Abstract: A method of manufacturing a memory device includes sequentially forming and then etching a preliminary selection device layer, a preliminary middle electrode layer, and a preliminary variable resistance layer on a substrate, thereby forming a selection device, a middle electrode, and a variable resistance layer. At least one of a side portion of the selection device or a side portion of the variable resistance layer is removed so that a first width of the middle electrode in a first direction parallel to a top of the substrate is greater than a second width of the variable resistance layer in the first direction or a third width of the selection device in the first direction. A capping layer is formed on at least one of a side wall of the etched side portion of the selection device or a side wall of the etched side portion of the variable resistance layer.

Abstract: Methods of forming multi-tiered semiconductor devices are described, along with apparatus and systems that include them. In one such method, an opening is formed in a tier of semiconductor material and a tier of dielectric. A portion of the tier of semiconductor material exposed by the opening is processed so that the portion is doped differently than the remaining semiconductor material in the tier. At least substantially all of the remaining semiconductor material of the tier is removed, leaving the differently doped portion of the tier of semiconductor material as a charge storage structure. A tunneling dielectric is formed on a first surface of the charge storage structure and an intergate dielectric is formed on a second surface of the charge storage structure. Additional embodiments are also described.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a row decoder and a memory cell array including a first block. The first block includes: a first region, a second region adjacent to the first region in the first direction, and a third region configured to connect the first region and the second region. The memory cell array further includes: a first insulating layer buried in a first trench between the first region and the second region and in contact with the third region; a first contact plug provided in the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the row decoder; and a first interconnect configured to connect a selection gate line and the first contact plug.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate, an upper-layer wire provided on the substrate, a lower-layer wire provided on the substrate, a memory cell located at an intersection of the upper-layer wire and the lower-layer wire and includes a diode and a storage layer, a conductive layer located between the upper-layer wire and the memory cell in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, and an interlayer insulating film provided between memory cells. The position of an interface between the upper-layer wire and the interlayer insulating film is lower than a top surface of the conductive layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor component comprising a semiconductor body, a channel zone in the semiconductor body, a channel control electrode adjacent to the channel zone, and a dielectric layer between the channel zone and the channel control electrode, wherein the dielectric layer has a relative dielectric constant ?r with a negative temperature coefficient.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate having an insulating surface; a light-transmitting first electrode provided over the substrate; a light-transmitting second electrode provided over the substrate; a light-transmitting semiconductor layer provided so as to be electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode; a first wiring electrically connected to the first electrode; an insulating layer provided so as to cover at least the semiconductor layer; a light-transmitting third electrode provided over the insulating layer in a region overlapping with the semiconductor layer; and a second wiring electrically connected to the third electrode.

Abstract: A blocking semiconductor layer minimizes penetration of implant species into a semiconductor layer beneath the blocking semiconductor layer. The blocking semiconductor layer may have grains with relatively fine or small grain sizes and/or may have a dopant in a relatively low concentration to minimize penetration of implant species into the semiconductor layer beneath the blocking semiconductor layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of a dielectric layer containing a hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film structured as one or more monolayers include the dielectric layer disposed in a transistor. An embodiment may include forming a hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film using a monolayer or partial monolayer sequencing process such as reaction sequence atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: A method (and semiconductor device) of fabricating a semiconductor device provides a field effect transistor (FET) with reduced gate contact resistance (and series resistance) for improved device performance. An impurity is implanted or deposited in the gate stack in an impurity region between the metal gate electrode and the gate contact layer. An anneal process is performed that converts the impurity region into a segregation layer which lowers the schottky barrier height (SBH) of the interface between the metal gate electrode (e.g., silicide) and gate contact layer (e.g., amorphous silicon). This results in lower gate contact resistance and effectively lowers the device's AC Reff.

Abstract: A transistor gate dielectric including a first dielectric material having a first dielectric constant and a second dielectric material having a second dielectric constant different from the first dielectric constant.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of forming the apparatus include a dielectric layer containing barium strontium titanium oxide layer, an erbium-doped barium strontium titanium oxide layer, or a combination thereof. Embodiments of methods of fabricating such dielectric layers provide dielectric layers for use in a variety of devices. Embodiments include forming barium strontium titanium oxide film using atomic layer deposition. Embodiments include forming erbium-doped barium strontium titanium oxide film using atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: Embodiments related to methods for forming a film stack on a substrate are provided. One example method comprises exposing the substrate to an activated oxygen species and converting an exposed surface of the substrate into a continuous monolayer of a first dielectric material. The example method also includes forming a second dielectric material on the continuous monolayer of the first dielectric material without exposing the substrate to an air break.

