Patents by Inventor Martin Ceredig Roberts

Martin Ceredig Roberts 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: 6531352
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a conductive interconnect. An electrical node location is defined to be supported by a silicon-containing substrate. A silicide is formed in contact with the electrical node location. The silicide is formed by exposing the substrate to hydrogen, TiCl4 and plasma conditions to cause Ti from the TiCl4 to combine with silicon of the substrate to form TiSix. Conductively doped silicon material is formed over the silicide. The conductively doped silicon material is exposed to one or more temperatures of at least about 800° C. The silicide is also exposed to the temperatures of at least about 800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gurtej S. Sandhu, Trung Tri Doan, Howard E. Rhodes, Sujit Sharan, Philip J. Ireland, Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Publication number: 20030040155
    Abstract: Methods of electrically contacting to conductive plugs, methods of forming contact openings, and methods of forming dynamic random access memory circuitry are described. In one embodiment, a pair of conductive contact plugs are formed to project outwardly relative to a semiconductor wafer. The plugs have respective tops, one of which being covered with different first and second insulating materials. An opening is etched through one of the first and second insulating materials to expose only one of the tops of the pair of plugs. Electrically conductive material is formed within the opening and in electrical connection with the one plug. In a preferred embodiment, two-spaced apart conductive lines are formed over a substrate and conductive plugs are formed between, and on each side of the conductive lines. The conductive plug formed between the conductive lines provides a bit line contact plug having an at least partially exposed top portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Inventors: Martin Ceredig Roberts, Kunal R. Parekh
  • Publication number: 20030032229
    Abstract: The invention includes a DRAM device. The device has an access transistor construction, and the access transistor construction has a pair of source/drain regions. A halo region is associated with one of the source/drain regions of the access transistor construction and no comparable halo region is associated with the other of the source/drain regions of the access transistor construction. The invention also encompasses methods of forming DRAM devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 6486018
    Abstract: Methods of electrically contacting to conductive plugs, methods of forming contact openings, and methods of forming dynamic random access memory circuitry are described. In one embodiment, a pair of conductive contact plugs are formed to project outwardly relative to a semiconductor wafer. The plugs have respective tops, one of which being covered with different first and second insulating materials. An opening is etched through one of the first and second insulating materials to expose only one of the tops of the pair of plugs. Electrically conductive material is formed within the opening and in electrical connection with the one plug. In a preferred embodiment, two-spaced apart conductive lines are formed over a substrate and conductive plugs are formed between, and on each side of the conductive lines. The conductive plug formed between the conductive lines provides a bit line contact plug having an at least partially exposed top portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Ceredig Roberts, Kunal R. Parekh
  • Patent number: 6475850
    Abstract: A BiCMOS integrated circuit is fabricated using a minimum number of wafer processing steps and yet offers the IC circuit designer five (5) different transistor types. These types include P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors and three different bipolar transistors whose emitters are all formed by a different process and all are characterized by different current gains and different breakdown voltages. A differential silicon dioxide/silicon nitride masking technique is used in the IC fabrication process wherein both P-type buried layers (PBL) and N-type buried layers (NBL) are formed in a silicon substrate using a single mask set and further wherein P-type wells and N-type wells are formed above these buried layers in an epitaxial layer, also using a single SiO2/Si3N4 differential mask set. Two of the bipolar transistor emitters are formed by out diffusion from first and second levels of polysilicon, whereas the emitter of the third bipolar transistor is formed by ion implantation doping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Violette, Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Publication number: 20020017674
    Abstract: Capacitors, DRAM circuitry, and methods of forming the same are described. In one embodiment, a capacitor comprises a first container which is joined with a substrate node location and has an opening defining a first interior area. A second container is joined with the node location and has an opening defining a second interior area. The areas are spaced apart from one another in a non-overlapping relationship. A dielectric layer and a conductive capacitor electrode layer are disposed operably proximate the first and second containers. In another embodiment, the first and second containers are generally elongate and extend away from the node location along respective first and second central axes. The axes are different and spaced apart from one another. In yet another embodiment, a conductive layer of material is disposed over and in electrical communication with a substrate node location. The layer of material has an outer surface with a first region and a second region spaced apart from the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: MARTIN CEREDIG ROBERTS, CHRISTOPHE PIERRAT
