Abstract: A method includes providing a first part, a second part and a bonding material between the first part and the second part. The first part and the second part are made of a first material selected from a group consisting of silicon and germanium. The bonding material includes a second material that is different than the first material. The method includes arranging the first part, the bonding material, and the second part in a furnace; and creating a bonded part by heating the first part, the second part and the bonding material to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period followed by a predetermined solidification period. The predetermined temperature is greater than 1.5 times a eutectic temperature of an alloy including the first material and the second material and less than a melting temperature of the first material.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The UMOS semiconductor devices contain single-crystal gates that have been re-grown or formed at low temperature using microwaves. The devices can be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a trench in the substrate, forming an insulating layer in the trench, depositing a pre-gate layer on the insulating layer, the pre-gate layer comprising a conductive and/or semiconductive material (Si or SiGe) with a non-single crystal structure, contacting the pre-gate layer with a seed layer with a single-crystal structure, and heating the pre-gate layer using microwaves at low temperatures to recrystallize the non-single crystal structure into a single-crystal structure. These processes can improve the resistance and mobility of the gate either as a single crystal structure, optionally with a silicide contact above the source-well junction, enabling a higher switching speed UMOS device. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain dielectric layers that have been deposited and/or flowed by the application of microwave energy (“MW dielectric layers”). The dielectric layers can be made by providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, flowing a precursor gas mixture (containing atoms that react to form a dielectric material) in the reaction chamber, and then subjecting the gas mixture to microwave energy at a frequency and power density sufficient to cause the atoms of the precursor gas mixture to react and deposit to form a dielectric layer on the substrate. As well, the devices can be made by applying microwave energy to an already-deposited dielectric film at a frequency and power density sufficient to cause the atoms of the deposited dielectric material to flow.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. These devices contain a semiconductor substrate with a first portion containing an integrated circuit device connected to a gate pad in an upper portion of the substrate and a second portion containing a Zener diode having a ESD rating up to about 10000 Volts, where the Zener diode is located around the periphery of the substrate. MW radiation can be used to form a single crystal Si material in a trench of the Zener diode 20, reducing the grain boundaries per unit area of the Zener diode by growing (or re-growing) the Si grains to a larger size while consuming the smaller grains. Thus, the leakage current from the Zener diode does not increase when the cross-sectional area of the Zener diode is increased from just surrounding the gate pad to encompass more of the substrate. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The UMOS (U-shaped MOSFET) semiconductor devices can be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a trench in the substrate using a wet or dry etching process, and then radiating the trench structure using microwaves (MW) at low temperatures. The MW radiation process improves the profile of the trench and repairs the damage to the trench structure caused by the dry etching process. The microwave radiation can help re-align the Si or SiGe atoms in the semiconductor substrate and anneal out the defects present after the dry etching process. As well, the microwave radiation can getter atoms or ions used in the dry etching process that are left in the lattice of the trench structure. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The UMOS semiconductor devices contain single-crystal gates that have been re-grown or formed at low temperature using microwaves. The devices can be formed by providing a semiconductor substrate, forming a trench in the substrate, forming an insulating layer in the trench, depositing a pre-gate layer on the insulating layer, the pre-gate layer comprising a conductive and/or semiconductive material (Si or SiGe) with a non-single crystal structure, contacting the pre-gate layer with a seed layer with a single-crystal structure, and heating the pre-gate layer using microwaves at low temperatures to recrystallize the non-single crystal structure into a single-crystal structure. These processes can improve the resistance and mobility of the gate either as a single crystal structure, optionally with a silicide contact above the source-well junction, enabling a higher switching speed UMOS device. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain an epitaxial layer made by providing a semiconductor substrate containing an upper surface with a single-crystal structure; forming a layer on the upper surface of the substrate, wherein the layer comprises substantially the same material as the semiconductor substrate and comprises an amorphous or polycrystalline structure; and heating the layer using low temperature microwaves to change the amorphous structure to a single-crystal structure. The epitaxial layer can also be made by providing the semiconductor substrate with an upper surface of a single-crystal material and then forming an epitaxial layer on the substrate upper surface using microwaves at a wafer temperature less than about 550° C. In-situ or implanted dopants in the epitaxial layer can be activated using the same, or separate, low temperature microwave processing. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided in which non-directional and directional metal (e.g. Ni) deposition steps are performed in the same process chamber. A first plasma is formed for removing material from a target; a secondary plasma for increasing ion density in the material is formed in the interior of an annular electrode (e.g. a Ni ring) connected to an RF generator. Material is deposited non-directionally on the substrate in the absence of the secondary plasma and electrical biasing of the substrate, and deposited directionally when the secondary plasma is present and the substrate is electrically biased. Nickel silicide formed from the deposited metal has a lower gate polysilicon sheet resistance and may have a lower density of pipe defects than NiSi formed from metal deposited in a solely directional process, and has a lower source/drain contact resistance than NiSi formed from metal deposited in a solely non-directional process.

