Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention describes a redundancy repair circuit fabricated in a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) semiconductor device, with the redundancy repair circuit comprising: a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs); a programming pad connecting to serially connected control gates of the plurality of TFTs; the plurality of TFTs having their individual source/drain terminals connecting between substitution logic and an address multiplexer.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a thin film transistor (TFT) fabricated by using a planarized poly plug as the bottom gate for use in any integrated circuit and in particular an static random access memory (SRAM). The TFT is used in an SRAM device to form a planarized SRAM cell comprising: a pulldown transistor having a control gate and source/drain terminals; a planarized insulating layer having grooves therein, each groove providing access to an underlying conductive material; a planarized conductive plug residing inside each groove, whereby a first conductive plug forms a thin film transistor gate connecting to an to an adjacent inverter and a second conductive plug provides connection to the gate of the pulldown device; a gate dielectric overlying the first planarized conductive plug; and a patterned semiconductive layer doped such that a channel region aligns to each thin film transistor gate and a source/drain region aligns to each side of the channel region is formed.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of forming a conductive polysilicon line relative to a substrate includes, a) providing a line of silicon on a substrate, the line having an outer top surface and outwardly exposed opposing outer sidewall surfaces, the line ultimately comprising conductively doped polysilicon; b) masking the line outer top surface with a masking material; c) with the masking material in place, depositing a metal layer atop the substrate and over the masking material and the outwardly exposed line outer sidewall surfaces; d) annealing the line to impart a silicidation reaction between the metal and opposing silicon sidewalls to form opposing metal silicide runners extending along the line sidewalls, the masking material preventing a silicidation reaction from occurring between the metal and line outer top surface; and e) stripping the metal layer from atop the line. Such a line is preferably used as a bottom gate for a thin film transistor.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes: a) a semiconductor substrate; b) a first conductivity type substrate diffusion region within the semiconductor substrate, the first conductivity type substrate diffusion region being electrically conductive and having an outer first total area; c) a thin film polysilicon layer of the first conductivity type overlying and being in ohmic electrical connection with the substrate diffusion region; and d) a pillar of electrically conductive material extending outwardly from the thin film polysilicon layer over the electrically conductive diffusion region, the pillar having a total cross sectional second area where the pillar joins the thin film polysilicon layer, the second area being less than the first area and being received entirely within the confines of the first area.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods of forming resistors and diodes from semiconductive material, and static random access memory (SRAM) cells incorporating resistors, and to integrated circuitry incorporating resistors and diodes. A node to which electrical connection is to be made is provided. An electrically insulative layer is provided outwardly of the node. An opening is provided in the electrically insulative layer over the node. The opening is filled with semiconductive material which depending on configuration serves as one or both of a vertically elongated diode and resistor.

Abstract: In a microcircuit device such as a memory chip, where a bank of state devices such as fuses and anti-fuses determine the enabling and disabling of redundant circuitry, a scheme for blowing one or more state devices by applying a programming voltage through a switching circuit comprising thin film transistors (TFTs) which are not damaged by the device blowing, programming voltage. The TFTs can be activated by a low voltage enable signal provided by a state device designator logic module.

Abstract: A thin film transistor includes: a) a thin film transistor layer comprising a source region, a channel region and a drain region; the thin film transistor layer further comprising a drain offset region positioned between the drain region and the channel region; b) the channel region being substantially polycrystalline and having a first average crystalline grain size; and c) the drain offset region being substantially polycrystalline and having a second average crystalline grain size, the second average crystalline grain size being larger than the first average crystalline grain size. A method for forming such a construction using polycrystalline materials, preferably polysilicon, and an amorphizing silicon implant with subsequent recrystallization is also disclosed.

Abstract: The method of the present invention introduces a method of forming conductively doped contacts on a supporting substrate in a semiconductor device that minimizes the lateral out-diffusion of the conductive dopants and also provides for a low resistive contact by the steps of: preparing a conductive area to accept contact formation; forming a phosphorus insitu doped polysilicon layer over the conductive area; forming an arsenic insitu doped polysilicon layer over the phosphorus insitu doped polysilicon layer, wherein the two insitu doped polysilicon layers are deposited one after another in separate deposition steps; and annealing the layers at a temperature range of approximately 900.degree.-1100.degree. C. thereby, resulting in sufficient thermal treatment to allow phosphorus atoms to break up a first interfacial silicon dioxide layer formed between the conductive area and the phosphorus insitu doped polysilicon layer.

Abstract: The disclosure pertains to a bottom and top gated thin film transistor and other circuitry constructions. In the thin film transistor construction, the top gate electrode (preferably polysilicon) overlaps with the channel region, and the top gate electrode has an electrically conductive sidewall (preferably oxide). The bottom gate electrode (preferably polysilicon) has an outer surface area which includes a portion which extends outwardly beyond the top gate electrode sidewall. An electrically conductive sidewall link overlies the electrically insulated channel region sidewall and extends between the top gate sidewall and bottom gate outer surface portion to electrically interconnect the top and bottom gate electrodes. The insulated channel region sidewall is insulated by an insulating sidewall spacer. The insulating sidewall spacer partially overlaps the top gate electrode electrically conductive sidewall.

Abstract: A semiconductor processing method of providing a polysilicon layer atop a semiconductor wafer comprises the following sequential steps: a) depositing a first layer of arsenic atop a semiconductor wafer; b) depositing a second layer of silicon over the arsenic layer, the second layer having an outer surface; c) first annealing the wafer at a temperature of at least about 600.degree. C. for a time period sufficient to impart growth of polycrystalline silicon grains in the second layer and providing a predominately polysilicon second layer, the first annealing step imparting diffusion of arsenic within the second layer to promote growth of large polysilicon grains; and d) with the second layer outer surface being outwardly exposed, second annealing the wafer at a temperature effectively higher than the first annealing temperature for a time period sufficient to outgas arsenic from the polysilicon layer.