  • Publication number: 20010031525
    Abstract: A BiCMOS integrated circuit is fabricated using a minimum number of wafer processing steps and yet offers the IC circuit designer five (5) different transistor types. These types include P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors and three different bipolar transistors whose emitters are all formed by a different process and all are characterized by different current gains and different breakdown voltages. A differential silicon dioxide/silicon nitride masking technique is used in the IC fabrication process wherein both P-type buried layers (PBL) and N-type buried layers (NBL) are formed in a silicon substrate using a single mask set and further wherein P-type wells and N-type wells are formed above these buried layers in an epitaxial layer, also using a single SiO2/Si3N4 differential mask set. Two of the bipolar transistor emitters are formed by out diffusion from first and second levels of polysilicon, whereas the emitter of the third bipolar transistor is formed by ion implantation doping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Publication date: October 18, 2001
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Violette, Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Publication number: 20010012657
    Abstract: Methods of electrically contacting to conductive plugs, methods of forming contact openings, and methods of forming dynamic random access memory circuitry are described. In one embodiment, a pair of conductive contact plugs are formed to project outwardly relative to a semiconductor wafer. The plugs have respective tops, one of which being covered with different first and second insulating materials. An opening is etched through one of the first and second insulating materials to expose only one of the tops of the pair of plugs. Electrically conductive material is formed within the opening and in electrical connection with the one plug. In a preferred embodiment, two-spaced apart conductive lines are formed over a substrate and conductive plugs are formed between, and on each side of the conductive lines. The conductive plug formed between the conductive lines provides a bit line contact plug having an at least partially exposed top portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2001
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Inventors: Martin Ceredig Roberts, Kunal R. Parekh
  • Patent number: 6245604
    Abstract: A BiCMOS integrated circuit is fabricated using a minimum number of wafer processing steps and yet offers the IC circuit designer five (5) different transistor types. These types include P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors and three different bipolar transistors whose emitters are all formed by a different process and all are characterized by different current gains and different breakdown voltages. A differential silicon dioxide/silicon nitride masking technique is used in the IC fabrication process wherein both P-type buried layers (PBL) and N-type buried layers (NBL) are formed in a silicon substrate using a single mask set and further wherein P-type wells and N-type wells are formed above these buried layers in an epitaxial layer, also using a single SiO2/Si3N4 differential mask set. Two of the bipolar transistor emitters are formed by out diffusion from first and second levels of polysilicon, whereas the emitter of the third bipolar transistor is formed by ion implantation doping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology
    Inventors: Michael Violette, Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 6221711
    Abstract: Methods of electrically contacting to conductive plugs, methods of forming contact openings, and methods of forming dynamic random access memory circuitry are described. In one embodiment, a pair of conductive contact plugs are formed to project outwardly relative to a semiconductor wafer. The plugs have respective tops, one of which being covered with different first and second insulating materials. An opening is etched through one of the first and second insulating materials to expose only one of the tops of the pair of plugs. Electrically conductive material is formed within the opening and in electrical connection with the one plug. In a preferred embodiment, two-spaced apart conductive lines are formed over a substrate and conductive plugs are formed between, and on each side of the conductive lines. The conductive plug formed between the conductive lines provides a bit line contact plug having an at least partially exposed top portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Ceredig Roberts, Kunal R. Parekh
  • Patent number: 6204110
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a resistor from semiconductive material includes: a) providing a node to which electrical connection to a resistor is to be made; b) providing a first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; c) providing an exposed vertical sidewall in the first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; d) providing a second electrically insulative material outwardly of the first material and over the first material vertical sidewall, the first and second materials being selectively etchable relative to one another; e) anisotropically etching the second material selectively relative to the first material to form a substantially vertically extending sidewall spacer over the first material vertical sidewall and to outwardly expose the first material adjacent the sidewall spacer, the spacer having an inner surface and an outer surface; f) etching the first material selectively relative to the second material to outwardly expose at least a portion of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 6143615
