Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed herein. The first step is to form a first oxide layer on a substrate. Subsequently formed are polycrystalline silicon layer, a polycide layer, optionally a second oxide layer, and a silicon nitride layer on the first oxide layer. A photoresist pattern on the silicon layer is formed thereafter, and the silicon nitride layer is etched using the photoresist pattern as a mask to expose a portion of the polycide layer. The photoresist pattern is then, the polycide layer is isotropically etched to form an under cut in the polycide layer under the etched nitride layer (optional second oxide layer). The width of the top portion of the isotropically etched polycide layer is smaller than the width of the etched nitride layer. The isotropically etched polycide layer is then anistropically etched, and the polycrystalline layer is etched to expose a portion of the first oxide layer to form a multi-layer structure.

Abstract: A method of removing microscratches in planarized dielectric surfaces covering conductor layers in submicron integrated circuit structures includes a semiconductor substrate having at least one dielectric layer formed thereon followed by a chemical mechanical polishing process for planarization. The removal of microscratches includes depositing a PE-CVD polymer layer to fill the microscratches, caused by CMP planarization, and to cover the planarized dielectric surface with a thin layer of the polymer. Deposition is followed by introducing an etching gas into the CVD chamber for an etch back of the just deposited polymer to well below the depth of the microscratches wherein the deposited polymer has the same etch rate as the dielectric layer formed thereunder.

Abstract: A method of fabrication of a storage capacitors for DRAM memory cells using silylated photoresist is described. Partially completed DRAM memory cells comprising wordline transistor gates and bitline source and drain regions is provided. Conductive plugs are provided through a dielectric layer to the top surfaces of the bitline drain regions. A first conductive layer is deposited overlying the conductive plugs. A photoresist layer is deposited overlying the first conductive layer. The photoresist layer is etched to define the areas for the lower plates of the storage capacitors. The photoresist is exposed to a silylating agent to form a silylated layer. The top layer of the silylated photoresist is etched through to form a mask for subsequent etching. The photoresist layer is etched as defined by the mask. The first conductive layer is etched as defined by the mask to form the shape of the lower nodes of the storage capacitors. The remaining silylated photoresist is removed.

Abstract: A process for fabricating an interconnect structure, featuring contact of the interconnect structure, to an exposed side of an underlying conductive plug structure, where the conductive plug structure is used to communicate with an active device region in a semiconductor substrate, has been developed. The process features the use of simple photolithographic patterns, such as a stripe opening, exposing a group of gate structures, and a group of spaces, located between the gate structures, to be used for subsequent contact plug formation. This is in contrast to conventional processing, in which a more difficult photolithographic procedure is used to create smaller, individual openings, to individual spaces between gate structures. In addition this invention features a self-aligned opening, exposing only a side of a contact plug structure.

Abstract: A process for simultaneously forming storage node structures, for a DRAM cell, and an interconnect structure, for a peripheral region of a DRAM chip, has been developed. The process features the use of dual damascene procedures, with the first damascene procedure used to create the storage node, and interconnect structures, followed by a second damascene procedure, used to create plug structures, used to contact the underlying storage node and interconnect structures. This invention also features the use of SAC openings, allowing the formation of the SAC storage node structures to be realized.

Abstract: A method for fabricating contact holes in high density integrated circuits and the resulting structure are disclosed. It is shown that by judiciously integrating the process of forming shallow tapered holes with self-alignment techniques, self-aligned holes can be fabricated with reduced number of masking process steps. This is accomplished by first forming shallow tapered holes to a certain depth over certain regions in a substrate by means of isotropic etching and then extending them by anisotropic etching to full depth corresponding to the regions they are allowed to contact. The net result is a whole set of holes which are self-aligned and which are formed by means of a single photoresist mask.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for improviding an oxide etching process by using a nitrogen-based plasma. An additional nitrogen-based plasma step is used to inhibit or delay the formation of observed residual bubbles during a dry etching process. The method comprises the steps of etching the oxide layer by reactive ion etching and immersing the oxide layer in a nitrogen plasma.

