Abstract: A MOSFET gate or a MOSFET source or drain region comprises silicon germanium or polycrystalline silicon germanium. Silicidation with nickel is performed to form a nickel germanosilicide that preferably comprises the monosilicide phase of nickel silicide. The inclusion of germanium in the silicide provides a wider temperature range within which the monosilicide phase may be formed, while essentially preserving the superior sheet resistance exhibited by nickel monosilicide. As a result, the nickel germanosilicide is capable of withstanding greater temperatures during subsequent processing than nickel monosilicide, yet provides approximately the same sheet resistance and other beneficial properties as nickel monosilicide.

Abstract: A FinFET device employs strained silicon to enhance carrier mobility. In one method, a FinFET body is patterned from a layer of silicon germanium (SiGe) that overlies a dielectric layer. An epitaxial layer of silicon is then formed on the silicon germanium FinFET body. A strain is induced in the epitaxial silicon as a result of the different dimensionalities of intrinsic silicon and of the silicon germanium crystal lattice that serves as the template on which the epitaxial silicon is grown. Strained silicon has an increased carrier mobility compared to relaxed silicon, and as a result the epitaxial strained silicon provides increased carrier mobility in the FinFET. A higher driving current can therefore be realized in a FinFET employing a strained silicon channel layer.

Abstract: A thin filmed fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal oxide semiconductor field defect transistor (MOSFET) utilizes a local insulation structure. The local insulative structure includes a buried silicon dioxide region under the channel region. The MOSFET body thickness is very small and yet silicon available outside of the channel region and buried silicon dioxide region is available for sufficient depths of silicide in the source and drain regions. The buried silicon dioxide region can be formed by a trench isolation technique or a LOCOS technique.

Abstract: A simplified fastening device includes a holding base slidably engageable with a rod, a thrusting bolt rotatably secured in the holding base, and a pressing block reciprocatively moving in the holding base and operatively propelled by the thrusting bolt to interfere in the rod to quickly, safely, reliably and firmly retain the rod on the holding base.

Abstract: A fastening device includes a holding base capable of sliding or rotating on a rod or column, a driving bolt rotatably coupled with a thrusting block rotatably engaged in the holding base having a driving wedge face formed on the thrusting block, and a follower block movably reciprocating in the holding base having a follower wedge face formed on the follower block and tangentially engageable with the driving wedge face of the thrusting block; whereby upon a rotation of the driving bolt to inwardly push the thrusting block in the holding base, the follower block will be thrusted by the driving block to interfere in a rod (or column) surface for quickly, ergonomically and firmly fastening the rod (or column) within the holding base.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an integrated circuit with ultra-shallow source/drain junctions utilizes a solid-phase impurity source. The solid-phase impurity source can be a doped silicon dioxide layer approximately 300 nm thick. The structure is thermally annealed to drive dopants from the solid-phase impurity source into the source and drain regions. The dopants from the impurity source provide ultra-shallow source and drain extensions. The process can be utilized for P-channel or N-channel metal oxide field semiconductor effect transistors (MOSFETS).

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device and a method of isolation of active islands on a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor device, comprising the steps of providing a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor wafer having a silicon active layer, a dielectric isolation layer and a silicon substrate, in which the silicon active layer is formed on the dielectric isolation layer and the dielectric isolation layer is formed on the silicon substrate; forming an isolation trench, the isolation trench defining an active island in the silicon active layer; rounding at least one corner in the active island by application of a high RF bias power high density plasma; and filling the isolation trench with a dielectric trench isolation material by application of a low RF bias power high density plasma. In one embodiment, the rounding step comprises application of a HDP under etching conditions, and the filling step comprises application of a HDP under deposition conditions.

Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator substrate is disclosed which comprises: a silicon substrate layer; a first insulation layer over the silicon substrate layer; a conductive layer over the first insulation layer comprising at least one metal or metal silicide over the first insulation layer; a second insulation layer over the conductive layer; a silicon device layer comprising silicon over the second insulation layer; at least first conductive plug through the silicon substrate and the first insulation layer contacting the conductive layer; and at least one second conductive plug through the silicon device layer and the second insulation layer contacting the conductive layer. Also disclosed are methods for forming silicon-on-insulator substrates having improved stable ground characteristics.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a transistor having shallow source and drain extensions utilizes a self-aligned contact. The drain extensions are provided through an opening between a contact area and the gate structure. A high-K gate dielectric material can be utilized. P-MOS and N-MOS transistors can be created according to the disclosed method.

