Complementary Field Effect Transistors Patents (Class 438/153)
  • Patent number: 7419859
    Abstract: Provided are methods for fabricating semiconductor devices incorporating a fin-FET structure that provides body-bias control, exhibits some characteristic advantages associated with SOI structures, provides increased operating current and/or reduced contact resistance. The methods for fabricating semiconductor devices include forming insulating spacers on the sidewalls of a protruding portion of a first insulation film; forming a second trench by removing exposed regions of the semiconductor substrate using the insulating spacers as an etch mask, and thus forming fins in contact with and supported by the first insulation film. After forming the fins, a third insulation film is formed to fill the second trench and support the fins. A portion of the first insulation film is then removed to open a space between the fins in which additional structures including gate dielectrics, gate electrodes and additional contact, insulating and storage node structures may be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Suk-Pil Kim, Yoon-Dong Park, Won-Joo Kim, Dong-Gun Park, Eun-Suk Cho, Suk-Kang Sung, Byung-Yong Choi, Tae-Yong Kim, Choong-Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 7416926
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention a includes: a gate line on a substrate; a data line crossing the gate line to define a pixel area; a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; a semiconductor pattern extended from the thin film transistor to overlap along the data line; a gate insulating pattern that overlaps along the semiconductor pattern to insulate the gate line and the data line; a pixel electrode in the pixel area spaced apart from the gate line and the data line and connected to the thin film transistor; and a passivation film formed in an area where the pixel electrode is not present to form a border with the pixel electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Seung Ho Heo
  • Patent number: 7410840
    Abstract: A method (10) of forming fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) transistors (150) and bulk transistors (152) on a semiconductor substrate (104) as part of an integrated circuit fabrication process is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard Lee Tigelaar
  • Patent number: 7410841
    Abstract: A method (10) of forming fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) transistors (150) and partially-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) transistors (152) on a semiconductor substrate (104) as part of an integrated circuit fabrication process is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Howard Lee Tigelaar
  • Publication number: 20080173944
    Abstract: MOSFET on SOI device, comprising: an upper region comprising at least one first MOSFET type semi-conductor device formed on a first semi-conductor layer stacked on a first dielectric layer, a first metallic layer and a first portion of a second semi-conductor layer, a lower region comprising at least one second MOSFET type semi-conductor device formed on a second portion of the second semi-conductor layer, a gate of the second semi-conductor device being formed by at least one metallic portion, the second semi-conductor layer being arranged on a second dielectric layer stacked on a second metallic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS,, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Philippe Coronel, Claire Fenouillet-Beranger
  • Patent number: 7399662
    Abstract: A method of making a thin film transistor device, including forming and patterning a semiconductor film to form first and second semiconductor films in, respectively, low-voltage driven and high-voltage driven thin film transistor formation regions. The method also includes forming a first insulating film on the first and second semiconductor films, and forming a first gate electrode on the first insulating film in the low-voltage driven thin film transistor formation region. Additionally, a second insulating film is formed on the entire surface of the resultant structure above the substrate, and a second gate electrode is formed on the second insulating film in the high-voltage driven thin film transistor formation region. The method also includes etching the first and second insulating films, thus forming first and second gate insulating films below, respectively, the first and second gate electrodes, with the second gate insulating film being wider than the second gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Yanai, Yoshio Nagahiro, Kazushige Hotta, Koji Ohgata, Yasuyoshi Mishima, Nobuo Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7396714
    Abstract: A process is provided for making a PFET and an NFET. Areas in a first semiconductor region adjacent to a gate stack are recessed. A lattice-mismatched semiconductor layer is grown in the recesses to apply a strain to the channel region of the PFET adjacent thereto. A layer of the first semiconductor material can be grown over the lattice-mismatched semiconductor layer and a salicide formed from the layer of silicon to provide low-resistance source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huajie Chen, Dureseti Chidambarrao, Oleg G. Gluschenkov, An L. Steegen, Haining S. Yang
  • Publication number: 20080157202
