Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a semiconductor circuit element and a semiconductor circuit element, wherein the semiconductor circuit element is formed on the basis of a replacement gate process replacing a dummy gate structure of a semiconductor device of the semiconductor circuit element by a gate oxide structure and a gate electrode material, wherein the gate oxide structure comprises a high-k material that is in the ferroelectric phase. In some illustrative embodiments herein, a semiconductor device is provided, the semiconductor device having a gate structure disposed over an active region of a semiconductor substrate. Herein, the gate structure comprises a spacer structure and a dummy gate structure which is replaced by a gate oxide structure and a gate electrode material, wherein the gate oxide structure comprises a ferroelectric high-k material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides in some aspects a semiconductor device and a method of forming a semiconductor device. According to some illustrative embodiments herein, the semiconductor device includes an active region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a gate structure disposed over the active region, source/drain regions formed in the active region in alignment with the gate structure, and an insulating material region buried into the active region under the gate structure, wherein the insulating material region is surrounded by the active region and borders a channel region in the active region below the gate structure along a depth direction of the active region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a high-k metal gate electrode structure that is positioned above an active region, has a top surface that is positioned at a gate height level, and includes a high-k dielectric material and an electrode metal. Raised drain and source regions are positioned laterally adjacent to the high-k metal gate electrode structure and connect to the active region, and a top surface of each of the raised drain and source regions is positioned at a contact height level that is below the gate height level. An etch stop layer is positioned above the top surface of the raised drain and source regions and a contact element connects to one of the raised drain and source regions, the contact element extending through the etch stop layer and a dielectric material positioned above the high-k metal gate electrode structure and the raised drain and source regions.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods of forming a semiconductor circuit element and a semiconductor circuit element, wherein the semiconductor circuit element includes a first semiconductor device with a first gate structure disposed over a first active region of a semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor device with a second gate structure disposed over a second active region of the semiconductor substrate, the first gate structure comprising a ferroelectric material buried into the first active region before a gate electrode material is formed on the ferroelectric material and the second gate structure comprising a high-k material different from the ferroelectric material.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided, including forming a gate electrode of a dummy transistor device on a semiconductor substrate, forming a high-k material layer over and adjacent to the gate electrode and forming a metal layer on the high-k material layer over and adjacent to the gate electrode to form a capacitor.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a semiconductor circuit element and a semiconductor circuit element, wherein the semiconductor circuit element is formed on the basis of a replacement gate process replacing a dummy gate structure of a semiconductor device of the semiconductor circuit element by a gate oxide structure and a gate electrode material, wherein the gate oxide structure comprises a high-k material that is in the ferroelectric phase. In some illustrative embodiments herein, a semiconductor device is provided, the semiconductor device having a gate structure disposed over an active region of a semiconductor substrate. Herein, the gate structure comprises a spacer structure and a dummy gate structure which is replaced by a gate oxide structure and a gate electrode material, wherein the gate oxide structure comprises a ferroelectric high-k material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor. The PMO transistor includes a gate electrode, at least one source/drain region, a first sidewall spacer positioned adjacent the gate electrode of the PMOS transistor, and a multi-part second sidewall spacer positioned adjacent the first sidewall spacer of the PMOS transistor, wherein the multi-part second sidewall spacer includes an upper spacer and a lower spacer. The NMOS transistor includes a gate electrode, at least one source/drain region, a first sidewall spacer positioned adjacent the gate electrode of the NMOS transistor, and a single second sidewall spacer positioned adjacent the first sidewall spacer of the NMOS transistor. A metal silicide region is positioned on each of the gate electrodes and on each of the at least one source/drain regions of the PMOS and the NMOS transistors.

Abstract: Integrated circuits and methods for producing the same are provided. A method for producing an integrated circuit includes forming an implant mask overlying a dummy gate, where the implant mask produces a masked dummy gate and an exposed dummy gate. Ions are implanted into the exposed dummy gate, and the implant mask is removed. The masked dummy gate is etched with an etchant selective to the masked dummy gate over the exposed dummy gate to form a trench, and the trench is filled with a conductive material.

