Abstract: A transistor structure is disclosed including at least one transistor including a diffusion and an interconnect electrically connected to a side of the diffusion and a conductor in electrical contact with the interconnect. The low-resistivity local interconnect is advantageous for use with stressed liner films since a conductor can contact the interconnect at a distance from the diffusion, thus allowing electrical contact without having to interrupt the stress liner film where it is most effective. Several embodiments of methods of electrically connecting a diffusion to an interconnect are also disclosed.

Abstract: An eFuse begins with a single crystal silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure that has a single crystal silicon layer on a first insulator layer. The single crystal silicon layer is patterned into a strip. Before or after the patterning, the single crystal silicon layer is doped with one or more impurities. At least an upper portion of the single crystal silicon layer is then silicided to form a silicided strip. In one embodiment the entire single crystal silicon strip is silicided to create a silicide strip. Second insulator(s) is/are formed on the silicide strip, so as to isolate the silicided strip from surrounding structures. Before or after forming the second insulators, the method forms electrical contacts through the second insulators to ends of the silicided strip. By utilizing a single crystal silicon strip, any form of semiconductor, such as a diode, conductor, insulator, transistor, etc. can form the underlying portion of the fuse structure.

Abstract: Gate electrodes are formed on a semiconducting carbon nanotube, followed by deposition and patterning of a hole-inducing material layer and an electron inducing material layer on the carbon nanotube according to the pattern of a one dimensional circuit layout. Electrical isolation may be provided by cutting a portion of the carbon nanotube, forming a reverse biased junction of a hole-induced region and an electron-induced region of the carbon nanotube, or electrically biasing a region through a dielectric layer between two device regions of the carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotubes may be arranged such that hole-inducing material layer and electron-inducing material layer may be assigned to each carbon nanotube to form periodic structures such as a static random access memory (SRAM) array.

Abstract: A method of improving a circuit design for a very large scale integrated circuit is provided which represents a plurality of semiconductor devices interconnected in a circuit. It is determined whether an edge of a feature of one of the plurality of semiconductor devices in the design can be moved in a first direction by a distance within a permitted range, such that a performance goal and a matching goal for the circuit are served. If so, the edge is moved in the first direction by the distance calculated to best serve the performance goal and the matching goal. The foregoing steps may be repeated for each of the plurality of semiconductor devices. If necessary, the foregoing steps may be repeated until the performance goal and matching goal for the circuit are deemed to be adequately served.

Abstract: A method of forming a transistor patterns a semiconductor fin on a substrate, such that the fin extends from the substrate. Then, the method forms a gate conductor over a central portion of the fin, leaving end portions of the fin exposed. Next, the end portions of the fin are doped with at least one impurity to leave the central portion of the fin as a semiconductor and form the end portions of the fin as conductors. The end portions of the fin are undercut to disconnect the end portions of the fin from the substrate, such that the fin is connected to the substrate along a central portion and is disconnected from the substrate along the end portions and that the end portions are free to move and the central portion is not free to move. A straining layer is formed on a first side of the fin and the straining layer imparts physical pressure on the fin such that the end portions are permanently moved away from a straight-line orientation with the central portion after the forming of the straining layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for improving the stability of static random access memory (SRAM) cells by using boosted word lines. Specifically, a boosted word line voltage (Vdd?) is applied to the word line of a selected SRAM cell, while such a boosted word line voltage (Vdd?) is sufficiently higher than the power supply voltage (Vdd) of the SRAM cell so as to improve the cell stability to a desired level. Specifically, a specific boosted word line voltage is predetermined for each SRAM cell based on the specific cell configuration, by using a circuit simulation program, such as the BERKELEY-SPICE simulation program. A boost voltage generator is then used to apply the predetermined boosted word line voltage to the selected SRAM cell.

Abstract: A chip-in-slot interconnect for three-dimensional semiconductor chip stacks, and particularly having the ability of forming edge connections on semiconductor chips, wherein the semiconductor chips are mounted in one or more chip carriers which are capable of being equipped with embedded circuitry. Moreover, provision is made for unique methods for producing the edge connections on the semiconductor chips, for creating a semiconductor chip carrier, and for producing a novel semiconductor and combined chip carrier structure.

Abstract: A FET structure is provided in which at least one stressor element provided at or near one corner of an active semiconductor region applies a stress in a first direction to one side of a channel region of the FET to apply a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET. In a particular embodiment, a second stressor element is provided at or near an opposite corner of the active semiconductor region to apply a stress in a second direction to an opposite side of a channel region of the FET, the second direction being opposite to the first direction. In this way, the first and second stressor elements cooperate together in applying a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for improving the stability of static random access memory (SRAM) cells by using boosted word lines. Specifically, a boosted word line voltage (Vdd?) is applied to the word line of a selected SRAM cell, while such a boosted word line voltage (Vdd?) is sufficiently higher than the power supply voltage (Vdd) of the SRAM cell so as to improve the cell stability to a desired level. Specifically, a specific boosted word line voltage is predetermined for each SRAM cell based on the specific cell configuration, by using a circuit simulation program, such as the BERKELEY-SPICE simulation program. A boost voltage generator is then used to apply the predetermined boosted word line voltage to the selected SRAM cell.

Abstract: A computational methodology that improves the accuracy of model parameters in a compact model uses methods and algorithms to self-consistently match independently developed base and stress models by re-fitting the stress model to the data set that generates the base model. The re-fitting algorithm removes any discrepancy between the base model and the stress model as the stress model is applied to the data set obtained from a dimension-scaling macro. Stress offsets for dimension-scaling macro devices are calculated to fit the measured values of the model parameters for the same devices. The process of fitting the model parameters to the data set from the dimension-scaling macro calculates constant, linear, and quadratic coefficients for the model parameters, which are employed to increase the accuracy of the model parameters and of the compact model used in circuit simulations and optimization.