    Abstract: Novel semiconductor structures and methods are disclosed for forming a buried recombination layer underneath the bulk portion of a hybrid orientation technology by implanting at least one recombination center generating element to reduce single event upset rates in CMOS devices thereabove. The crystalline defects in the buried recombination layer caused by the recombination center generating elements are not healed even after a high temperature anneal and serve as recombination centers where holes and electrons generated by ionizing radiation are collected by. Multiple buried recombination layers may be formed. Optionally, one such layer may be biased with a positive voltage to prevent latchup by collecting electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ethan H. Cannon, Toshiharu Furukawa, Charles Koburger, Jack A. Mandelman, William Tonti
  • Patent number: 7387919
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an intrinsic single crystalline semiconductor plug is formed to pass through a lower insulating layer using a selective epitaxial growth process employing a node impurity region as a seed layer, and a single crystalline semiconductor body pattern is formed on the lower insulating layer using the intrinsic single crystalline semiconductor plug as a seed layer. When the recessed single crystalline semiconductor plug is doped with impurities having the same conductivity type as the node impurity region, a peripheral impurity region is prevented from being counter-doped. As a result, it is possible to implement a high performance semiconductor device that requires a single crystalline thin film transistor as well as a node contact structure with ohmic contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Inventors: Kun-Ho Kwak, Soon-Moon Jung, Won-Seok Cho, Jae-Hoon Jang, Jong-Hyuk Kim
  • Patent number: 7384830
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (and method for making the same) includes a strained-silicon channel formed adjacent a source and a drain, a first gate formed over a first side of the channel, a second gate formed over a second side of the channel, a first gate dielectric formed between the first gate and the strained-silicon channel, and a second gate dielectric formed between the second gate and the strained-silicon channel. The strained-silicon channel is non-planar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Guy Moshe Cohen
  • Patent number: 7384829
    Abstract: A method that includes forming a pattern of strained material and relaxed material on a substrate; forming a strained device in the strained material; and forming a non-strained device in the relaxed material is disclosed. In one embodiment, the strained material is silicon (Si) in either a tensile or compressive state, and the relaxed material is Si in a normal state. A buffer layer of silicon germanium (SiGe), silicon carbon (SiC), or similar material is formed on the substrate and has a lattice constant/structure mis-match with the substrate. A relaxed layer of SiGe, SiC, or similar material is formed on the buffer layer and places the strained material in the tensile or compressive state. In another embodiment, carbon-doped silicon or germanium-doped silicon is used to form the strained material. The structure includes a multi-layered substrate having strained and non-strained materials patterned thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ramachandra Divakaruni
  • Patent number: 7378305
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes an n-channel MOS transistor formed on a first device region of a silicon substrate and a p-channel MOS transistor formed on a second device region of the silicon substrate, wherein the n-channel MOS transistor includes a first gate electrode carrying a pair of first sidewall insulation films formed on respective sidewall surfaces thereof, the p-channel MOS transistor includes a second gate electrode carrying a pair of second sidewall insulation films formed on respective sidewall surfaces thereof, first and second SiGe mixed crystal regions being formed in the second device region epitaxially so as to fill first and second trenches formed at respective, outer sides of the second sidewall insulation films so as to be included in source and drain diffusions of the p-channel MOS transistor, a distance between n-type source and drain diffusion region in the first device region being larger than a distance between the p-type source and drain diffusion regions in t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Hatada, Akira Katakami, Naoyoshi Tamura, Yosuke Shimamune, Masashi Shima, Hiroyuki Ohta
  • Publication number: 20080116484
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided comprising an oxide layer over a first silicon layer and a second silicon layer over the oxide layer, wherein the oxide layer is between the first silicon layer and the second silicon layer. The first silicon layer and the second silicon layer comprise the same crystalline orientation. The device further includes a graded germanium layer on the first silicon layer, wherein the graded germanium layer contacts a spacer and the first silicon layer and does not contact the oxide layer. A lower portion of the graded germanium layer comprises a higher concentration of germanium than an upper portion of the graded germanium layer, wherein a top surface of the graded germanium layer lacks germanium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2006
    Publication date: May 22, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Henry K. Utomo, Judson R. Holt, Haining S. Yang
  • Patent number: 7374980