Abstract: An issue arises when manufacturing semiconductor circuits including PFETs with an SiGe alloy embedded in their source/drain regions and NFETs without any embedded SiGe alloy. In this case, the thickness of the NFET spacers is considerably greater than that of the PFET spacers. In order to alleviate this asymmetry in spacer thickness, a manufacturing flow is proposed wherein a spacer-reducing etching process is introduced before the salicidation. The etching process is performed directly after the ion implantation performed in order to form deep regions of source/drain regions of the NFETs. Thus, the spacer-reducing etching process may be performed in the presence of the same mask used during the NFET deep implantations. The spacer-reducing etching process results in thinning of the NFET spacer structures, thus alleviating the spacer thickness imbalance between NFETs and PFETs.

Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating integrated circuits. One method includes etching a plurality of trenches into a silicon substrate and filling the trenches with an insulating material to delineate a plurality of spaced apart silicon fins. A layer of undoped silicon is epitaxially grown to form an upper, undoped region of the fins. Dummy gate structures are formed overlying and transverse to the plurality of fins and a back fill material fills between the dummy gate structures. The dummy gate structures are removed to expose a portion of the fins and a high-k dielectric material and a work function determining gate electrode material are deposited overlying the portion of the fins. The back fill material is removed to expose a second portion and metal silicide contacts are formed on the second portion. Conductive contacts are then formed to the work function determining material and to the metal silicide.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of NMOS transistor elements, each including a first gate electrode structure above a first active region, at least two of the plurality of first gate electrode structures including a first encapsulating stack having a first dielectric cap layer and a first sidewall spacer stack. The semiconductor device also includes a plurality of PMOS transistor elements, each including a second gate electrode structure above a second active region, wherein at least two of the plurality of second gate electrode structures include a second encapsulating stack having a second dielectric cap layer and a second sidewall spacer stack. Additionally, the first and second sidewall spacer stacks each include at least three dielectric material layers, wherein each of the three dielectric material layers of the first and second sidewall spacer stacks include the same dielectric material.

Abstract: An eDRAM is fabricated including high performance logic transistor technology and ultra low leakage DRAM transistor technology. Embodiments include forming a recessed channel in a substrate, forming a first gate oxide to a first thickness lining the channel and a second gate oxide to a second thickness over a portion of an upper surface of the substrate, forming a first polysilicon gate in the recessed channel and overlying the recessed channel, forming a second polysilicon gate on the second gate oxide, forming spacers on opposite sides of each of the first and second polysilicon gates, removing the first and second polysilicon gates forming first and second cavities, forming a high-k dielectric layer on the first and second gate oxides, and forming first and second metal gates in the first and second cavities, respectively.

Abstract: A poly resistor manufacturing method which allows resistor targeting and/or tuning by process rather than by design is disclosed. Embodiments include forming a high-k dielectric on a STI layer; forming a Ti layer on the high-k dielectric; forming a dummy Si layer on the TiN layer; forming spacers at opposite sides of the high-k dielectric, TiN, and dummy Si layers; forming an ILD surrounding the spacers; removing a portion of the dummy Si layer adjacent to each spacer, down to the TiN layer, to form a metal resistor end region; filling each metal resistor end region with a pWF stack; recessing the dummy Si layer between the pWF stacks; forming a TiN hardmask over the ILD, the spacers, the pWF stacks, and the recessed dummy Si layer; forming a nWF stack over the TiN hardmask; and planarizing the nWF metal stack and the TiN hardmask down to the ILD.