Abstract: The use of liquid metal contacts for devices based on thermotunneling has been investigated. Electric and thermal characteristics of low wetting contact Hg/Si, and high wetting contacts Hg/Cu were determined and compared. Tunneling I-V characteristics for Hg/Si were obtained, while for Hg/Cu, I-V characteristics were ohmic. The tunneling I-V characteristic is explained by the presence of a nanogap between the contact materials. Heat conductance of high wetting and low wetting contacts were compared, using calorimeter measurements. Heat conductance of high wetting contact was 3-4 times more than of low wetting contact. Both electric and thermal characteristics of liquid metal contact indicated that it could be used for thermotunneling devices. To reduce the work function and make liquid metal more suitable for room temperature cooling, Cs was dissolved in liquid Hg. Work function as low as 2.6 eV was obtained.

Abstract: A stratified gate dielectric stack includes a first high dielectric constant (high-k) gate dielectric comprising a first high-k dielectric material, a band-gap-disrupting dielectric comprising a dielectric material having a different band gap than the first high-k dielectric material, and a second high-k gate dielectric comprising a second high-k dielectric material. The band-gap-disrupting dielectric includes at least one contiguous atomic layer of the dielectric material. Thus, the stratified gate dielectric stack includes a first atomic interface between the first high-k gate dielectric and the band-gap-disrupting dielectric, and a second atomic interface between the second high-k gate dielectric and the band-gap-disrupting dielectric that is spaced from the first atomic interface by at least one continuous atomic layer of the dielectric material of the band-gap-disrupting dielectric.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device may include: a tunnel insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate; a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer; a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer; and a control gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer. The tunnel insulating layer may include a first tunnel insulating layer and a second tunnel insulating layer. The first tunnel insulating layer and the second tunnel insulating layer may be sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate. The second tunnel insulating layer may have a larger band gap than the first tunnel insulating layer. A method for fabricating a nonvolatile memory device may include: forming a tunnel insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer; forming a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer; and forming a control gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer.

Abstract: Embodiments of a dielectric layer containing a hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film structured as one or more monolayers include the dielectric layer disposed in an integrated circuit. Embodiments of methods of fabricating such a dielectric layer provide a dielectric layer for use in a variety of electronic devices. An embodiment may include forming hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film using a monolayer or partial monolayer sequencing process such as atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: The semiconductor transistor according the present invention includes an active layer composed of a GaN-based semiconductor and a gate insulating film formed on the active layer. The gate insulating film has a first insulating film including one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of Al2O3, HfO2, ZrO2, La2O3, and Y2O3 formed on the active layer, and a second insulating film composed of SiO2 formed on the first insulating film.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device including a carbon-containing electrode and a method for fabricating the same, an electrode has a high work function due to a carbon-containing TiN layer contained therein. It is possible to provide a dielectric layer having a high permittivity and thus to reduce the leakage current by forming an electrode having a high work function. Also, sufficient capacitance of a capacitor can be secured by employing an electrode having a high work function and a dielectric layer having a high permittivity.

Abstract: To provide a method for reducing a thickness of an interfacial layer, which contains: (a) forming a film of an oxide of a first metal on a semiconductor layer via an oxide film of a semiconducdor serving as an interfacial layer; and (b) forming a film of an oxide of a second metal on the film of the oxide of the first metal, where the second metal has higher valency than that of the first metal.

Abstract: Memory cells comprising: a semiconductor substrate having a source region and a drain region disposed below a surface of the substrate and separated by a channel region; a tunnel dielectric structure disposed above the channel region, the tunnel dielectric structure comprising at least one layer having a hole-tunneling barrier height; a charge storage layer disposed above the tunnel dielectric structure; an insulating layer disposed above the charge storage layer; and a gate electrode disposed above the insulating layer are described along with arrays and methods of operation.

Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a P-I-N (p+ region, intrinsic semiconductor, and n+ region) semiconductive body with a first gate and a second gate. The first gate is a gate stack disposed on an upper surface plane, and the second gate accesses the semiconductive body from a second plane that is out of the first plane.

Abstract: A transistor gate dielectric including a first dielectric material having a first dielectric constant and a second dielectric material having a second dielectric constant different from the first dielectric constant.

Abstract: A first adjusting metal, capable of varying the threshold voltage of a first-conductivity-type transistor of a complementary transistor, is added to the first-conductivity-type transistor and a second-conductivity-type transistor at the same time, and a diffusion suppressive element, capable of suppressing diffusion of the first adjusting metal, is added from above a metal gate electrode of the second-conductivity-type transistor.

