Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a power device formed in the semiconductor substrate; a metal bilayer formed over the semiconductor substrate, the metal bilayer including a discontinuous metal layer formed on and in contact with a continuous base metal layer; and one or more contact pads formed in the metal bilayer or in a metallization layer above the metal bilayer. The discontinuous metal layer includes a plurality of metal blocks which are laterally spaced apart from one another and which form a heat sink structure over the power device. The continuous base metal layer is configured to laterally spread heat energy from the power device to the plurality of metal blocks. Methods of producing the semiconductor device are also described.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a power device formed in the semiconductor substrate; a metal bilayer formed over the semiconductor substrate, the metal bilayer including a discontinuous metal layer formed on and in contact with a continuous base metal layer; and one or more contact pads formed in the metal bilayer or in a metallization layer above the metal bilayer. The discontinuous metal layer includes a plurality of metal blocks which are laterally spaced apart from one another and which form a heat sink structure over the power device. The continuous base metal layer is configured to laterally spread heat energy from the power device to the plurality of metal blocks. Methods of producing the semiconductor device are also described.

Abstract: An integrated circuit arrangement is disclosed having a wiring indentation and an auxiliary indentation in a dielectric layer. The wiring indentation contains a metal through which current flows during operation of the circuit arrangement. The auxiliary indentation contains a metal through which an electric current does not flow during operation of the circuit arrangement. The auxiliary indentation serves as an alignment mark during the production of the integrated circuit arrangement.

Abstract: An integrated circuit arrangement is disclosed having a wiring indentation and an auxiliary indentation in a dielectric layer. The wiring indentation contains a metal through which current flows during operation of the circuit arrangement. The auxiliary indentation contains a metal through which an electric current does not flow during operation of the circuit arrangement. The auxiliary indentation serves as an alignment mark during the production of the integrated circuit arrangement.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing an integrated circuit arrangement with an auxiliary indentation, particularly with aligning marks, and an integrated circuit arrangement. The invention also relates to a method for producing aligning marks. During the method, a planarization is carried out before material is removed from an auxiliary indentation.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for producing an integrated circuit arrangement with an auxiliary indentation, particularly with aligning marks, and an integrated circuit arrangement. The invention also relates to a method for producing aligning marks. During the method, a planarization is carried out before material is removed from an auxiliary indentation.

Abstract: A method for producing a non-volatile semiconductor memory cell with a separate tunnel window cell includes the step of forming a tunnel zone in a late implantation step by performing a tunnel implantation with the aid of a tunnel window cell as a mask. The resulting memory cell has a small area requirement and a high number of program/clear cycles.

Abstract: The electrical characteristic of a microelectronic circuit configuration that has at least one analog electronic unit is set. In a configuration step, by feeding and/or extracting electrical charge, the analog electronic unit is put into a state which permanently determines the analog electrical characteristics of the unit. In particular, the floating gate of an EEPROM cell is charged up to a freely selectable charge value lying within a continuous range.

Abstract: The polishing agent of the invention has polishing grains suspended in a solution. The polishing grains consist essentially of a first substance with a glass transition temperature TG, and the polishing grains contain a dopant. The concentration of the dopant is set so that the glass transition temperature TG′ of the doped substance is lower than the glass transition temperature TG of the undoped first substance. The polishing agent is advantageously used for the microscratch-free planarization of a semiconductor substrate or of layers applied on it.

Abstract: A method for producing a non-volatile semiconductor memory cell with a separate tunnel window cell includes the step of forming a tunnel zone in a late implantation step by performing a tunnel implantation with the aid of a tunnel window cell as a mask. The resulting memory cell has a small area requirement and a high number of program/clear cycles.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting the presence of a work piece in an automatic processing apparatus are described. Previously known detection devices cannot make a clear distinction between the presence and absence of the work piece under all conditions. An apparatus is therefore provided which contains an ultrasound transmitter, an ultrasound receiver and a detection device (controller). The detection as to whether a work piece is held in a holder in the processing apparatus is carried out by irradiating the holder with ultrasound waves, receiving the reflected ultrasound waves and detecting on the basis of the reflected ultrasound waves. The method can be used advantageously in particular in polishing machines for wafers, where the polishing cloth is distinguished considerably, in terms of its acoustic reflection capacity, from the wafer to be polished.

Abstract: The electrical characteristics of a microelectronic circuit configuration that has at least one analog electronic unit is set. In a configuration step, by feeding and/or extracting electrical charge, the analog electronic unit is put into a state which permanently determines the analog electrical characteristics of the unit. In particular, the floating gate of an EEPROM cell is charged up to a freely selectable charge value lying within a continuous range.

Abstract: A method for forming a trench structure in a silicon substrate, which trench structure serves for electrically insulating a first region of the substrate from a second substrate region. The method proceeds from a growth of a thermal oxide layer on the substrate surface and an application and patterning of a mask layer over the thermal oxide layer. A trench of predetermined depth is subsequently etched into the silicon substrate through the patterned mask layer. The trench is filled by a deposition of a conformal covering oxide layer on the substrate with an essentially uniform thickness that is sufficient for completely filling the trench. Afterwards, a polysilicon layer is deposited on the covering oxide layer and a chemical mechanical planarization method is carried out with high selectivity S between the polysilicon material and the oxide material in order to obtain a flat surface.

Abstract: A device for end-point monitoring used in the polishing of components, in particular semiconductor components. The device has a textile structure, which may be constructed as a cloth or a pad, and is used to accommodate a component that is to be monitored. The textile-like structure has a windowless construction. The textile structure may be disposed on a platen. Furthermore, a light source, preferably a laser, for emitting a monochromatic red light beam having a preferred wavelength of approximately 800 nm is provided. The red light beam is directed through the textile structure onto the component to be monitored. In addition, a detector is used to detect the red light beam reflected by the component to be monitored. The end-point monitoring may, for example, be carried out by interferometry. In addition, a corresponding method is also described.