Abstract: A capacitor structure which has a generally pyramidal or stepped profile to prevent or reduce dielectric layer breakdown is disclosed. The capacitor structure includes a first conductive layer, at least one dielectric layer having a first area provided on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer provided on the at least one dielectric layer. The second conductive layer has a second area which is less than the first area of the at least one dielectric layer. A method of fabricating a capacitor structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A capacitor structure which has a generally pyramidal or stepped profile to prevent or reduce dielectric layer breakdown is disclosed. The capacitor structure includes a first conductive layer, at least one dielectric layer having a first area provided on the first conductive layer and a second conductive layer provided on the at least one dielectric layer. The second conductive layer has a second area which is less than the first area of the at least one dielectric layer. A method of fabricating a capacitor structure is also disclosed.

Abstract: A substrate is covered with a gate oxide layer between FOX regions with a blanket lower lamina for a gate on the surface. A Mask code mask has a window overlying the desired gate location. A doped code implant region is formed in the substrate by ion implanting code implant dopant through the mask. Following mask removal a blanket upper lamina of the gate covers the lower lamina. A gate mask covers the upper and lower laminae. The gate mask is patterned to protect the gate region over the device, leaving the remainder of the upper and lower lamina exposed. Exposed surfaces of the laminae are etched away leaving a laminated gate. Lightly doped regions are formed in the substrate between the FOX regions and the gate by ion implanting dopant through portions of the gate oxide layer unprotected by the gate; forming spacers next to the gate; and forming source and drain regions in the substrate between the FOX regions and the spacers adjacent to the gate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing wafers without the moisture absorption problem by providing a wafer storage container that has a cavity therein and an inert gas supply line into the cavity for flowing an inert gas at a substantially constant flow rate into the cavity while allowing a portion of the inert gas to escape into surrounding environment outside the cavity such that there is always a positive pressure differential maintained between the cavity and the outside environment to keep out moisture.

Abstract: A method is described for selectively etching photoresist on a semiconductor substrate having one or more layers of a spin on glass, including an edge bead that was formed when the glass was originally applied. First the wafer is coated with a layer of unexposed, undeveloped negative photoresist. Then, while spinning the wafer, a vertical jet of photoresist EBR solvent is directed to a point just inside the edge so that photoresist gets removed from an annular area extending inwards from the perimeter. The edge bead is then removed using a liquid etchant and integrated circuit processing can now proceed, making use of the unexposed, undeveloped layer of photoresist in the usual way; that is, exposing it through a mask and then developing and baking it before using it as an etch mask. The method is general and may be used in other situations where selective removal of photoresist along the periphery is required and where the remaining resist is to be used for other purposes.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing integrated circuit semiconductor device is provided for doping polysilicon formed on an N-well in a semiconductor substrate. Form a silicon oxide layer on the N-well. Then form a blanket polysilicon layer over the silicon oxide layer and pattern the polysilicon layer into a structure. Form a sacrificial oxide layer over the polysilicon structure. Then ion implant .sup.49 (BF.sub.2).sup.+ ions into the N-well and the polysilicon layer forming the source/drain regions and doping the polysilicon layer with P-type dopant thereby forming a doped polysilicon layer from the polysilicon layer. Then etch the sacrificial oxide layer away from the device. Form a polyoxide layer over the polysilicon structure. Then form a silicon oxide layer over the polyoxide layer followed by forming a glass layer thereover.

Abstract: A method is described for forming P-channel field effect transistors having shallow source/drain junctions and improved reliability for CMOS circuits. The method involves forming both N-channel and P-channel FETs by alternate photoresist masking and ion implantation. The shallow junction self-aligned source/drain areas for P-channel FETs are formed by implanting boron difluoride (BF.sub.2) ions. In more conventional processing, the BF.sub.2 ions implanted in the P-channel FET gate electrodes during the source/drain implant results in outgassing of fluorine from the gate electrodes after the interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer is deposited. This can result in void formation, or delamination, at the interface between the gate electrode and the ILD. The current invention provides an improved process which uses a photoresist block-out mask to eliminate the implantation of the BF.sub.2.sup.+ ions in the P-channel FET gate electrodes during the formation of the self-aligned P.sup.+ source/drain regions.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of analyzing particles on an integrated circuit wafer using a quasi three dimensional image analysis of the particles. The apparatus includes an optical system which has an optical axis and forms an image of that part of a focal plane which within a field distance of the optical axis. The apparatus holds a wafer perpendicular to the optical axis and allows the surface of the wafer to be moved in a plane perpendicular to the optical axes to view the entire surface of the wafer. The apparatus also allows the surface of the wafer to be moved a step distance below the focal plane. Images formed at a number of step distances are used to form a quasi three dimensional image of particles on the surface of the wafer. Automatic image analysis is used when appropriate.

Abstract: A method is described for forming P-channel field effect transistors having shallow source/drain junctions and improved reliability for CMOS circuits. The method involves forming both N-channel and P-channel FETs on the same substrate by alternate photoresist masking and ion implantation. The self-aligned source/drain areas for the P-channel FETs are formed by implanting boron difluoride (BF.sub.2) ions. In more conventional processing, the BF.sub.2 ions that are implanted in the P-channel FET gate electrodes during the source/drain implant results in out-gassing of fluorine from the gate electrodes after the interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer is deposited. This can result in void formation, or delamination, at the interface between the gate electrode and the ILD. The current invention provides an improved process which out-diffuses the fluorine atoms prior to depositing the ILD, and thereby prevents the formation of voids after the ILD is deposited and subsequent high-temperature process steps are performed.

Abstract: A substrate is covered with a gate oxide layer between FOX regions with a blanket lower lamina for a gate on the surface. A Mask code mask has a window overlying the desired gate location. A doped code implant region is formed in the substrate by ion implanting code implant dopant through the mask. Following mask removal a blanket upper lamina of the gate covers the lower lamina. A gate mask covers the upper and lower laminae. The gate mask is patterned to protect the gate region over the device, leaving the remainder of the upper and lower lamina exposed. Exposed surfaces of the laminae are etched away leaving a laminated gate. Lightly doped regions are formed in the substrate between the FOX regions and the gate by ion implanting dopant through portions of the gate oxide layer unprotected by the gate; forming spacers next to the gate; and forming source and drain regions in the substrate between the FOX regions and the spacers adjacent to the gate.

Abstract: A process designed to fabricate depletion mode MOSFET devices, for ROM applications, has been developed. A key feature of this fabrication sequence is the ion implantation step used to create the programmable cell. The code implant step is performed through a polysilicon gate structure, into the underlying channel region. The ability to reproducibly place the desired dopant at the desired channel location, is dependent on the implant conditions as well as the reproducibility of the thicknesses of the layers the implant has to penetrate. This process has been designed to remove some of the variables and thus result in optimized device characteristics.