Abstract: The disclosure illustrates systems and methods for removing at least some excess gate material of a FinFET transistor. A FinFET transistor with the excess gate material removed may include a gate with a T-shaped cross-section. The narrower portion of the cross-section may be processed using backside wafer processing. The width of the narrower portion may be defined by a spacer.

Abstract: Metallization structures under a semiconductor device layer. A metallization structure in alignment with semiconductor fin may be on a side of the fin opposite a gate stack. Backside and/or frontside substrate processing techniques may be employed to form such metallization structures on a bottom of a semiconductor fin or between bottom portions of two adjacent fins. Such metallization structures may accompany interconnect metallization layers that are over a gate stack, for example to increase metallization layer density for a given number of semiconductor device layers.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a source and a drain with a semiconductor body therebetween, the source, the drain, and the semiconductor body on an insulator, a buried structure between the semiconductor body and the insulator, and a source contact coupled with the source and the buried structure, the source contact comprising metal. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Semiconductor nanowire devices having cavity spacers and methods of fabricating cavity spacers for semiconductor nanowire devices are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a plurality of vertically stacked nanowires disposed above a substrate, each of the nanowires including a discrete channel region. A common gate electrode stack surrounds each of the discrete channel regions of the plurality of vertically stacked nanowires. A pair of dielectric spacers is on either side of the common gate electrode stack, each of the pair of dielectric spacers including a continuous material disposed along a sidewall of the common gate electrode and surrounding a discrete portion of each of the vertically stacked nanowires. A pair of source and drain regions is on either side of the pair of dielectric spacers.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a fin; a layer formed on the fin, the layer dividing the fin in a first section and a second section; a first device formed on the first section of the fin; and a second device formed on the second section of the fin.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes: a top semiconductor fin extending in a length direction; a bottom semiconductor fin extending in the length direction, the bottom semiconductor fin being under and vertically aligned with the top semiconductor fin; a top gate structure in contact with a portion of the top semiconductor fin; top source and drain regions each adjacent to the portion of the top semiconductor fin; a bottom gate structure in contact with a portion of the bottom semiconductor fin; and bottom source and drain regions each adjacent to the portion of the bottom semiconductor fin. The portion of the top semiconductor fin is between the top source region and the top drain region. The portion of the bottom semiconductor fin is between the bottom source and drain regions. Heights, widths, or both the heights and widths of the portions of the top and bottom semiconductor fins are different.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a first portion of a bottom semiconductor fin extending horizontally in a length direction and vertically in a height direction, a second portion of the bottom semiconductor fin extending horizontally in the length direction and vertically in the height direction, a top semiconductor fin extending horizontally in the length direction and vertically in the height direction, and an insulator region extending horizontally in the length direction to electrically insulate the first portion of the bottom semiconductor fin from the second portion of the bottom semiconductor fin. The insulator region further extends vertically in the height direction in vertical alignment with the top semiconductor fin. The insulator region includes at least one of an insulator material and an airgap. In an embodiment, the top semiconductor fin is associated with a transistor, and the insulator region is in vertical alignment with a gate electrode of the transistor.

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms to provide capacitance with a memory cell of an integrated circuit. In an embodiment, a transistor of the memory cell includes structures variously formed in or on a first side of a semiconductor substrate. After processing to form the transistor structures, thinning is performed to expose a second side of the semiconductor substrate, the second side opposite the first side. Processing in or on the exposed second side of the semiconductor substrate is subsequently performed to form in the semiconductor substrate a capacitor that extends to couple to one of the transistor structures. In another embodiment, the capacitor is coupled to accumulate charge based on activation of a channel of the transistor. The capacitor is further coupled to send charge from the memory cell via the second side.

Abstract: Integrated circuit cell architectures including both front-side and back-side structures. One or more of back-side implant, semiconductor deposition, dielectric deposition, metallization, film patterning, and wafer-level layer transfer is integrated with front-side processing. Such double-side processing may entail revealing a back side of structures fabricated from the front-side of a substrate. Host-donor substrate assemblies may be built-up to support and protect front-side structures during back-side processing. Front-side devices, such as FETs, may be modified and/or interconnected during back-side processing. Electrical test may be performed from front and back sides of a workpiece. Back-side devices, such as FETs, may be integrated with front-side devices to expand device functionality, improve performance, or increase device density.

