottom surface of each trench is larger than that of a part which contacts the upper surface of the fin.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming first contact holes in a dielectric film for a PMOS transistor; depositing germanium on the source/drain regions of the PMOS transistor exposed from the first contact holes; heat treating the germanium with silicon in the source/drain regions of the PMOS transistor to form a germanium silicide film; forming second contact holes in the dielectric film for the source/drain regions of the NMOS transistor; and forming contact plugs in the first and second contact holes.