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a resistor from semiconductive material includes: a) providing a node to which electrical connection to a resistor is to be made; b) providing a first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; c) providing an exposed vertical sidewall in the first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; d) providing a second electrically insulative material outwardly of the first material and over the first material vertical sidewall, the first and second materials being selectively etchable relative to one another; e) anisotropically etching the second material selectively relative to the first material to form a substantially vertically extending sidewall spacer over the first material vertical sidewall and to outwardly expose the first material adjacent the sidewall spacer, the spacer having an inner surface and an outer surface; f) etching the first material selectively relative to the second material to outwardly expose at least a portion of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 6043541
    Abstract: A BiCMOS integrated circuit is fabricated using a minimum number of wafer processing steps and yet offers the IC circuit designer five (5) different transistor types. These types include P-channel and N-channel MOS transistors and three different bipolar transistors whose emitters are all formed by a different process and all are characterized by different current gains and different breakdown voltages. A differential silicon dioxide/silicon nitride masking technique is used in the IC fabrication process wherein both P-type buried layers (PBL) and N-type buried layers (NBL) are formed in a silicon substrate using a single mask set and further wherein P-type wells and N-type wells are formed above these buried layers in an epitaxial layer, also using a single SiO.sub.2 /Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 differential mask set. Two of the bipolar transistor emitters are formed by out diffusion from first and second levels of polysilicon, whereas the emitter of the third bipolar transistor is formed by ion implantation doping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Violette, Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 6039577
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a resistor from semiconductive material includes: a) providing a node to which electrical connection to a resistor is to be made; b) providing a first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; c) providing an exposed vertical sidewall in the first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; d) providing a second electrically insulative material outwardly of the first material and over the first material vertical sidewall, the first and second materials being selectively etchable relative to one another; e) anisotropically etching the second material selectively relative to the first material to form a substantially vertically extending sidewall spacer over the first material vertical sidewall and to outwardly expose the first material adjacent the sidewall spacer, the spacer having an inner surface and an outer surface; f) etching the first material selectively relative to the second material to outwardly expose at least a portion of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 5907176
    Abstract: The invention encompasses integrated circuits and SRAM cells. In one aspect, the invention includes an integrated circuit comprising: a) an electrically insulative pillar extending substantially vertically outward of an underlying layer, the pillar having opposing substantially vertical side surfaces and a top, the pillar being taller than it is wide; b) a resistor comprising a layer of material which extends along both pillar vertical surfaces and over the top of the pillar; c) a first node in electrical connection with the resistor on one side of the insulative pillar; and d) a second node in electrical connection with the resistor on the other side of the insulative pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 5770496
    Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a resistor from semiconductive material includes: a) providing a node to which electrical connection to a resistor is to be made; b) providing a first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; c) providing an exposed vertical sidewall in the first electrically insulative material outwardly of the node; d) providing a second electrically insulative material outwardly of the first material and over the first material vertical sidewall, the first and second materials being selectively etchable relative to one another; e) anisotropically etching the second material selectively relative to the first material to form a substantially vertically extending sidewall spacer over the first material vertical sidewall and to outwardly expose the first material adjacent the sidewall spacer, the spacer having an inner surface and an outer surface; f) etching the first material selectively relative to the second material to outwardly expose at least a portion of the s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts
  • Patent number: 5705843
    Abstract: SRAM and other integrated circuitry. In one aspect the invention includes an integrated circuit comprising: a) a first electrically insulating material layer having an outer surface; b) an electrically insulative pillar ring extending substantially vertically outward of the first layer, the pillar ring having opposing inner and outer substantially vertical side surfaces; c) an elongated resistor, the resistor comprising a layer of semiconductive material which serpentines over the first layer outer surface and the pillar ring vertical surfaces to form a container shape resistor within the pillar ring; d) an electrically conductive first node in electrical connection with the resistor on the inside of the insulative pillar ring; and e) an electrically conductive second node in electrical connection with the resistor on the outside of the insulative pillar ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 6, 1998
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Ceredig Roberts