Abstract: A method of isolation of active islands on a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor device, comprising the steps of (a) providing a silicon-on-insulator semiconductor wafer having a silicon active layer, a dielectric isolation layer and a silicon substrate, in which the silicon active layer is formed on the dielectric isolation layer and the dielectric isolation layer is formed on the silicon substrate; (b) etching the silicon active layer to form an isolation trench wherein an unetched silicon layer at bottom of the isolation trench remains; (c) oxidizing the layer of silicon at the bottom of the isolation trench to a degree sufficient to oxidize through the layer of silicon at the bottom to the dielectric isolation layer; and (d) filling the isolation trench with a trench isolation material to form a shallow trench isolation structure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of facilitating heat removal from a device layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate comprising bulk silicon, an insulation layer over the bulk silicon, and a silicon device layer over the insulation layer involving forming at least one conductive plug comprising a conductive material within the bulk silicon and the insulation layer so as to contact the silicon device layer. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a silicon-on-insulator structure, made of a silicon substrate layer; an insulation layer over the silicon substrate layer; a silicon device layer comprising silicon over the insulation layer; a conductive plug through the silicon substrate layer and the insulation layer contacting the silicon device layer; and a heat generating structure on the silicon device layer at least partially overlapping the conductive plug.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) is formed on a silicon substrate, with a nitride gate insulator layer being deposited on the substrate and an oxide gate insulator layer being deposited on the nitride layer to insulate a gate electrode from source and drain regions in the substrate. The gate material is then removed to establish a gate void, and spacers are deposited on the sides of the void such that only a portion of the oxide layer is covered by the spacers. Then, the unshielded portion of the oxide layer is removed, thus establishing a step between the oxide and nitride layers that overlays the source and drain extensions under the gate void to reduce subsequent capacitive coupling and charge carrier tunneling between the gate and the extensions. The spacers are removed and the gate void is refilled with gate electrode material.

Abstract: A fastening device includes a holding base capable of sliding or rotating on a rod or column, a driving bolt rotatably coupled with a thrusting block rotatably engaged in the holding base having a driving wedge face formed on the thrusting block, and a follower block movably reciprocating in the holding base having a follower wedge face formed on the follower block and tangentially engageable with the driving wedge face of the thrusting block; whereby upon a rotation of the driving bolt to inwardly push the thrusting block in the holding base, the follower block will be thrusted by the driving block to interfere in a rod (or column) surface for quickly, ergonomically and firmly fastening the rod (or column) within the holding base.

Abstract: A fully-depleted semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) transistor device has an SOI substrate with a buried insulator layer having a nonuniform depth relative to a top surface of the substrate, the buried insulator layer having a shallow portion closer to the top surface than deep portions of the layer. A gate is formed on a thin semiconductor layer between the top surface and the shallow portion of the insulator layer. Source and drain regions are formed on either side of the gate, the source and drain regions each being atop one of the deep portions of the buried insulator layer. The source and drain regions thereby have a greater thickness than the thin semiconductor layer. Thick silicide regions formed in the source and drain regions have low parasitic resistance. A method of making the transistor device includes forming a dummy gate structure on an SOI substrate, and using the dummy gate structure to control the depth of an implantation to form the nonuniform depth buried insulator layer.

Abstract: STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) structures are fabricated such that leakage current is minimized through a field effect transistor fabricated between the STI structures. The shallow trench isolation structure include a pair of isolation trenches, with each isolation trench being etched through a semiconductor substrate. A first dielectric material fills the pair of isolation trenches and extends from the isolation trenches such that sidewalls of the first dielectric material filling the isolation trenches are exposed beyond the top of the semiconductor substrate. A second dielectric material is deposited on the sidewalls of the first dielectric material exposed beyond the top of the semiconductor substrate. The second dielectric material has a different etch rate in an acidic solution from the first dielectric material filling the isolation trenches.

Abstract: A thin filmed fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) utilizes a local insulation structure. The local insulative structure includes a buried silicon dioxide region under the channel region. The MOSFET body thickness is very small and yet silicon available outside of the channel region and buried silicon dioxide region is available for sufficient depths of silicide in the source and drain regions. The buried silicon dioxide region can be formed by a trench isolation technique or a LOCOS technique.

Abstract: Low resistance contacts are formed on source/drain regions and gate electrodes by selectively depositing a reaction barrier layer and selectively depositing a metal layer on the reaction barrier layer. Embodiments include selectively depositing an alloy of cobalt and tungsten which functions as a reaction barrier layer preventing silicidation of a layer of nickel or cobalt selectively deposited thereon. Embodiments also include tailoring the composition of the cobalt tungsten alloy so that a thin silicide layer is formed thereunder for reduced contact resistance.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first gate stack and a second gate stack, each gate stack corresponding to a gate of a FET formed on the semiconductor device. The first gate stack includes a gate material formed from one of poly-silicon, poly-SiGe, and amorphous silicon. The gate material is implanted with a dopant of a first conductivity type at a first concentration. A metal silicide layer is formed over the doped gate material. The second gate stack includes a gate material formed from one of poly-silicon, poly-Si—Ge, and amorphous silicon. The gate material of the second gate stack is implanted with a dopant of a second conductivity type at a second concentration.

Abstract: A dual doped CMOS gate structure utilizes a nitrogen implant to suppress dopant inter-diffusion. The nitrogen implant is provided above standard trench isolation structures. Alternatively, an oxygen implant can be utilized. The use of the implant allows an increase in packing density for ultra-large-scale integrated (ULSI) circuits. The doping for N-channel and P-channel active regions can be completed when the polysilicon gate structures are doped.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a transistor having shallow source and drain extensions utilizes a self-aligned contact. The drain extensions are provided through an opening between a contact area and the gate structure. A high-K gate dielectric material can be utilized. P-MOS and N-MOS transistors can be created according to the disclosed method.