Abstract: UMOS (U-shaped trench MOSFET) semiconductor devices that have been formed using low temperature processes are described. The source region of the UMOS structure can be formed before the etch processes that are used to create the trench, allowing low-temperature materials to be incorporated into the semiconductor device from the creation of the gate oxide layer oxidation forward. Thus, the source drive-in and activation processing that are typically performed after the trench etch can be eliminated. The resulting UMOS structures contain a trench structure with both a gate insulting layer comprising a low temperature dielectric material and a gate conductor comprising a low temperature conductive material. Forming the source region before the trench etch can reduce the problems resulting from high temperature processes, and can reduce auto doping, improve threshold voltage control, reduce void creation, and enable incorporation of materials such as silicides that cannot survive high temperature processing.

Abstract: A method for forming a trench-gate FET includes the following steps. A plurality of trenches is formed extending into a semiconductor region. A gate dielectric is formed extending along opposing sidewalls of each trench and over mesa surfaces of the semiconductor region between adjacent trenches. A gate electrode is formed in each trench isolated from the semiconductor region by the gate dielectric. Well regions of a second conductivity type are formed in the semiconductor region. Source regions of the first conductivity type are formed in upper portions of the well regions. After forming the source regions, a salicide layer is formed over the gate electrode in each trench abutting portions of the gate dielectric. The gate dielectric prevents formation of the salicide layer over the mesa surfaces of the semiconductor region between adjacent trenches.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain dopant regions that have been formed by low temperature, microwave activation of implanted dopants. In some configurations, the low temperature microwave activation can be used to control the final location of the implant, with or without additional drive-in or implant processes. In some configurations, this control can be used to create heavy body implants. Microwave activation of source regions and well regions in the semiconductor devices can also be used to optimize the implants where supplemental drive-in processes may be necessary to get the required final implant depth. By activating the implanted dopants using lower temperatures, many of the unwanted features introduced into the semiconductor devices by high temperature Rapid Thermal Process (RTP) can be avoided. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain a substrate with a trench in an upper portion thereof, a gate insulating layer on a sidewall and bottom of the trench, and a conductive gate of an amorphous silicon or polysilicon material on the gate oxide layer. The amorphous silicon or polysilicon layer can be doped with nitrogen, as well as B and/or P dopants, which have been activated by microwaves. The devices can be made by providing a trench in the upper surface of a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate insulating layer on the trench sidewall and bottom, and depositing a doped amorphous silicon or polysilicon layer on the gate insulating layer, and then activating the deposited amorphous silicon or polysilicon layer at low temperatures using microwaves. The resulting polysilicon or amorphous silicon layer contains fewer voids resulting from Si grain movement. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain dielectric layers that have been deposited and/or flowed by the application of microwave energy (“MW dielectric layers”). The dielectric layers can be made by providing a substrate in a reaction chamber, flowing a precursor gas mixture (containing atoms that react to form a dielectric material) in the reaction chamber, and then subjecting the gas mixture to microwave energy at a frequency and power density sufficient to cause the atoms of the precursor gas mixture to react and deposit to form a dielectric layer on the substrate. As well, the devices can be made by applying microwave energy to an already-deposited dielectric film at a frequency and power density sufficient to cause the atoms of the deposited dielectric material to flow.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices containing nickel-titanium (NiTi or TiNi) compounds (or alloys) and methods for making such devices are described. The devices contain a silicon substrate with an integrated circuit having a drain on the backside of the substrate, a TiNi contact layer contacting the drain on the backside of the substrate, a soldering layer on the contact layer, an oxidation reducing layer on the soldering layer, a solder bump on the soldering layer, and a lead frame attached to the solder bump. The combination of the Ti and Ni materials in the contact layer exhibits many features not found in the Ti and Ni materials alone, such as reduced backside on-resistance, ability to form a silicide with the Si substrate at lower temperatures, reduced wafer warpage, increased ductility for improved elasticity, and good adhesion properties. Other embodiments are described.

