Abstract: CMOS circuit structures are disclosed with the PFET and NFET devices having high-k dielectric layers consisting of the same gate insulator material, and metal gate layers consisting of the same gate metal material. The PFET device has a “p” interface control layer which is capable of shifting the effective-workfunction of the gate in the p-direction. In a representative embodiment of the invention the “p” interface control layer is aluminum oxide. The NFET device may have an “n” interface control layer. The materials of the “p” and “n” interface control layers are differing materials. The “p” and “n” interface control layers are positioned to the opposite sides of their corresponding high-k dielectric layers. Methods for fabricating the CMOS circuit structures with the oppositely positioned “p” and “n” interface control layers are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate including a first conductivity type region and a second conductivity type region; forming a gate stack including a gate dielectric atop the first conductivity type region and the second conductivity type region of the substrate and a first metal gate conductor overlying the high-k gate dielectric; removing a portion of the first metal gate conductor that is present in the first conductivity type region to expose the gate dielectric present in the first conductivity type region; applying a nitrogen based plasma to the substrate, wherein the nitrogen based plasma nitrides the gate dielectric that is present in the first conductivity type region and nitrides the first metal gate conductor that is present in the second conductivity type region; and forming a second metal gate conductor overlying at least the gate dielectric that is present in the first conductivity type region.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided that includes forming a Ge-containing layer atop a p-type device regions of the substrate. Thereafter, a first dielectric layer is formed in a second portion of a substrate, and a second dielectric layer is formed overlying the first dielectric layer in the second portion of the substrate and overlying a first portion of the substrate. Gate structures may then formed atop the p-type device regions and n-type device regions of the substrate, in which the gate structures to the n-type device regions include a rare earth metal.

Abstract: Methods for forming a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) dual high-k gate using a photoresist mask and structures thereof are disclosed. One embodiment of the disclosed method includes depositing a high-k dielectric film on a substrate of a FEOL CMOS structure followed by depositing a photoresist thereon; patterning the high-k dielectric according to the photoresist; and removing the photoresist thereafter. The removing of the photoresist includes using an organic solvent followed by removal of any residual photoresist including organic and/or carbon film. The removal of residual photoresist may include a degas process, alternatively known as a bake process. Alternatively, a nitrogen-hydrogen forming gas (i.e., a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen) (N2/H2) or ammonia (NH3) may be used to remove the photoresist mask. With the use of the plasma nitrogen-hydrogen forming gas (N2/H2) or a plasma ammonia (NH3), no apparent organic residual is observed.

Abstract: A method is provided that includes providing a semiconductor substrate including at least a thin gate oxide pFET device region and a thick gate oxide pFET device region and forming a thin gate oxide pFET within the thin gate oxide pFET device region and a thick gate oxide pFET within the thick gate oxide pFET device region. The thin gate oxide pFET that is formed includes a layer of SiGe on an upper surface of the thin gate oxide pFET device region, a high k gate dielectric located on an upper surface of the layer of SiGe, a pFET threshold voltage adjusting layer located on an upper surface of the high k gate dielectric, and a gate conductor material atop the pFET threshold voltage adjusting layer. The thick gate oxide pFET that is formed includes a thermal oxide located on an upper surface of the thick gate oxide pFET device region, a silicon layer located on an upper surface of the thermal oxide and a gate conductor material located atop the silicon layer.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) includes a body region and a source region disposed at least partially in the body region. The FET also includes a drain region disposed at least partially in the body region and a molybdenum oxynitride (MoNO) gate. The FET also includes a dielectric having a high dielectric constant (k) disposed between the body region and the MoNO gate.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure including at least one n-type field effect transistor (nFET) and at least one p-type field effect transistor (pFET) that both include a metal gate having nFET behavior and pFET behavior, respectively, without including an upper polysilicon gate electrode is provided. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such a semiconductor structure.

Abstract: A stepper is combined with hardware that deposits a layer of material in the course of forming an integrated circuit, thus performing the deposition, patterning and cleaning without exposing the wafer to a transfer between tools and combining the function of three tools in a composite tool. The pattern-defining material is removed by the application of UV light through the mask of the stepper, thereby eliminating the bake and development steps of the prior art method. Similarly, a flood exposure of UV eliminates the cleaning steps of the prior art method.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a CMOS structure is disclosed. The method includes the blanket disposition of a high-k gate insulator layer in an NFET device and in a PFET device, and the implementation of a gate metal layer over the NFET device. This is followed by a blanket disposition of an Al layer over both the NFET device and the PFET device. The method further involves a blanket disposition of a shared gate metal layer over the Al layer. When the PFET device is exposed to a thermal annealing, the high-k dielectric oxidizes the Al layer, thereby turning the Al layer into a PFET interfacial control layer, while in the NFET device the Al becomes a region of the metal gate.

