Abstract: A method of forming a suicide layer is described. A silicon layer is provided. Ions are introduced in the silicon layer. A metal layer is formed on the silicon layer. An annealing process is performed so that the silicon layer reacts with the metal layer to form the metal silicide layer. Thereafter, the unreacted metal layer is removed. The uniformity of the grain size and the grain distribution of the metal silicide layer are improved by introducing the ions in the silicon layer before performing the annealing process, so that sheet resistance of the metal silicide layer is reduced.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing to polish a substrate having a layer to be polished thereon is described. A pre-polishing process is performed using a softer polishing pad to remove partially raised parts of the layer to be polished before conducting a polishing process using a harder polishing pad. Since the first polishing pad is flexible, porous and with low density, the first polishing pad can be deformed to increase contact areas between the first polishing pad and the raised part of the layer to be polished, and the abrasives are embedded easily in holes of the surface of the first polishing pad. Ultimately, the layer to be polished can be polished directly during the pre-polishing process. Therefore, the processing time is reduced, the consumption of the slurry is decreased and the process cost can be cut down substantially.

Abstract: A chemical mechanical polishing to polish a substrate having a layer to be polished thereon is described. A pre-polishing process is performed using a softer polishing pad to remove partially raised parts of the layer to be polished before conducting a polishing process using a harder polishing pad. Since the first polishing pad is flexible, porous and with low density, the first polishing pad can be deformed to increase contact areas between the first polishing pad and the raised part of the layer to be polished, and the abrasives are embedded easily in holes of the surface of the first polishing pad. Ultimately, the layer to be polished can be polished directly during the pre-polishing process. Therefore, the processing time is reduced, the consumption of the slurry is decreased and the process cost can be cut down substantially.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a flash memory device is provided. First, a substrate partitioned into a memory cell region and a peripheral circuit region is provided. A tunnel dielectric layer is formed over the memory cell region and a liner layer is formed over the peripheral circuit region. Thereafter, a patterned gate conductive layer is formed over the substrate. An inter-gate dielectric layer and a passivation layer are sequentially formed over the substrate. The passivation layer, the inter-gate dielectric layer, the gate conductive layer and the liner layer over the peripheral circuit region are removed. A gate dielectric layer is formed over the peripheral circuit region while the passivation layer over the memory cell region is converted into an oxide layer. Another conductive layer is formed over the substrate. The conductive layer, the oxide layer, the inter-gate dielectric layer and the gate conductive layer over the memory cell region are patterned to form a memory gate.

Abstract: A flash memory device that comprises a self-aligned contact opening and a fabrication method thereof are described. Subsequent to the formation of the control gate of the flash memory device, a spacer is formed over a sidewall of the gate layer in a subsequent process, followed by forming another dielectric layer over the substrate to cover the control gate. Thereafter, the dielectric layer and the dielectric layer underlying the control gate are patterned to form a self-aligned contact opening between two neighboring control gates to expose a bit line in the substrate. A conductive material further fills the self-aligned contact opening.

Abstract: A fabrication method for a shallow trench isolation region is described. A part of the trench is filled with a first insulation layer, followed by performing a surface treatment process to form a surface treated layer on the surface of a part of the first insulation layer. The surface treated layer is then removed, followed by forming a second insulation layer on the first insulation layer and filling the trench to form a shallow trench isolation region. Since a part of the trench is first filled with the first insulation layer, followed by removing a portion of the first insulation layer, the aspect ratio of the trench is lower before the filling of the second insulation in the trench. The adverse result, such as, void formation in the shallow trench isolation region due to a high aspect ratio, is thus prevented.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes providing a wafer substrate, providing an insulator over the wafer substrate; depositing a first layer over the insulator, forming a layer of dielectric material over the first silicon layer, depositing a second silicon layer over the layer of dielectric material, providing a photoresist layer over the second silicon layer, patterning and defining the photoresist layer, etching the second silicon layer, the layer of dielectric material, the first silicon layer and the insulator unmasked by the photoresist, removing the photoresist layer, and cleaning at least the etched first silicon layer with a mixture of deionized water and ozone gas.

Abstract: A flash memory device that comprises a self-aligned contact opening and a fabrication method thereof are described. Subsequent to the formation of the control gate of the flash memory device, a spacer is formed over a sidewall of the gate layer in a subsequent process, followed by forming another dielectric layer over the substrate to cover the control gate. Thereafter, the dielectric layer and the dielectric layer underlying the control gate are patterned to form a self-aligned contact opening between two neighboring control gates to expose a bit line in the substrate. A conductive material further fills the self-aligned contact opening.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including providing a first layer, forming a layer of stacked oxide-nitride-oxide layer over the first layer, depositing a first silicon layer over the layer of stacked oxide-nitride-oxide layer, providing a layer of photoresist over the first silicon layer, patterning and defining the photoresist layer, etching the first silicon layer and stacked oxide-nitride-oxide layer unmasked by the photoresist, removing the photoresist layer, providing a cleaning solution to the stacked oxide-nitride-oxide layer with the first silicon layer as a mask, and depositing a second layer of polysilicon over the first silicon layer to form a combined silicon layer.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of capping with a high compressive stress oxide, a boron phospho-silicate glass (BPSG) interlayer dielectric (ILD) gapfill that has been deposited on a topographic silicon substrate, in order to eliminate the formation of cracks in subsequently deposited silicon nitride (SiN) layers, other subsequently deposited high tensile stress layers and cracks that result from other post-BPSG deposition high temperature processes.