Abstract: An issue arises when manufacturing semiconductor circuits including PFETs with an SiGe alloy embedded in their source/drain regions and NFETs without any embedded SiGe alloy. In this case, the thickness of the NFET spacers is considerably greater than that of the PFET spacers. In order to alleviate this asymmetry in spacer thickness, a manufacturing flow is proposed wherein a spacer-reducing etching process is introduced before the salicidation. The etching process is performed directly after the ion implantation performed in order to form deep regions of source/drain regions of the NFETs. Thus, the spacer-reducing etching process may be performed in the presence of the same mask used during the NFET deep implantations. The spacer-reducing etching process results in thinning of the NFET spacer structures, thus alleviating the spacer thickness imbalance between NFETs and PFETs.

Abstract: A method is disclosed that includes forming a conductive logic contact in a logic area of a semiconductor device, forming a bit line contact and a capacitor contact in a memory array of the semiconductor device, and performing at least one first common process to form a first metallization layer comprising a first conductive line in the logic area that is conductively coupled to the conductive logic contact and a bit line in the memory array that is conductively coupled to the bit line contact. The method further includes performing at least one second common process to form a second metallization layer comprising a first conductive structure conductively coupled to the first conductive line in the logic area and a second conductive structure in the memory array that that is conductively coupled to the capacitor contact.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming a semiconductor device. In one example, the method includes performing a first process operation to form a first etch stop layer above a first region of a semiconducting substrate where a first type of transistor device will be formed, and forming a first stress inducing layer at least above the first etch stop layer in the first region, wherein the first stress inducing layer is adapted to induce a stress in a channel region of the first type of transistor. The method further includes, after forming the first etch stop layer, performing a second process operation form a second etch stop layer above a second region of the substrate where a second type of transistor device will be formed, and forming a second stress inducing layer at least above the second etch stop layer in the second region, wherein the second stress inducing layer is adapted to induce a stress in a channel region of the second type of transistor.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming a semiconductor device. In one example, the method comprises forming a gate electrode structure above a semiconducting substrate and forming a plurality of spacers proximate the gate electrode structures, wherein the plurality of spacers comprises a first silicon nitride spacer positioned adjacent a sidewall of the gate electrode structure, a generally L-shaped silicon nitride spacer positioned adjacent the first silicon nitride spacer, and a silicon dioxide spacer positioned adjacent the generally L-shaped silicon nitride spacer.

Abstract: SRAM integrated circuits are provided having pull up and pull down transistors of an SRAM cell fabricated in and on a silicon substrate. A layer of insulating material overlies the pull up and pull down transistors. Pass gate transistors of the SRAM cell are fabricated in a semiconducting layer overlying the layer of insulating material.

Abstract: The amount of Pt residues remaining after forming Pt-containing NiSi is reduced by performing an O2 flash while shaping gate spacers, and then cleaning and applying a second application of Aqua Regia. Embodiments include sputter depositing a layer of Ni/Pt on a semiconductor substrate, annealing the Ni/Pt layer, wet stripping unreacted Ni, annealing the Ni stripped Ni/Pt layer, stripping unreacted Pt from the annealed Ni/Pt layer, e.g., with Aqua Regia, treating the Pt stripped Ni/Pt layer with an oxygen plasma, cleaning the Ni/Pt layer, and stripping unreacted Pt from the cleaned Ni/Pt layer, e.g., with a second application of Aqua Regia.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming self-aligned contacts for a semiconductor device. In one example, the method includes forming a plurality of spaced-apart sacrificial gate electrodes above a semiconducting substrate, wherein each of the gate electrodes has a gate cap layer positioned on the gate electrode, and performing at least one etching process to define a self-aligned contact opening between the plurality of spaced-apart sacrificial gate electrodes. The method further includes removing the gate cap layers to thereby expose an upper surface of each of the sacrificial gate electrodes, depositing at least one layer of conductive material in said self-aligned contact opening and removing portions of the at least one layer of conductive material that are positioned outside of the self-aligned contact opening to thereby define at least a portion of a self-aligned contact positioned in the self-aligned contact opening.