Abstract: A method for forming a trench-gate FET includes the following steps. A plurality of trenches is formed extending into a semiconductor region. A gate dielectric is formed extending along opposing sidewalls of each trench and over mesa surfaces of the semiconductor region between adjacent trenches. A gate electrode is formed in each trench isolated from the semiconductor region by the gate dielectric. Well regions of a second conductivity type are formed in the semiconductor region. Source regions of the first conductivity type are formed in upper portions of the well regions. After forming the source regions, a salicide layer is formed over the gate electrode in each trench abutting portions of the gate dielectric. The gate dielectric prevents formation of the salicide layer over the mesa surfaces of the semiconductor region between adjacent trenches.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided in which non-directional and directional metal (e.g. Ni) deposition steps are performed in the same process chamber. A first plasma is formed for removing material from a target; a secondary plasma for increasing ion density in the material is formed in the interior of an annular electrode (e.g. a Ni ring) connected to an RF generator. Material is deposited non-directionally on the substrate in the absence of the secondary plasma and electrical biasing of the substrate, and deposited directionally when the secondary plasma is present and the substrate is electrically biased. Nickel silicide formed from the deposited metal has a lower gate polysilicon sheet resistance and may have a lower density of pipe defects than NiSi formed from metal deposited in a solely directional process, and has a lower source/drain contact resistance than NiSi formed from metal deposited in a solely non-directional process.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating a heterojunction bipolar transistor having a raised extrinsic base is provided in which the base resistance is reduced by forming a silicide atop the raised extrinsic base that extends to the emitter region in a self-aligned manner. The silicide formation is incorporated into a BiCMOS process flow after the raised extrinsic base has been formed. The present invention also provides a heterojunction bipolar transistor having a raised extrinsic base and a silicide located atop the raised extrinsic base. The silicide atop the raised extrinsic base extends to the emitter in a self-aligned manner. The emitter is separated from the silicide by a spacer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure and method for tuning silicide stress and, particularly, for developing a tensile silicide region on a gate conductor of an n-FET in order to optimize n-FET performance. More particularly, a first metal layer-protective cap layer-second metal layer stack is formed on an n-FET structure. However, prior to the deposition of the second metal layer, the protective layer is exposed to air. This air break step alters the adhesion between the protective cap layer and the second metal layer and thereby, effects the stress imparted upon the first metal layer during silicide formation. The result is a more tensile silicide that is optimal for n-FET performance.

Abstract: A method of forming silicide contacts for semiconductor devices includes subjecting a silicon containing semiconductor wafer to a degas treatment at an initial degas temperature of about 250 to about 400° C., transferring the semiconductor wafer from a degas chamber to a deposition chamber, depositing a nickel containing layer over the wafer following transfer of the wafer from the degas chamber to the deposition chamber, and annealing the semiconductor wafer so as to create silicide regions at portions on the wafer where nickel material is formed over silicon.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device including forming a second deposit of silicon-germanium on a first deposit of silicon-germanium, the first deposit formed in a conduction terminal region of a substrate of the semiconductor device and having a first percentage of germanium, and the second deposit having a second percentage of germanium that is less than the first percentage and supports forming a silicide deposit on the second deposit. A structure is also provided.