Abstract: A low resistance contact is formed to a metal gate or a transistor including a High-? gate dielectric in a high integration density integrated circuit by applying a liner over a gate stack, applying a fill material between the gate stacks, planarizing the fill material to support high-resolution lithography, etching the fill material and the liner selectively to each other to form vias and filling the vias with a metal, metal alloy or conductive metal compound such as titanium nitride.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a CMOS structure is disclosed. The method includes the blanket disposition of a high-k gate insulator layer in an NFET device and in a PFET device, and the implementation of a gate metal layer over the NFET device. This is followed by a blanket disposition of an Al layer over both the NFET device and the PFET device. The method further involves a blanket disposition of a shared gate metal layer over the Al layer. When the PFET device is exposed to a thermal annealing, the high-k dielectric oxidizes the Al layer, thereby turning the Al layer into a PFET interfacial control layer, while in the NFET device the Al becomes a region of the metal gate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a PFET formed on the substrate, the PFET includes a SiGe layer disposed on the substrate, a high-K dielectric layer disposed on the SiGe layer, a first metallic layer disposed on the high-k dielectric layer, a first intermediate layer disposed on the first metallic layer, a second metallic layer disposed on the first intermediate layer, a second intermediate layer disposed on the second metallic layer, and a third metallic layer disposed on the second intermediate layer; an NFET formed on the substrate, the NFET includes the high-k dielectric layer, the high-k dielectric layer being disposed on the substrate, the second intermediate layer, the second intermediate layer being disposed on the high-k dielectric layer, and the third metallic layer, the third metallic layer being disposed on the second intermediate layer. Alternatively, the first metallic layer is omitted.

Abstract: A method of fabricating semiconductor structure is provided in which at least one nFET device and a least one pFET device are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each device region formed includes a dielectric stack that has a net dielectric constant equal to or greater than silicon dioxide. Gate stacks are provided on each of the dielectric stacks, wherein one of the gate stacks includes a metal gate electrode located atop a surface of a thinned polygate electrode.

Abstract: Multiple types of gate stacks are formed on a doped semiconductor well. A high dielectric constant (high-k) gate dielectric is formed on the doped semiconductor well. A metal gate layer is formed in one device area, while the high-k gate dielectric is exposed in other device areas. Threshold voltage adjustment oxide layers having different thicknesses are formed in the other device areas. A conductive gate material layer is then formed over the threshold voltage adjustment oxide layers. One type of field effect transistors includes a gate dielectric including a high-k gate dielectric portion. Other types of field effect transistors include a gate dielectric including a high-k gate dielectric portion and a first threshold voltage adjustment oxide portions having different thicknesses. Field effect transistors having different threshold voltages are provided by employing different gate dielectric stacks and doped semiconductor wells having the same dopant concentration.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided that includes forming a Ge-containing layer atop a p-type device regions of the substrate. Thereafter, a first dielectric layer is formed in a second portion of a substrate, and a second dielectric layer is formed overlying the first dielectric layer in the second portion of the substrate and overlying a first portion of the substrate. Gate structures may then formed atop the p-type device regions and n-type device regions of the substrate, in which the gate structures to the n-type device regions include a rare earth metal.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate including a first conductivity type region and a second conductivity type region; forming a gate stack including a gate dielectric atop the first conductivity type region and the second conductivity type region of the substrate and a first metal gate conductor overlying the high-k gate dielectric; removing a portion of the first metal gate conductor that is present in the first conductivity type region to expose the gate dielectric present in the first conductivity type region; applying a nitrogen based plasma to the substrate, wherein the nitrogen based plasma nitrides the gate dielectric that is present in the first conductivity type region and nitrides the first metal gate conductor that is present in the second conductivity type region; and forming a second metal gate conductor overlying at least the gate dielectric that is present in the first conductivity type region.

Abstract: A method of forming a device includes providing a substrate, forming an interfacial layer on the substrate, depositing a high-k dielectric layer on the interfacial layer, depositing an oxygen scavenging layer on the high-k dielectric layer and performing an anneal. A high-k metal gate transistor includes a substrate, an interfacial layer on the substrate, a high-k dielectric layer on the interfacial layer and an oxygen scavenging layer on the high-k dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method and structure to scale metal gate height in high-k/metal gate transistors. A method includes forming a dummy gate and at least one polysilicon feature, all of which are formed from a same polysilicon layer and wherein the dummy gate is formed over a gate metal layer associated with a transistor. The method also includes selectively removing the dummy gate while protecting the at least one polysilicon feature. The method further includes forming a gate contact on the gate metal layer to thereby form a metal gate having a height that is less than half a height of the at least one polysilicon feature.

Abstract: The present invention, in one embodiment provides a method of forming a semiconducting device including providing a substrate including a semiconducting surface, the substrate comprising a first device region and a second device region; forming a high-k dielectric layer atop the semiconducting surface of the substrate; forming a block mask atop the second device region of the substrate, wherein the first device region of the substrate is exposed; forming a first metal layer atop the high-k dielectric layer present in the first device region of the substrate; removing the block mask to expose a portion of the high-k dielectric layer in the first device region of the substrate; forming a second metal layer atop the portion of the high-k dielectric layer in the second device region and atop the first metal in the first device region of the substrate; and forming gate structures in the first and second device regions of the substrate.

Abstract: Various techniques for changing the workfunction of the substrate by using a SiGe channel which, in turn, changes the bandgap favorably for a p-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (pMOSFETs) are disclosed. In the various techniques, a SiGe film that includes a low doped SiGe region above a more highly doped SiGe region to allow the appropriate threshold voltage (Vt) for pMOSFET devices while preventing pitting, roughness and thinning of the SiGe film during subsequent cleans and processing is provided.