Abstract: An electrical interconnection method includes: a) providing two conductive layers separated by an insulating material on a semiconductor wafer; b) etching the conductive layers and insulating material to define and outwardly expose a sidewall of each conductive layer; c) depositing an electrically conductive material over the etched conductive layers and their respective sidewalls; and d) anisotropically etching the conductive material to define an electrically conductive sidewall link electrically interconnecting the two conductive layers. Such is utilizable to make thin film transistors and other circuitry.

Abstract: A new and improved static random access memory (SRAM) cell wherein separate regions of polysilicon are formed over a silicon substrate and are separated by defined openings therein into which oxide filler material is introduced to render the regions of polysilicon and oxide substantially co-planar at their upper surfaces. An access transistor and a thin film load transistor are formed within and adjacent to first and second regions of the polysilicon, respectively, and yet a third, pull down transistor is formed within and adjacent to a third polysilicon region. The thin film transistor includes a thin second layer of polysilicon which is electrically isolated from the second one of the polysilicon regions and is doped to form therein source, drain and channel regions. Advantageously, the thin film transistor is formed on this substantially planar surface, thereby improving process yields and device performance.

Abstract: The invention is a method for creating a portion of an integrated circuit on a semiconductor wafer. The invention comprises doping a substrate to form a doped well region having an opposite conductivity type than the substrate. Separate photomasking steps are used to define N-channel and P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor gates. A trench is formed near the well without using additional masking steps. The trench improves the latch up immunity of the device. The invention is also the apparatus created by the method and comprises a trench positioned in the substrate to interrupt the conduction of minority carriers between two regions of the substrate. Thus, the invention improves latch up immunity without additional process complexity.

Abstract: The disclosure includes preferred semiconductor transistor devices utilizing thin film transistors, as well as preferred methods of forming such devices. Specifically, a bottom thin film transistor gate is formed having a top surface. An insulating filler is provided adjacent the thin film transistor gate to an elevation at least as high as the thin film transistor gate top surface, and subsequently levelled to provide generally planar insulating surfaces adjacent the thin film transistor gate. The planar insulating surfaces are substantially coplanar with the thin film transistor gate top surface. A planar semiconductor thin film is then formed over the thin film transistor gate and over the adjacent planar insulating surfaces. The thin film is doped to form source and drain regions of a thin film transistor which is bottom gated by the thin film transistor gate.

Abstract: A method for forming semiconductor devices includes a low energy implant for tailoring the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor devices. Using the low energy implant, narrow width devices such as access transistors in an SRAM cell, can be fabricated with a low threshold voltage (Vt). The low energy implant is performed on the active areas of a silicon substrate following field isolation and field implant. For an n-conductivity access transistor, the low energy dopant can be an n-type dopant such as phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention describes a redundancy repair circuit fabricated in a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) semiconductor device, with the redundancy repair circuit comprising: a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs); a programming pad connecting to serially connected control gates of the plurality of TFTs; the plurality of TFTs having their individual source/drain terminals connecting between substitution logic and an address multiplexer.

Abstract: A non-volatile static read/write memory is formed by a bistable memory cell which is programmable to operate statically in one of two alternative output states, corresponding to binary output voltages. The static memory cell is formed by a pair of MOSFET inverters having cross-coupled inputs and outputs. A ferroelectric storage element fabricated from a material such as lead zirconate titanate or barium strontium titanate is positioned to be electrically polarized in one of two alternative orientations determined by the memory cell's output voltage. The ferroelectric storage element maintains its electric polarization upon power-down of the memory cell. Upon subsequent power-up of the memory cell, the ferroelectric storage element biases the memory cell toward one of the memory cell's two output states in accordance with the electric polarization of the ferroelectric storage element, and in accordance with the memory cell's output state at power-down.

Abstract: A process for forming a thin film transistor having a lightly doped drain which is self-aligned with the transistor channel. A transistor gate is formed over a first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer is formed over the transistor gate. A layer of polycrystalline silicon (poly) is formed over said second dielectric layer, and the poly layer can be optionally doped with a P-type or N-type dopant to adjust the threshold voltage of the transistor. Next, an implant masking layer is formed over the gate, and has an etch mask thereupon. The exposed implant masking layer is removed, and in one embodiment the etch mask is undercut during the same etch to remove portions of the implant masking layer from under the etch mask. The exposed poly is doped with a P-type dopant. The etch mask is removed and the exposed poly is again doped with a P-type dopant to form the lightly doped drain using the implant mask to self-align the lightly doped drain with the channel region.

Abstract: An electric interconnection method includes: a) providing two conductive layers separated by including material on a semiconductor wafer; b) etching the conductive layers and insulating material to define and outwardly expose a sidewall of each conductive layer; c) depositing an electrically conductive material over the etched conductive layers and their respective sidewalls; and d) anisotropically etching the conductive material to define an electrically conductive sidewall link electrically interconnecting the two conductive layers. Such is utilizable to make thin film transistors and other circuitry.

Abstract: A process for forming low resistance contacts between silicide areas and upper level polysilicon interconnect layers including a specific doping technique that provides solid low resistance contacts between a lower level of a silicided area and an upper level polysilicon interconnect. The doping technique combines a doping implant of the upper level polysilicon and an ion-mixing implant into a single implant thereby achieving a low resistive implant which also reduces processing steps.