Abstract: A disposable spacer is formed directly on or in close proximity to the sidewalls of a gate electrode and a gate dielectric. The disposable spacer comprises a material that scavenges oxygen such as a metal, a metal nitride, or a semiconductor material having high reactivity with oxygen. The disposable gate spacer absorbs any oxygen during subsequent high temperature processing such as a stress memorization anneal. A metal is deposited over, and reacted with, the gate electrode and source and drain regions to form metal semiconductor alloy regions. The disposable gate spacer is subsequently removed selective to the metal semiconductor alloy regions. A porous or non-porous low-k dielectric material is deposited to provide a low parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and the source and drain regions. The gate dielectric maintains the original dielectric constant since the disposable gate spacer prevents absorption of additional oxygen during high temperature processes.

Abstract: A semiconductor gate stack comprising a silicon oxide based gate dielectric and a doped semiconductor material is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A high-k material metal gate electrode comprising a high-k gate dielectric and a metal gate portion is also formed on the semiconductor substrate. Oxygen-impermeable dielectric spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the semiconductor gate stack and the high-k material metal gate stack. The oxygen-impermeable dielectric spacer on the semiconductor gate stack is removed, while the oxygen impermeable dielectric spacer on the high-k material metal gate electrode is preserved. A low-k dielectric spacer is formed on the semiconductor gate stack, which provides a low parasitic capacitance for the device employing the semiconductor gate stack.

Abstract: A metal layer is deposited on the patterned semiconductor material layer containing a cathode semiconductor portion, a fuselink semiconductor portion, and an anode semiconductor portion. The metal layer may be patterned so that a middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion has a thin metal layer, which upon annealing produces a thinner metal semiconductor alloy portion than surrounding metal semiconductor alloy portion on the fuselink semiconductor portion. Alternatively, a middle portion of the metal semiconductor alloy having a uniform thickness throughout the fuselink may be lithographically patterned and etched to form a thin metal semiconductor alloy portion in the middle of the fuselink, while thick metal semiconductor alloy portions are formed on the end portions of the fuselink. The resulting inventive electrical fuse has interfaces at which a thinner metal semiconductor alloy abuts a thicker metal semiconductor alloy in the fuselink to enhance the divergence of electrical current.

Abstract: A method for engineering stress in the channels of MOS transistors of different conductivity using highly stressed nitride films in combination with selective semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) device architecture is described. A method of using compressive and tensile nitride films in the shallow trench isolation (STI) process is described. High values of stress are achieved when the method is applied to a selective SOI architecture.

Abstract: A high-k dielectric and metal gate stack with minimal overlap with an adjacent oxide isolation region and related methods are disclosed. One embodiment of the gate stack includes a high dielectric constant (high-k) dielectric layer, a tuning layer and a metal layer positioned over an active region defined by an oxide isolation region in a substrate, wherein an outer edge of the high-k dielectric layer, the tuning layer and the metal layer overlaps the oxide isolation region by less than approximately 200 nanometers. The gate stack and related methods eliminate the regrowth effect in short channel devices by restricting the amount of overlap area between the gate stack and adjacent oxide isolation regions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit including pairs of strained complementary CMOS field-effect devices consisting of n-FET and p-FET transistors on a substrate. The n-FET is provided with a compressive dielectric stressor, while the p-FET is provided with a tensile stressed dielectric. Each dielectric stressor includes a discrete horizontal segment on a surface overlying and contacting the gate of the respective FET. The stress enhancement is insensitive to PC pitch, and by reducing the height of the polysilicon stack, the scalability which is achieved contributes to a performance improvement. The n-FET leverages higher stress values that are obtainable in the compressive liners are greater than 3 GPa compared to less than 1.5 GPa for tensile liners.

Abstract: A contiguous block of a stack of two heterogeneous semiconductor layers is formed over an insulator region such as shallow trench isolation. A portion of the contiguous block is exposed to an etch, while another portion is masked during the etch. The etch removes an upper semiconductor layer selective to a lower semiconductor layer in the exposed portion. The etch mask is removed and the entirety of the lower semiconductor layer within the exposed region is metallized. A first metal semiconductor alloy vertically abutting the insulator region is formed, while exposed surfaces of the stack of two heterogeneous semiconductor layers, which comprises the materials of the upper semiconductor layer, are concurrently metallized to form a second metal semiconductor alloy. An inflection point for current and, consequently, a region of flux divergence are formed at the boundary of the two metal semiconductor alloys.