Abstract: A method for forming a patterned target layer within an integrated circuit. The method employs a plasma pre-treatment of a patterned photoresist layer employed in patterning a blanket focusing which in turn is employed in patterning the patterned target layer from a blanket target layer. The plasma pre-treatment employs a plasma pre-treatment composition comprising carbon tetrafluoride and argon without oxygen. After the plasma pre-treatment, the blanket focusing layer is etched with a reproducible negative etch bias in a plasma etch method employing an etchant gas composition comprising carbon tetrafluoride and argon without oxygen. Through the method there may be formed patterned target layers, with enhanced uniformity, of linewidth dimension as narrow as about of 0.25 microns while employing near ultra-violet (NUV) (ie: 365 nm) photoexposure methods.

Abstract: A method for removing from a patterned silicon containing dielectric layer a patterned partially fluorinated photoresist layer employed in patterning the patterned silicon containing dielectric layer. There is first formed over a semiconductor substrate a metal contact layer having a silicon containing dielectric layer formed thereover. There is then formed upon the silicon containing dielectric layer a patterned photoresist layer. There is then formed by use of a reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch method employing a fluorine containing etchant a via through the silicon containing dielectric layer to form a patterned silicon containing dielectric layer reaching the metal contact layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a gate with a tapered spacer is disclosed. The method includes forming a polysilicon layer on a substrate, and then forming a first oxide layer on the polysilicon layer. A photoresist layer is formed on the first oxide layer, where the photoresist layer defines a gate region, and then portions of the oxide layer and the polysilicon layer are removed using the photoresist layer as a mask, thereby forming a gate. A second oxide layer is formed on the substrate and the first oxide layer. Afterwards, the second oxide layer is isotropically etched so that the slope of the second oxide layer near the upper corners of the gate is reduced. Finally, the second oxide layer is anisotropically etched back to form spacers on the sidewalls of the gate.

Abstract: A method of forming cavities in a non-conducting layer on a semiconductor device is provided which can be carried out by first providing a pre-processed semi-conducting substrate which has a non-conducting layer and a patterned photoresist layer sequentially deposited and formed on top, and then conformally depositing a polymeric material layer on top of the non-conducting and the photoresist layer, and then etching the polymeric material layer to form polymeric sidewall spacers on the patterned photoresist layer, and then etching cavities in the non-conducting layer to expose the semi-conducting substrate. The polymeric sidewall spacers formed on the sidewalls of the photoresist openings allow the fabrication of cavities such as contact holes or line spacings of reduced dimensions while utilizing a conventional low cost photolithographic method for patterning.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing crown-shaped stacked capacitors on dynamic random access memory using a single photoresist mask to make the node contacts and capacitor bottom electrodes was achieved. After forming the FET gate electrodes from a first polysilicon layer and the bit lines from a second polysilicon layer, a thick planar BPSG and a hard mask composed of polysilicon or silicon nitride is deposited. Openings are etched in the hard mask and partially into the BPSG. Sidewall spacers, composed of Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 or TEOS oxide, are formed in the openings and a special selective high density plasma etch and the etchant gas mixture of O.sub.2, CHF.sub.3, CF.sub.4, CO, C.sub.4 F.sub.8, and Ar is used to form the node contact openings in the BPSG to the FETs. A conformal third polysilicon layer is then deposited and a second masking material is used to define the bottom electrodes having a crown-shape in the BPSG openings.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an array of double-crown-shaped storage capacitors with increased capacitance on a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device has been achieved. The invention utilizes a polysilicon and silicon nitride spacer to form the double-crown capacitors while forming concurrently bit lines and node contacts for the bottom electrodes of the storage capacitors. A silicon nitride layer and a silicon nitride spacer are used to insulate the bit lines from the capacitors formed thereon. The polysilicon sidewall spacer is used to pattern a very narrow vertical insulating structure on which is formed the polysilicon double crown by depositing another polysilicon layer which is etched back. The vertical insulating structures are removed by selective etching leaving a free-standing bottom electrode having a double-crown-shaped structure. An interelectrode dielectric layer having a high dielectric constant, and a final polysilicon layer are deposited to complete the storage capacitors for the DRAM.