Abstract: A method of forming a device is disclosed. The method includes providing a substrate and forming a device layer on the substrate having a formed thickness TFD. A capping layer is formed on the substrate having a formed thickness TFC. Forming the capping layer consumes a desired amount of the device layer to cause the thickness of the device layer to be about the target thickness TTD. The thickness of the capping layer is adjusted from TFC to about a target thickness TTC.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory of an aspect of the present invention includes a memory cell including, a charge storage layer on a gate insulating film, a multilayer insulator on the charge storage layer, and a control gate electrode on the multilayer insulator, the gate insulating film including a first tunnel film, a first high-dielectric-constant film on the first tunnel film and offering a greater dielectric constant than the first tunnel film, and a second tunnel film on the first high-dielectric-constant film and having the same configuration as that of the first tunnel film, the multilayer insulator including a first insulating film, a second high-dielectric-constant film on the first insulating film and offering a greater dielectric constant than the first insulating film, and a second insulating film on the second high-dielectric-constant film and having the same configuration as that of the first insulating film.

Abstract: A semiconductor device (such as a MOSFET) can prevent a lowering in the reliability of a gate insulating film and can cope with a finer trench pattern. The MOSFET has a plurality of trenches penetrating a p?-type doped region and a gate electrode formed on the interior surface of each trench with a silicon oxide film (gate insulating film) interposed. The gate electrode is embedded inside the trench such that the upper surface of the former is located above the p?-type doped region, and includes a polysilicon layer facing the p?-type doped region with the silicon oxide film sandwiched therebetween and a low-resistance layer formed on the upper surface of the polysilicon layer and having a lower electrical resistivity than that of the polysilicon layer. An SiN film is formed between the silicon oxide film and the side surface of the low-resistance layer above the p?-type doped region.

Abstract: An MIM capacitor includes a first capacitor electrode, which is formed in the surface of a first intermediate dielectric, a second intermediate dielectric, which is formed on the first intermediate dielectric and has an opening that exposes the first capacitor electrode, and a first electrically conducting diffusion barrier layer, which is formed on the surface of the exposed first capacitor electrode. On the diffusion barrier layer and on the side walls of the opening there is also formed a capacitor dielectric and a second capacitor electrode on top.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode formed over the gate insulating film, a source region formed in the semiconductor substrate, a first drain region formed on the other side of the gate electrode and formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first drain region having one end extending below the gate electrode, the first drain region having a first impurity concentration, a second drain region formed in the first drain region and spaced apart from the gate electrode by a first distance, the second drain region having a second impurity concentration higher than the first impurity concentration, a third drain region formed in the first drain region and spaced apart from the gate electrode by a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance, the third drain region having a third impurity concentration.

Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a P-I-N (p+ region, intrinsic semiconductor, and n+ region) semiconductive body with a first gate and a second gate. The first gate is a gate stack disposed on an upper surface plane, and the second gate accesses the semiconductive body from a second plane that is out of the first plane.

Abstract: A gate insulating film having a high dielectric constant, a semiconductor device provided with the gate insulating film, and a method for manufacturing such film and device are provided. The semiconductor device is provided with a group 14 (IVA) semiconductor board and a first oxide layer. The first oxide layer is composed of MO2 existing on the board, where M is a first metal species selected from the group 4 (IVB); and M?xOy, where M? is a second metal species selected from the group 3 (IIIB) and a group composed of lanthanide series, and x and y are integers decided by the oxidation number of M.

Abstract: Method for producing a dielectric material on a semiconductor device and semiconductor device Method for producing a dielectric material on semiconductor device with an atomic layer deposition procedure, whereby an aluminum oxide nitride or a silicon oxide nitride or an aluminum silicon oxide nitride layer is deposited comprising a rare earth metal-element. The invention describes a semiconductor device with a dielectric layer comprising aluminum oxide nitride or silicon oxide nitride or an aluminum silicon oxide nitride comprising a rare earth metal element.