Abstract: A method for planarizing the interface of polysilicon and silicide in a polycide structure is presented in this invention. It is by regulating the process temperature when depositing polysilicon to meanwhile improve its planarization. At first, a doped polysilicon layer is deposited on a semiconductor substrate in the integrated circuits, then immediately after the deposition of an undoped polysilicon, the process temperature is reduced and the treatment of purging is followed with, finally, a metal silicide is formed on the undoped polysilcion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a VIA in an Inter Metal Dielectric (IMD) containing Spin On Glass (SOG). The IMD is formed by 1) depositing a first silicon dioxide layer through a Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) process; 2) depositing a Spin On Glass (SOG) layer; and 3) depositing a second silicon dioxide layer through a Chemical Vapor Deposition process. Afterward, before the VIA is formed by an Inter Metal Dielectric (IMD) etching process, a selective ion implantation process is performed to densify the Spin On Glass(SOG) layer. By this arrangement, the outgassing effect of the Spin On Glass (SOG) during a subsequent metal deposition process can be therefore prevented.

Abstract: A method for forming a trenched polysilicon structure can be applied to a semiconductor device. The method includes steps of: a) providing a polysilicon layer; b) forming a dielectric layer on the polysilicon layer; c) forming a rugged oxide layer on the dielectric layer; d) removing a portion of the dielectric layer which is not covered by the rugged oxide layer for exposing a corresponding portion of the polysilicon layer; e) forming a plurality of microtrenches by etching the corresponding portion of the polysilicon layer; and f) removing the rugged oxide layer and the dielectric layer to obtain the trenched polysilicon structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stacked memory capacitor of a DRAM cell, particularly, relates to a DRAM cell having a memory capacitor whose storage electrode possesses a remarkably increase area without increasing its occupation area and the complexity of fabrication thereof. By disposing the storage electrode of the memory capacitor on a rugged stacked oxide layer, the area of the storage electrode is remarkably enlarged since the growing of the storage electrode made of a doped polysilicon layer is followed along the topography of the rugged stacked oxide layer, thereby, resulting in a rugged surface thereof. The entire rugged surface of the storage electrode is covered with a dielectric layer to form a plate electrode made of a doped polysilicon layer. The memory capacitor provided by the invention achieves a higher capacitance while maintaining the same occupation area and packing density as that of the conventional arts.

Abstract: The method for depositing a dielectric layer can be used to evenly deposit the dielectric layer to be applied to a semiconductor device.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a method for increasing utilzable surface area of a rugged polysilicon layer in a semiconductor device. The present method includes steps of: (a) providing a pre-grown rugged polysilicon layer which is composed of polysilicon with first dopants doped therein; (b) forming another polyslicon layer on the pre-grown rugged polysilicon layer; (c) removing a portion of the another polysilicon layer by an anisotropic etching process to expose an upper surface of the pre-grown rugged polysilicon layer; and (d) etching the resulting pre-grown rugged polysilicon layer which an etching selectivity ratio of the pre-grown rugged polysilicon layer to the another polysilicon layer being greater than one, to obtain the rugged polysilicon layer having increasing utilizable surface area. A semiconductor device containing the rugged polysilicon layer created according to the present invention can work well in a relatively dense and small semiconductor chip.

Abstract: A method for forming a planarization layer on a semiconductor device including the steps of first providing a substrate, then depositing a layer of a silicon-rich oxide material, then forming metal interconnects on the silicon-rich oxide layer, and depositing a TEOS-ozone oxide layer over the metal interconnects and the silicon-rich oxide layer such that a substantially planar surface is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a rugged stacked oxide layer structure which remarkably increases an area of a subsequent deposition layer over the rugged stacked oxide layer. The enlargement of the area of a deposition layer over the rugged oxide layer enables one to ameliorate an electrical characteristic of a device and provide a higher integration density. For example, the rugged stacked oxide layer can be used to provide a higher capacitance by enlarging the area of a storage electrode of a capacitor. Similarly it can also be used to increase light absorption of a photodetector per unit area by enlarging an interfacial area of a P-N junction of the photodetector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a stacked capacitor of a DRAM cell, particully remarkably increasing a surface area of a storage electrode of a stacked capacitor without increasing an occupation area and a complexity of fabrication thereof. According to the invention, by use of depositing a protection polysilicon layer on a rugged polysilicon layer, which can provide an increased surface area of a storage electrode, a chemical oxide layer underlying the rugged polysilicon layer is protected by the protection polysilicon layer during a HF dip and thus a peeling of the rugged polysilicon layer as a result of the chemical oxide loss will not occur, thereby preventing a production yield loss.

Abstract: A new method of planarizing an integrated circuit is achieved. The dielectric layers between the conductive layers of an integrated circuit are formed and planarized via combining TEOS with ozone silicon oxide pyrolytic deposition with plasma-enhanced deposition processes and spin-on-glass processes. A first insulator layer is provided over the conductive layer by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). This insulator layer is covered with a layer of TEOS with ozone deposited silicon oxide by pyrolytic chemical vapor deposition (THCVD). The TEOS with ozone silicon oxide layer will fill the irregular trenches and holes in the conductive layer structure not filled by the first insulator layer. The TEOS with ozone layer is anisotropically etched back leaving the TEOS with ozone layer only in the trenches and holes of the layer structure. A second insulating layer is deposited by PECVD and then is covered by at least one spin-on-glass layer to fill the wider valleys of the irregular structure.