Abstract: Fin shaping, and integrated circuit structures resulting therefrom, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor fin having a protruding fin portion above an isolation structure above a substrate. The protruding fin portion has substantially vertical upper sidewalls and outwardly tapered lower sidewalls. A gate stack is over and conformal with the protruding fin portion of the semiconductor fin. A first source or drain region is at a first side of the gate stack, and a second source or drain region is at a second side of the gate stack opposite the first side of the gate stack.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a plurality of nanowire transistors stacked vertically, wherein each nanowire transistor of the plurality of nanowire transistors comprises a corresponding nanowire of a plurality of nanowires; and a gate stack, wherein the gate stack fully encircles at least a section of each nanowire of the plurality of nanowires.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming increasing channel region tensile strain in n-MOS devices. In some cases, increased channel region tensile strain can be achieved via S/D material engineering that deliberately introduces dislocations in one or both of the S/D regions to produce tensile strain in the adjacent channel region. In some such cases, the S/D material engineering to create desired dislocations may include using a lattice mismatched epitaxial S/D film adjacent to the channel region. Numerous material schemes for achieving multiple dislocations in one or both S/D regions will be apparent in light of this disclosure. In some cases, a cap layer can be formed on an S/D region to reduce contact resistance, such that the cap layer is an intervening layer between the S/D region and S/D contact. The cap layer includes different material than the underlying S/D region and/or a higher dopant concentration to reduce contact resistance.

Abstract: An apparatus including an array of at least two vertically stacked layers of integrated circuit device components separated by a dielectric layer on a substrate, wherein each of the at least two vertically stacked layers includes a laterally disposed contact point; and an electrically conductive interconnection coupled to a lateral edge of the contact point of each of the at least two vertically stacked layers and bridging the dielectric layer. A method including forming an array of at least two vertically stacked layers of integrated circuit device components separated by a dielectric layer on a substrate, forming a trench that exposes a lateral contact point of each of the at least two vertically stacked layers; depositing a polymer in the trench, wherein the polymer preferentially aligns to a material of the lateral contact point and bridges the dielectric layer; and modifying or replacing the polymer with an electrically conductive material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure is provided which comprises: a stack of source regions of a stack of transistors and a stack of drain regions of the stack of transistors; and a gate stack that forms gate regions for the stack of transistors, wherein the gate stack comprises traces of a first polymer of a block copolymer, the block copolymer comprising the first polymer and a second polymer.

Abstract: Transistor cell architectures including both front-side and back-side structures. A transistor may include one or more semiconductor fins with a gate stack disposed along a sidewall of a channel portion of the fin. One or more source/drain regions of the fin are etched to form recesses with a depth below the channel region. The recesses may extend through the entire fin height. Source/drain semiconductor is then deposited within the recess, coupling the channel region to a deep source/drain. A back-side of the transistor is processed to reveal the deep source/drain semiconductor material. One or more back-side interconnect metallization levels may couple to the deep source/drain of the transistor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to remove epitaxial defects in semiconductors are disclosed. A disclosed example multilayered die structure includes a fin having a first material, where the fin is epitaxially grown from a first substrate layer having a second material, and where a defect portion of the fin is etched or polished. The disclosed example multilayered die structure also includes a second substrate layer having an opening through which the fin extends.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure comprises a lower device layer that includes a first structure comprising a plurality of PMOS transistors. An upper device layer is formed on the lower device layer, wherein the upper device layer includes a second structure comprising a plurality of NMOS thin-film transistors (TFT).

Abstract: Techniques and mechanisms to impose stress on a transistor which includes a channel region and a source or drain region each in a fin structure. In an embodiment, a gate structure of the transistor extends over the fin structure, wherein a first spacer portion is at a sidewall of the gate structure and a second spacer portion adjoins the first spacer portion. Either or both of two features are present at or under respective bottom edges of the spacer portions. One of the features includes a line of discontinuity on the fin structure. The other feature includes a concentration of a dopant in the second spacer portion being greater than a concentration of the dopant in the source or drain region. In another embodiment, the fin structure is disposed on a buffer layer, wherein stress on the channel region is imposed at least in part with the buffer layer.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a first portion of a bottom semiconductor fin extending horizontally in a length direction and vertically in a height direction, a second portion of the bottom semiconductor fin extending horizontally in the length direction and vertically in the height direction, a top semiconductor fin extending horizontally in the length direction and vertically in the height direction, and an insulator region extending horizontally in the length direction to electrically insulate the first portion of the bottom semiconductor fin from the second portion of the bottom semiconductor fin. The insulator region further extends vertically in the height direction in vertical alignment with the top semiconductor fin. The insulator region includes at least one of an insulator material and an airgap. In an embodiment, the top semiconductor fin is associated with a transistor, and the insulator region is in vertical alignment with a gate electrode of the transistor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for gettering impurities in semiconductors are disclosed. A disclosed example multilayered die includes a substrate material, a component layer below the substrate material, and an impurity attractant region disposed in the substrate material.