Abstract: A spin MOSFET includes: a first ferromagnetic layer provided on an upper face of a semiconductor substrate, and having a fixed magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane; a semiconductor layer provided on an upper face of the first ferromagnetic layer, including a lower face opposed to the upper face of the first ferromagnetic layer, an upper face opposed to the lower face, and side faces different from the lower face and the upper face; a second ferromagnetic layer provided on the upper face of the semiconductor layer, and having a variable magnetization direction perpendicular to a film plane; a first tunnel barrier provided on an upper face of the second ferromagnetic layer; a third ferromagnetic layer provided on an upper face of the first tunnel barrier; a gate insulating film provided on the side faces of the semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode provided on the side faces of the semiconductor layer with the gate insulating film being interposed therebetween.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing high permittivity gate dielectrics for a device such as an MOSFET. A HfSiO film is formed by sputtering a Hf metal film on a SiO2 film (or a SiON film) on a Si wafer. A TiO2 film is formed by sputtering a Ti metal film on the HfSiO film and subjecting the Ti metal film to a thermal oxidation treatment. A TiN metal film is deposited on the TiO2 film. The series of treatments are performed continuously, without exposing the films and the wafer to atmospheric air. The resultant TiN/TiO2/HfSiO/SiO2/Si structure satisfies the conditions: EOT<1.0 nm, low leakage current, and hysteresis <20 mV.

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: A semiconductor structure including a vertical metal-insulator-metal capacitor, and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure including the vertical metal-insulator-metal capacitor, each use structural components from a dummy metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor located and formed over an isolation region located over a semiconductor substrate. The dummy metal oxide field effect transistor may be formed simultaneously with a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor located over a semiconductor substrate that includes the isolation region. The metal-insulator-metal capacitor uses a gate as a capacitor plate, a uniform thickness gate spacer as a gate dielectric and a contact via as another capacitor plate. The uniform thickness gate spacer may include a conductor layer for enhanced capacitance. A mirrored metal-insulator-metal capacitor structure that uses a single contact via may also be used for enhanced capacitance.

Abstract: Transistors that include multilayered dielectric films on a channel region are provided. The multilayered dielectric comprises a lower dielectric film that may have a thickness that is at least 50% the thickness of the multilayered dielectric film and that comprises a metal oxide, a metal silicate, an aluminate, or a mixture thereof, and an upper dielectric film on the lower dielectric film, the upper dielectric film comprising a Group III metal oxide, Group III metal nitride, Group XIII metal oxide or Group XIII metal nitride. A gate electrode is provided on the multilayered dielectric film.

Abstract: Embodiments of a dielectric layer containing a hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film structured as one or more monolayers include the dielectric layer disposed in an integrated circuit. Embodiments of methods of fabricating such a dielectric layer provide a dielectric layer for use in a variety of electronic devices. An embodiment may include forming hafnium tantalum titanium oxide film using atomic layer deposition.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus that includes a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device also includes a first gate dielectric layer that is disposed over the substrate. The first gate dielectric layer includes a first material. The first gate dielectric layer has a first thickness that is less than a threshold thickness at which a portion of the first material of the first gate dielectric layer begins to crystallize. The semiconductor device also includes a second gate dielectric layer that is disposed over the first gate dielectric layer. The second gate dielectric layer includes a second material that is different from the first material. The second gate dielectric layer has a second thickness that is less than a threshold thickness at which a portion of the second material of the second gate dielectric layer begins to crystallize.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a doped hafnium oxide layer disposed on the substrate, the doped hafnium oxide layer including a hafnium oxide layer doped with doping atoms and having tetragonal unit lattices, an ion size of the doping atom being greater than an ion size of a hafnium atom.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device include forming an NMOS transistor on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first interlayer dielectric layer on the NMOS transistor, and dehydrogenating the first interlayer dielectric layer. Dehydrogenating the first interlayer dielectric layer may change a stress of the first interlayer dielectric layer. In particular, the first interlayer dielectric layer may have a tensile stress of 200 MPa or more after dehydrogenization. Semiconductor devices including dehydrogenated interlayer dielectric layers are also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming a conformal dielectric film having Si—N bonds on a semiconductor substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) includes: introducing a nitrogen- and hydrogen-containing reactive gas and a rare gas into a reaction space inside which a semiconductor substrate is placed; applying RF power to the reaction space; and introducing a hydrogen-containing silicon precursor as a first precursor and a hydrocarbon gas as a second precursor in pulses into the reaction space wherein a plasma is excited, thereby forming a conformal dielectric film doped with carbon and having Si—N bonds on the substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing NAND memory cells includes providing a substrate having a first doped region formed therein; sequentially forming a first dielectric layer, a storage layer and a patterned hard mask on the substrate; forming a STI defining a plurality of recesses in the substrate through the patterned hard mask; sequentially forming a second dielectric layer and a first conductive layer filling the recesses on the substrate; and performing a planarization process to remove a portion of the first conductive layer and the second dielectric layer to form a plurality of self-aligned islanding gate structures.

Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device may include: a tunnel insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate; a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer; a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer; and a control gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer. The tunnel insulating layer may include a first tunnel insulating layer and a second tunnel insulating layer. The first tunnel insulating layer and the second tunnel insulating layer may be sequentially stacked on the semiconductor substrate. The second tunnel insulating layer may have a larger band gap than the first tunnel insulating layer. A method for fabricating a nonvolatile memory device may include: forming a tunnel insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a charge storage layer on the tunnel insulating layer; forming a blocking insulating layer on the charge storage layer; and forming a control gate electrode on the blocking insulating layer.

Abstract: The use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) to form a dielectric layer of hafnium nitride (Hf3N4) and hafnium oxide (HfO2) and a method of fabricating such a combination gate and dielectric layer produces a reliable structure for use in a variety of electronic devices. Forming the dielectric structure includes depositing hafnium oxide using precursor chemicals, followed by depositing hafnium nitride using precursor chemicals, and repeating to form the laminate structure. Alternatively, the hafnium nitride may be deposited first followed by the hafnium nitride. Such a dielectric layer may be used as the gate insulator of a MOSFET, a capacitor dielectric in a DRAM, or a tunnel gate insulator in flash memories, because the high dielectric constant (high-k) of the film provides the functionality of a thinner silicon dioxide film, and because of the reduced leakage current when compared to an electrically equivalent thickness of silicon dioxide.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory of an aspect of the invention includes memory cells in the memory cell forming area, and select gate transistors in the select gate forming area. Each memory cell has two first diffusion layers formed in a semiconductor substrate, a first gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, a charge storage layer formed on the first gate insulating film, a first intermediate insulating film formed on the charge storage layer and a first gate electrode formed on the first intermediate insulating film. Each select gate transistor has two second diffusion layers formed in the semiconductor substrate, a second gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate, a second intermediate insulating film formed in direct contact with the second gate insulating film and having the same structure as the first intermediate insulating film, and a second gate electrode formed on the second intermediate insulating film.

Abstract: A method of forming a conformal dielectric film having Si—N bonds on a semiconductor substrate by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) includes: introducing a nitrogen- and hydrogen-containing reactive gas and an additive gas into a reaction space inside which a semiconductor substrate is placed; applying RF power to the reaction space; and introducing a hydrogen-containing silicon precursor in pulses into the reaction space wherein a plasma is excited, thereby forming a conformal dielectric film having Si—N bonds on the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for forming a triple gate oxide of a semiconductor device.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, includes: a stacked structural unit including electrode films alternately stacked with inter-electrode insulating films; first and second semiconductor pillars piercing the stacked structural unit; a connection portion semiconductor layer electrically connect the first and second semiconductor pillars; a connection portion conductive layer provided to oppose the connection portion semiconductor layer; a memory layer and an inner insulating film provided between the first and semiconductor pillars and each of the electrode films, and between the connection portion conductive layer and the connection portion semiconductor layer; an outer insulating film provided between the memory layer and each of the electrode films; and a connection portion outer insulating film provided between the memory layer and the connection portion conductive layer. The connection portion outer insulating film has a film thickness thicker than a film thickness of the outer insulating film.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, includes: a stacked structural unit including electrode films alternately stacked with inter-electrode insulating films; a first and second semiconductor pillars piercing the stacked structural unit; a connection portion semiconductor layer to electrically connect the first and second semiconductor pillars; a connection portion conductive layer opposing the connection portion semiconductor layer; a memory layer, an inner insulating film, and an outer insulating film provided between the first and second semiconductor layers and the electrode films and between the connection portion semiconductor layer and the connection portion conductive layer. At least a portion of a face of the connection portion conductive layer opposing the outer insulating film is a curved surface having a recessed configuration on a side of the outer insulating film.

Abstract: Substrate devices having tuned work functions and methods of forming thereof are provided. In some embodiments, forming devices on substrates may include depositing a dielectric layer atop a substrate having a conductivity well; depositing a work function layer comprising titanium aluminum or titanium aluminum nitride having a first nitrogen composition atop the dielectric layer; etching the work function layer to selectively remove at least a portion of the work function layer from atop the dielectric layer; depositing a layer comprising titanium aluminum or titanium aluminum nitride having a second nitrogen composition atop the work function layer and the substrate, wherein at least one of the work function layer or the layer comprises nitrogen; etching the layer and the dielectric layer to selectively remove a portion of the layer and the dielectric layer from atop the substrate; and annealing the substrate at a temperature less than about 1500 degrees Celsius.