Abstract: A FET has a shallow source/drain region, a deep channel region, a gate stack and a back gate that is surrounded by dielectric. The FET structure also includes halo or pocket implants that extend through the entire depth of the channel region. Because a portion of the halo and well doping of the channel is deeper than the source/drain depth, better threshold voltage and process control is achieved. A back-gated FET structure is also provided having a first dielectric layer in this structure that runs under the shallow source/drain region between the channel region and the back gate. This first dielectric layer extends from under the source/drain regions on either side of the back gate and is in contact with a second dielectric such that the back gate is bounded on each side or isolated by dielectric.

Abstract: A semiconductor resistor, method of making the resistor and method of making an IC including resistors. Buried wells are formed in the silicon substrate of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. At least one trench is formed in the buried wells. Resistors are formed along the sidewalls of the trench and, where multiple trenches form pillars, in the pillars between the trenches by doping the sidewalls with an angled implant. Resistor contacts are formed to the buried well at opposite ends of the trenches and pillars, if any.

Abstract: A method of forming a transistor patterns a semiconductor fin on a substrate, such that the fin extends from the substrate. Then, the method forms a gate conductor over a central portion of the fin, leaving end portions of the fin exposed. Next, the end portions of the fin are doped with at least one impurity to leave the central portion of the fin as a semiconductor and form the end portions of the fin as conductors. The end portions of the fin are undercut to disconnect the end portions of the fin from the substrate, such that the fin is connected to the substrate along a central portion and is disconnected from the substrate along the end portions and that the end portions are free to move and the central portion is not free to move. A straining layer is formed on a first side of the fin and the straining layer imparts physical pressure on the fin such that the end portions are permanently moved away from a straight-line orientation with the central portion after the forming of the straining layer.

Abstract: An eFuse begins with a single crystal silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure that has a single crystal silicon layer on a first insulator layer. The single crystal silicon layer is patterned into a strip. Before or after the patterning, the single crystal silicon layer is doped with one or more impurities. At least an upper portion of the single crystal silicon layer is then silicided to form a silicided strip. In one embodiment the entire single crystal silicon strip is silicided to create a silicide strip. Second insulator(s) is/are formed on the silicide strip, so as to isolate the silicided strip from surrounding structures. Before or after forming the second insulators, the method forms electrical contacts through the second insulators to ends of the silicided strip. By utilizing a single crystal silicon strip, any form of semiconductor, such as a diode, conductor, insulator, transistor, etc. can form the underlying portion of the fuse structure.

Abstract: An eFuse begins with a single crystal silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure that has a single crystal silicon layer on a first insulator layer. The single crystal silicon layer is patterned into a strip. Before or after the patterning, the single crystal silicon layer is doped with one or more impurities. At least an upper portion of the single crystal silicon layer is then silicided to form a silicided strip. In one embodiment the entire single crystal silicon strip is silicided to create a silicide strip. Second insulator(s) is/are formed on the silicide strip, so as to isolate the silicided strip from surrounding structures. Before or after forming the second insulators, the method forms electrical contacts through the second insulators to ends of the silicided strip. By utilizing a single crystal silicon strip, any form of semiconductor, such as a diode, conductor, insulator, transistor, etc. can form the underlying portion of the fuse structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor resistor, method of making the resistor and method of making an IC including resistors. Buried wells are formed in the silicon substrate of a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. At least one trench is formed in the buried wells. Resistors are formed along the sidewalls of the trench and, where multiple trenches form pillars, in the pillars between the trenches by doping the sidewalls with an angled implant. Resistor contacts are formed to the buried well at opposite ends of the trenches and pillars, if any.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure that may be a discrete capacitor, a Silicon On Insulator (SOI) Integrated Circuit (IC) including circuits with discrete such capacitors and/or decoupled by such discrete capacitors and an on-chip decoupling capacitor (decap). One capacitor plate may be a well (N-well or P-well) in a silicon bulk layer or a thickened portion of a surface silicon layer. The other capacitor plate may be doped polysilicon and separated from the first capacitor plate by capacitor dielectric, e.g., CVD or thermal oxide. Contacts to each of the capacitor plates directly connect and extend from the respective plates, such that direct contact is available from both plates.

Abstract: System and method for compact model algorithms to accurately account for effects of layout-induced changes in nitride liner stress in semiconductor devices. The layout-sensitive compact model algorithms account for the impact of large layout variation on circuits by implementing algorithms for obtaining the correct stress response approximations and layout extraction algorithms for obtaining the correct geometric parameters that drive the stress response. In particular, these algorithms include specific information from search “buckets” that are directionally-oriented and include directionally-specific distance measurements for analyzing in detail the specific shape neighborhood of the semiconductor device. The algorithms are additionally adapted to enable the modeling and stress impact determination of a device having single stress liner film and dual-stress liners (two different liner films that abut at an interface).

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure that includes a substrate having a crystal lattice; a first structure formed in a first region of the substrate, the first structure includes at least a heterostructure that generates a lattice stress in said crystal lattice in the first region; and a second structure surrounding the first structure for preventing lattice stress from propagating outward from the first region of the substrate. The present invention also provides various methods for forming the semiconductor structure as well as other like structures.

Abstract: A FET structure is provided in which at least one stressor element provided at or near one corner of an active semiconductor region applies a stress in a first direction to one side of a channel region of the FET to apply a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET. In a particular embodiment, a second stressor element is provided at or near an opposite corner of the active semiconductor region to apply a stress in a second direction to an opposite side of a channel region of the FET, the second direction being opposite to the first direction. In this way, the first and second stressor elements cooperate together in applying a torsional stress to the channel region of the FET.