    Abstract: A field effect transistor and a method of fabricating the field effect transistor. The field effect transistor includes: a silicon body, a perimeter of the silicon body abutting a dielectric isolation; a source and a drain formed in the body and on opposite sides of a channel formed in the body; and a gate dielectric layer between the body and an electrically conductive gate electrode, a bottom surface of the gate dielectric layer in direct physical contact with a top surface of the body and a bottom surface the gate electrode in direct physical contact with a top surface of the gate dielectric layer, the gate electrode having a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness, the first region extending along the top surface of the gate dielectric layer over the channel region, the second thickness greater than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent Alan Anderson, Andres Bryant, William F. Clark, Jr., Edward Joseph Nowak
  • Patent number: 7371623
    Abstract: The invention is to provide a high-productivity method for fabricating a TFT device having different LDD structures on one and the same substrate, and the TFT device. Specifically, the invention provides a novel TFT structure, and a high-productivity method for fabricating it. A Ta film or a Ta-based film having good heat resistance is used for forming interconnections, and the interconnections are covered with a protective film. The interconnections can be subjected to heat treatment at high temperatures (400 to 700° C.), and, in addition, the protective film serves as an etching stopper. In the peripheral driving circuit portion in the device, TFTs having an LDD structure are disposed in a self-aligned process in which is used side walls 126 and 127; while in the pixel matrix portion therein, TFTs having an LDD structure are disposed in a non-self-aligned process in which is used an insulator 125.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Etsuko Fujimoto, Atsuo Isobe, Toru Takayama, Kunihiko Fukuchi
  • Patent number: 7348222
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for removing the metal element from the semiconductor film which is different from the conventional gettering step for removing the metal element from the semiconductor film. In the present invention, when Ni element (Ni) is used as the metal element and a silicon-based film (referred to as a silicon film) is used as the semiconductor film, nickel silicide segregates in the ridge formed in the silicon film by irradiating the pulsed laser light. Next, etching solution of hydrofluoric acid based etchant is used to remove the nickel silicide segregated in the ridge. When the surface of the semiconductor film is rough after removing the metal element by means of etching, the laser light may be irradiated to the semiconductor film under the insert atmosphere to flatten the surface thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihisa Shimomura, Hideto Ohnuma, Hironobu Shoji
  • Patent number: 7344908
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an AFM (atomic force microscope) cantilever including a field effect transistor (FET) and a method for manufacturing the same; and, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing an AFM cantilever including an FET formed by a photolithography process, wherein an effective channel length of the FET is a nano-scale. Therefore, The present invention can easily implement a simulation for manufacturing the AFM cantilever including the FET by accurately controlling the effective channel length. And also, the present invention can manufacture the AFM cantilever including the FET having the effective channel ranging several tens to several hundreds nanometers by applying the low price photolithography device, thereby enhancing an accuracy and yield of the manufacturing process and drastically reducing process costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Korea Electronics Technology Institute
    Inventors: Moon Suhk Suh, Jin-Koog Shin, Churl Seung Lee, Kyoung IL Lee
  • Patent number: 7317227
    Abstract: A semiconductor film serving as an active region of a thin film transistor and an upper oxide film protecting the semiconductor film are dry etched to form the active region. In this case, a fluorine-based gas is used as the etching gas, and the etching gas is switched from the fluorine-based gas to a chlorine-based gas at a point of time when a lower oxide film as an underlying film of the semiconductor film is exposed. As the fluorine-based gas, a mixed gas of CF4 and O2 is used, and suitably, a gas ratio of CF4 and O2 in the mixture gas is set at 1:1, and the dry etching is performed therefor. By this etching, a side face of a two-layer structure of the semiconductor film and upper oxide film is optimally tapered, and a crack or a disconnection is prevented from being occurring in a film crossing over the two-layer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Shiraishi, Kenichi Hayashi, Naoto Hirano, Atsushi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7314789
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and method that is capable of generating a local mechanical gate stress for channel mobility modification are provided. The semiconductor structure includes at least one NFET and at least one PFET on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The at least one NFET has a gate stack structure comprising a gate dielectric, a first gate electrode layer, a barrier layer, a Si-containing second gate electrode layer and a compressive metal, and the at least one PFET has a gate stack structure comprising a gate dielectric, a first gate electrode layer, a barrier layer and a tensile metal or a silicide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril Cabral, Jr., Bruce B. Doris, Thomas S. Kanarsky, Xiao H. Liu, Huilong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7314785