Abstract: An integrated eFUSE device is formed by forming a silicon “floating beam” on air, whereupon the fusible portion of the eFUSE device resides. This beam extends between two larger, supporting terminal structures. “Undercutting” techniques are employed whereby a structure is formed atop a buried layer, and that buried layer is removed by selective etching. Whereby a “floating” silicide eFUSE conductor is formed on a silicon beam structure. In its initial state, the eFUSE silicide is highly conductive, exhibiting low electrical resistance (the “unblown state of the eFUSE). When a sufficiently large current is passed through the eFUSE conductor, localized heating occurs. This heating causes electromigration of the silicide into the silicon beam (and into surrounding silicon, thereby diffusing the silicide and greatly increasing its electrical resistance. When the current source is removed, the silicide remains permanently in this diffused state, the “blown” state of the eFUSE.

Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device includes a resistor and an FET device formed from a stack of layers. The stack of layers includes a dielectric layer formed on a substrate; a metal conductor layer having lower electrical resistance formed on the dielectric layer; and a polysilicon layer formed on the metal conductor layer. A resistor stack is formed by patterning a portion of the original stack of layers into a resistor. An FET stack is formed from another portion of the original stack of layers. The FET stack is doped to form a gate electrode and the resistor stack is doped aside from the resistor portion thereof. Then terminals are formed at distal ends of the resistor in a doped portion of the polysilicon layer. Alternatively, the polysilicon layer is etched away from the resistor stack followed by forming terminals at distal ends of the metal conductor in the resistor stack.

Abstract: A metal layer is deposited on the patterned semiconductor material layer containing a cathode semiconductor portion, a fuselink semiconductor portion, and an anode semiconductor portion. The metal layer may be patterned so that a middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion has a thin metal layer, which upon annealing produces a thinner metal semiconductor alloy portion than surrounding metal semiconductor alloy portion on the fuselink semiconductor portion. Alternatively, a middle portion of the metal semiconductor alloy having a uniform thickness throughout the fuselink may be lithographically patterned and etched to form a thin metal semiconductor alloy portion in the middle of the fuselink, while thick metal semiconductor alloy portions are formed on the end portions of the fuselink. The resulting inventive electrical fuse has interfaces at which a thinner metal semiconductor alloy abuts a thicker metal semiconductor alloy in the fuselink to enhance the divergence of electrical current.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having one or more device regions. Each device region comprises at least a base semiconductor substrate layer and a semiconductor device layer with a buried insulator layer located therebetween, while the semiconductor device layer is supported by one or more vertical insulating pillars. The vertical insulating pillars each preferably has a ledge extending between the base semiconductor substrate layer and the semiconductor device layer. The SOI substrates of the present invention can be readily formed from a precursor substrate structure with a “floating” semiconductor device layer that is spaced apart from the base semiconductor substrate layer by an air gap and is supported by one or more vertical insulating pillars. The air gap is preferably formed by selective removal of a sacrificial layer located between the base semiconductor substrate layer and the semiconductor device layer.

