Abstract: The present invention refers to a trench capacitor structure as it is used in memory cells, for example in memory cells of memory devices. Particularly, the capacitor structure may be used in a DRAM memory. Furthermore, the invention relates to a memory cell comprising a transistor and a capacitor with a trench capacitor structure arranged in a semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, the invention relates to a DRAM comprising a memory cell with a transistor and a capacitor, whereby the capacitor comprises a trench capacitor structure. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for forming a capacitor structure in a semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Transistor structures, with one source/drain region connected to a charge storage device to be insulated includes an asymmetric gate conductor structure. At a first side wall, which faces the one source/drain region, the asymmetric gate conductor structure has a side wall oxide with a greater thickness and a bird's beak structure with a greater length than at an opposite, second side wall. An effective channel length is increased for the same feature size of the gate conductor structure. Memory cells can be realized in a higher density.

Abstract: A trench storage capacitor includes a buried plate that is lengthened by a doped silicon layer to right over the collar insulating layer. The conductor layer of the trench storage capacitor is preferably applied to a “buried” collar insulating layer and masked with the aid of a protective layer fabricated by ALD. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductor layer is composed of amorphous silicon, which is used as an HSG layer in a lower trench region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing method for an integrated semiconductor structure and a corresponding integrated semiconductor structure.

Abstract: Memory and method for fabricating it A memory formed as an integrated circuit in a semiconductor substrate and having storage capacitors and switching transistors. The storage capacitors are formed in the semiconductor substrate in a trench and have an outer electrode layer, which is formed around the trench, a dielectric intermediate layer, which is embodied on the trench wall, and an inner electrode layer, with which the trench is essentially filled, and the switching transistors are formed in the semiconductor substrate in a surface region and have a first source/drain doping region, a second source/drain doping region and an intervening channel, which is separated from a gate electrode by an insulator layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing contact structures for DRAM semiconductor memories is disclosed. In one embodiment, contact openings are formed in a support area after execution of high-temperature processes for activating doping agents and repairing crystal defects. A low contact resistance between a conductive contact opening filling and an adjacent semiconductor substrate is achieved by forming a cobalt silicide or nickel silicide.

Abstract: In a method for patterning a semiconductor component a first cover layer is applied to a first region and a second region of a semiconductor component being arranged in a semiconductor substrate. The first region is different from the second region. The first cover layer is patterned using a photolithographic mask so that the first region is uncovered and the second region remains covered by the first cover layer. The first region is uncovered, a second cover layer is applied to the uncovered first region, and the first cover layer is removed so that the second region is uncovered. The uncovered second region is then doped.

Abstract: Charge-trapping regions are arranged beneath lower edges of the gate electrode separate from one another. Source/drain regions are formed in self-aligned manner with respect to the charge-trapping regions by means of a doping process at low energy in order to form shallow junctions laterally extending only a small distance beneath the charge-trapping regions. The self-alignment ensures a large number of program-erase cycles with high effectiveness and good data retention, because the locations of the injections of charge carriers of opposite signs are narrowly and exactly defined.

Abstract: A gate electrode stack is disposed on a substrate in a semiconductor device. A gate conductor includes at least one layer of polysilicon and at least one layer of poly-Si1?x,Gex material. The invention is also concerned with a process. This structure can be etched effectively since an end point detection is enabled.

Abstract: Spacer structures of field effect transistor structures are enhanced at least in sections with immobile charge carriers. The charge accumulated in the spacer structures induces an enhancement zone of mobile charge carriers in the underlying semiconductor substrate. The enhancement zone reduces the resistance of a channel coupling between the respective source/drain region and a channel region of the respective field effect transistor structure, wherein the channel region being controlled by a potential of a gate electrode. Source/drain regions drawn back from the gate electrode of the field effect transistor structure reduce an overlap capacitance between the gate electrode and the respective source/drain regions. A method for fabricating transistor arrangements having n-FETs and p-FETs with enhanced spacer structures.

Abstract: In a method for fabricating trench capacitors, in particular for memory cells having at least one selection transistor for integrated semiconductor memories, a trench for the trench capacitor is formed. The trench has a lower trench region, in which the capacitor is disposed, and an upper trench region, in which an electrically conductive connection from an electrode of the capacitor to a diffusion zone of the selection transistor is disposed. The method reduces the number of process steps for the fabrication of memory cells and enables fabrication of buried collars in the storage capacitors with an insulation quality as required for the fabrication of very large-scale integrated memory cells (<300 nm trench diameter).