    Abstract: A display device with improved reliability and a manufacturing method of the same with improved yield. A display device according to the invention comprises a display area including a first electrode, an insulating layer covering an edge of the first electrode, a layer containing an organic compound, which is formed on the first electrode, and a second electrode. The first electrode and the insulating layer are doped with an impurity element of one conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Osamu Nakamura, Aki Yamamiti, Naoto Yamade
  • Publication number: 20070281403
    Abstract: A method of enhancing gate lithography performance by polysilicon chemical-mechanical polishing includes depositing a gate polysilicon layer on a semiconductor substrate which has a field oxide isolation structure, and then performing a polysilicon chemical-mechanical polishing after a gate polysilicon layer is deposited in order to smooth the uneven polysilicon surface resulting from the field oxide isolation structure so as to lessen the next lithography process fault because of the non-flatness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Inventors: Mon-Chin Tsai, Been-Jon Woo
  • Patent number: 7291528
    Abstract: A p-type field effect transistor (PFET) and an n-type field effect transistor (NFET) of an integrated circuit are provided. A first strain is applied to the channel region of the PFET but not the NFET via a lattice-mismatched semiconductor layer such as silicon germanium disposed in source and drain regions of only the PFET and not of the NFET. A process of making the PFET and NFET is provided. Trenches are etched in the areas to become the source and drain regions of the PFET and a lattice-mismatched silicon germanium layer is grown epitaxially therein to apply a strain to the channel region of the PFET adjacent thereto. A layer of silicon can be grown over the silicon germanium layer and a salicide formed from the layer of silicon to provide low-resistance source and drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huajie Chen, Dureseti Chidambarrao, Oleg G. Gluschenkov, An L. Steegen, Haining S. Yang
  • Patent number: 7288446
    Abstract: Several methods and structures are disclosed for determining electrical properties of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and alternate versions of such wafers such as strained silicon:silicon/germanium:-on-insulator (SSGOI) wafers. The analyzed electrical properties include mobilities, interface state densities, and oxide charge by depositing electrodes on the wafer surface and measuring the current-voltage behavior using these electrodes, In a single gate structure, the source and drain electrodes reside on the wafer surface and the buried insulator acts as the gate oxide, with the substrate acting as the gate electrode. In a double gate structure, an oxide is used on the upper surface between the source and drain electrodes and an additional metal layer is used on top of this oxide to act as a second gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Harold J. Hovel, Thermon E. McKoy
  • Patent number: 7285840
    Abstract: A deep n-well is formed beneath the area of an inductor coil. The use of a deep n-well lessens the parasitic capacitance by placing a diode in series with the interlayer dielectric cap. The deep n-well also reduces substrate noise. Once the n-well is implanted and annealed, a cross hatch of shallow trench isolation is patterned over the n-well. The shallow trench isolation reduces and confines the inductively coupled surface currents to small areas that are then isolated from the rest of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventors: Sean Christopher Erickson, Jason Dee Hudson
  • Patent number: 7285826
    Abstract: Semiconductor structure formed on a substrate and process of forming the semiconductor. The semiconductor includes a plurality of field effect transistors having a first portion of field effect transistors (FETS) and a second portion of field effect transistors. A first stress layer has a first thickness and is configured to impart a first determined stress to the first portion of the plurality of field effect transistors. A second stress layer has a second thickness and is configured to impart a second determined stress to the second portion of the plurality of field effect transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce B. Doris, Oleg G. Gluschenkov, Huilong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7282399
    Abstract: In a method for forming a silicon-on-insulator FET providing a contact to be given a fixed potential to a substrate, substrate-biasing between an SOI transistor and the silicon substrate is performed via a plug. As a result, the contact hole for the substrate-biasing does not need to pass through an insulating layer, a silicon layer, and an interlayer insulating layer. Therefore, the interlayer insulating layer can be made to have shallow depth. Ions can be implanted to the surface of the substrate via the contact hole for substrate biasing. As a result, contact holes for substrate-biasing can be formed without the contact holes for substrate-biasing causing an opening fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akira Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7276404