Abstract: A layer of semiconductor material is patterned to form a cathode semiconductor portion, a fuselink semiconductor portion, and an anode semiconductor portion. A first metal layer is deposited on the patterned semiconductor material layer. A dielectric material layer is deposited and lithographically patterned to cover a middle portion of the fuselink, followed by a deposition of a second metal layer. A thin metal semiconductor alloy is formed in the middle of the fuselink and thick metal semiconductor alloy alloys are formed abutting the thin metal semiconductor alloy alloy. The resulting inventive electrical fuse has interfaces at which a thinner metal semiconductor alloy abuts a thicker metal semiconductor alloy in the fuselink. The divergence of electrical current is enhanced at the interfaces due to a sudden change of a cross-sectional area available for current conduction.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (“FET”) is formed to include a stress in a channel region of an active semiconductor region of an SOI substrate. A gate is formed to overlie the active semiconductor region, after which a sacrificial stressed layer is formed which overlies the gate and the active semiconductor region. Then, the SOI substrate is heated to cause a flowable dielectric material in a buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate to soften and reflow. As a result of the reflowing, the sacrificial stressed layer induces stress in a channel region of the active semiconductor region underlying the gate. A source region and a drain region are formed in the active semiconductor region, desirably after removing the sacrificial stressed layer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having one or more device regions. Each device region comprises at least a base semiconductor substrate layer and a semiconductor device layer with a buried insulator layer located therebetween, while the semiconductor device layer is supported by one or more vertical insulating pillars. The vertical insulating pillars each preferably has a ledge extending between the base semiconductor substrate layer and the semiconductor device layer. The SOI substrates of the present invention can be readily formed from a precursor substrate structure with a “floating” semiconductor device layer that is spaced apart from the base semiconductor substrate layer by an air gap and is supported by one or more vertical insulating pillars. The air gap is preferably formed by selective removal of a sacrificial layer located between the base semiconductor substrate layer and the semiconductor device layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a microelectronic structure uses a mask layer located over a target layer. The target layer may be etched while using the mask layer as an etch mask to form an end tapered target layer from the target layer. An additional target layer may be formed over the end tapered target layer and masked with an additional mask layer. The additional target layer may be etched to form a patterned additional target layer separated from the end tapered target layer and absent an additional target layer residue adjacent the end tapered target layer. The method is useful for fabricating CMOS structures including nFET and pFET gate electrodes comprising different NFET and pFET gate electrode materials.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure provides lower parasitic capacitance between the gate electrode and contact vias while providing substantially the same level of stress applied by a nitride liner as conventional MOSFETs by reducing the height of the gate electrode and maintaining substantially the same height for the gate spacer. The nitride liner contacts only the outer sidewalls of the gate spacer, while not contacting inner sidewalls, or only a small area of the inner sidewalls of the gate spacer, therefore applying substantially the same level of stress to the channel of the MOSFET as conventional MOSFETs. The volume surrounded by the gate spacer and located above the gate electrode is either filled with a low-k dielectric material or occupied by a cavity having a dielectric constant of substantially 1.0. The reduced height of the gate electrode and the low-k dielectric gate filler or the cavity reduces the parasitic capacitance.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device structure includes producing a substrate having formed thereon a gate with spacers, respective source and drain regions adjacent to the gate and an; disposing a first metallic layer on the gate with spacers, and the source and drain regions, disposing a second metallic layer on the first metallic layer; doping the first metallic layer with a first dopant through a portion of the second metal layer disposed over the second gate with spacers; and then heating the intermediate structure to a temperature and for a time sufficient to form a silicide of the first metallic layer. This first layer is, for example, Ni while the second layer is, for example, TiN.

Abstract: A field effect transistor (“FET”) is formed to include a stress in a channel region of an active semiconductor region of an SOI substrate. A gate is formed to overlie the active semiconductor region, after which a sacrificial stressed layer is formed which overlies the gate and the active semiconductor region. Then, the SOI substrate is heated to cause a flowable dielectric material in a buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate to soften and reflow. As a result of the reflowing, the sacrificial stressed layer induces stress in a channel region of the active semiconductor region underlying the gate. A source region and a drain region are formed in the active semiconductor region, desirably after removing the sacrificial stressed layer.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a field effect transistor (“FET”) having a channel region in a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) layer of an SOI substrate. Desirably, in such method, a sacrificial stressed layer is formed to overlie a first portion of an active semiconductor region but not overlie second portion of the active semiconductor region which shares a common boundary with the first portion. After forming trenches in the SOI layer, the SOI substrate is heated with the stressed layer thereon sufficiently to cause the stressed layer to relax, thereby causing the stressed layer to apply a first stress to the first portion and to apply a second stress to the second portion. For example, when the first stress is tensile, the second stress is compressive, or the first stress can be compressive when the second stress is tensile. Desirably, the stressed layer is then removed to expose the first and second portions of the active semiconductor region.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) substrate including (i) an SOI layer of monocrystalline silicon separated from (ii) a bulk semiconductor layer by (ii) a buried oxide (“BOX”) layer, the BOX layer including a layer of doped silicate glass. In such method, a sacrificial stressed layer is deposited to overlie the SOI layer and trenches are etched through the sacrificial stressed layer and into the SOI layer. The SOI substrate is heated with the sacrificial stressed layer sufficiently to cause the glass layer to soften, thereby causing the sacrificial stressed layer to apply stress to the SOI layer to form a stressed SOI layer. A dielectric material can then be deposited in the trenches to form isolation regions contacting peripheral edges of the stressed SOI layer, the isolation regions extending from a major surface of the stressed SOI layer towards the BOX layer. The sacrificial stressed layer can then be removed to expose the stressed SOI layer.