Abstract: A method for producing a silicon-on-insulator layer structure on a silicon surface with any desired geometry can locally produce the silicon-on-insulator structure. The method includes formation of mesopores in the silicon surface region, oxidation of the mesopore surface to form silicon oxide and rib regions from silicon in single-crystal form; and execution of a selective epitaxy process that that silicon grows on the uncovered rib regions, selectively with respect to the silicon oxide regions. Rib regions remain in place between adjacent mesopores, this step being ended as soon as a predetermined minimum silicon wall thickness of the rib regions is reached, the uncovering of the rib regions, which are arranged at the end remote from the semiconductor substrate between adjacent mesopores. The method can be used to fabricate a vertical transistor and a memory cell having a select transistor of this type.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a method of forming a silicon dioxide layer by thermally oxidizing at least one monocrystalline silicon surface region on a semiconductor substrate. The silicon surface region has a curved surface. The method can include providing a semiconductor substrate having at least one monocrystalline silicon surface region having a curved surface, roughening the surface of the at least one monocrystalline silicon surface region to produce a layer of porous silicon, and thermally oxidizing the at least one roughened monocrystalline silicon surface.

Abstract: A multi-layer gate stack structure of a field-effect transistor device is fabricated by providing a gate electrode layer stack with a polysilicon layer, a transition metal interface layer, a nitride barrier layer and then a metal layer on a gate dielectric, wherein the transition metal is titanium, tantalum or cobalt. Patterning the gate electrode layer stack comprises a step of patterning the metal layer and the barrier layer with an etch stop on the surface of the interface layer. Exposed portions of the interface layer are removed and the remaining portions are pulled back from the sidewalls of the gate stack structure leaving divots extending along the sidewalls of the gate stack structure between the barrier layer and the polysilicon layer. A nitride liner encapsulating the metal layer, the barrier layer and the interface layer fills the divots left by the pulled-back interface layer. The nitride liner is opened before the polysilicon layer is patterned.

Abstract: An electrochemical method is provided for producing trenches for trench capacitors in p-doped silicon with a very high diameter/depth aspect ratio for large scale integrated semiconductor memories. Trenches (macropores) having a diameter of less than about 100 nm and a depth of more than 10 ?m can be produced on p-doped silicon having a very low resistivity at a high etching rate.

Abstract: Charge-trapping regions are arranged beneath lower edges of the gate electrode separate from one another. Source/drain regions are formed in self-aligned manner with respect to the charge-trapping regions by means of a doping process at low energy in order to form shallow junctions laterally extending only a small distance beneath the charge-trapping regions. The self-alignment ensures a large number of program-erase cycles with high effectiveness and good data retention, because the locations of the injections of charge carriers of opposite signs are narrowly and exactly defined.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fabricating a trench capacitor with an insulation collar (10; 10a, 10b) in a substrate (1), which is electrically connected to the substrate (1) on one side via a buried contact (15a, 15b; 70), having the steps of: providing a trench (5) in the substrate (1) using a hard mask (2, 3) with a corresponding mask opening; providing a capacitor dielectric (30) in the lower and central trench region, the insulation collar (10) in the central and upper trench region and an electrically conductive filling (20) in the lower and central trench region, the top side of the electrically conductive filling (20) being sunk in the upper trench region with respect to the top side of the substrate (1); providing a silicon nitride liner (40) above the hard mask (2, 3) and in the trench (5); providing a silicon liner (50) above the silicon nitride liner (40); carrying out an oblique implantation (I1), as a result of which a shaded region (50a) of the silicon liner (50) is made selective

Abstract: Preferably using a positive resist, a resist ridge (20) is formed in a photosensitive resist (16) applied on a semiconductor wafer (1) above a hard mask layer (12). The resist ridge (20) serves as a mask for a subsequent implantation step (46). This makes use of an effect whereby the material of the hard mask layer (12), in a part (122) shaded by the resist ridge (20), can be etched out selectively with respect to the implanted part (121). The consequently patterned hard mask layer is used as an etching mask with respect to an underlying layer or layer stack (102–104) that is actually to be patterned. From the resist ridge (10) that has been formed as a line in the photosensitive resist (16), in a type of tone reversal, an opening (24) has been formed in the hard mask layer and a trench (26) has been formed in the layer/layer stack (102–104). According to the invention, the width (51, 52) of the resist ridge (20) is reduced by exposing the resist ridge (20) to an oxygen plasma (42).

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a gate structure, the gate structure having a first gate dielectric made of a first material having a first thickness and a first dielectric constant, which is situated directly above the channel region, and an overlying second gate dielectric made of a second material having a second thickness and a second dielectric constant, which is significantly greater than the first dielectric constant; and the first thickness of the first gate dielectric and the second thickness of the second gate dielectric being chosen such that the corresponding thickness of a gate structure with the first gate dielectric, to obtain the same threshold voltage, is at least of the same magnitude as a thickness equal to the sum of the first thickness and the second thickness. The invention also relates to a corresponding fabrication method.

Abstract: A structure on a layer surface of the semiconductor wafer has at least one first area region (8, 9), which is reflective for electromagnetic radiation, and at least one second, essentially nonreflecting area region (10, 11, 12). A light-transmissive insulation layer (13) and a light-sensitive layer are produced on said layer surface. The electromagnetic radiation is directed onto the light-sensitive layer with an angle ? of incidence and the structure of the layer surface is imaged with a lateral offset into the light-sensitive layer.