    Abstract: SRAM cells having landing pads in contact with upper and lower cell gate patterns, and methods of forming the same are provided. The SRAM cells and the methods remove the influence resulting from structural characteristics of the SRAM cells having vertically stacked upper and lower gate patterns, for stably connecting the patterns on the overall surface of the semiconductor substrate. An isolation layer isolating at least one lower active region is formed in a semiconductor substrate of the cell array region. The lower active region has two lower cell gate patterns. A body pattern is disposed in parallel with the semiconductor substrate. The body pattern is formed to confine an upper active region, which has upper cell gate patterns on the lower cell gate patterns. A landing pad is disposed between the lower cell gate patterns. A node pattern is formed to simultaneously contact the upper cell gate pattern and the lower cell gate pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Jin Kim, Soon-Moon Jung, Won-Seok Cho, Jae-Hoon Jang, Kun-Ho Kwak, Jong-Hyuk Kim, Jae-Joo Shim
  • Patent number: 7274070
    Abstract: To provide a highly reliable complementary thin film transistor circuit in which deviations in characteristics of a first-conductivity-type thin film transistor and a second-conductivity-type thin film transistor can be reduced or prevented and operated stably. A first-conductivity-type thin film transistor and a second-conductivity-type thin film transistor are formed using single crystal grains, the single crystal grains being formed substantially centered on each of a plurality of starting-point portions provided on an insulating surface of a substrate, wherein the first-conductivity-type thin film transistor and the second-conductivity-type thin film transistor are formed by equalizing their drain current directions, and are formed in the single crystal grains in which at least channel regions of the first-conductivity-type thin film transistor and the second-conductivity-type thin film transistor have the same plane orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Mitsutoshi Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 7264743
    Abstract: A method for forming fin structures is provided. Sacrificial structures are provided on a substrate. Fin structures are formed on the sides of the sacrificial structures. The forming of the fin structures comprises a plurality of cycles, wherein each cycle comprises a fin deposition phase and a fin profile shaping phase. The sacrificial structure is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Zhi-Song Huang, S. M. Reza Sadjadi
  • Patent number: 7229861
    Abstract: In producing a thin film transistor, after an amorphous silicon film is formed on a substrate, a nickel silicide layer is formed by spin coating with a solution (nickel acetate solution) containing nickel as the metal element which accelerates (promotes) the crystallization of silicon and by heat treating. The nickel silicide layer is selectively patterned to form island-like nickel silicide layer. The amorphous silicon film is patterned. A laser light is irradiated while moving the laser, so that crystal growth occurs from the region in which the nickel silicide layer is formed and a region equivalent to a single crystal (a monodomain region) is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Setsuo Nakajima, Shunpei Yamazaki, Naoto Kusumoto, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7226818
    Abstract: The present invention is directed toward field effect transistors (FETs) and thin film transistors (TFTs) comprising carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and to methods of making such devices using solution-based processing techniques, wherein the CNTs within such devices have been fractionated so as to be concentrated in semiconducting CNTs. Additionally, the relatively low-temperature solution-based processing achievable with the methods of the present invention permit the use of plastics in the fabricated devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Patrick Roland Lucien Malenfant, Ji-Ung Lee, Yun Li, Walter Vladimir Cicha
  • Patent number: 7214572
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device having a SRAM in which a memory cell comprises a pair of transmission transistors and a flip-flop circuit containing a pair of driver transistors and a pair of load transistors, wherein: a first conductive film interconnection formed from a first conductive film which is set on a semiconductor substrate, constitutes respective gate electrodes of said driver transistors, load transistors and transmission transistors; an inlaid interconnection set in a first insulating film lying on said semiconductor substrate, constitutes one of a pair of local interconnections cross-coupling a pair of input/output terminals in said flip-flop circuit; and a second conductive film interconnection formed from a second conductive film which is set on a second insulating film lying on said first insulating film, constitutes the other one of said pair of local interconnections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetaka Natsume
  • Patent number: 7214577
    Abstract: A Co silicide layer having a low resistance and a small junction leakage current is formed on the surface of the gate electrode, source and drain of MOSFETs by silicidizing a Co film deposited on a main plane of a wafer by sputtering using a high purity Co target having a Co purity of at least 99.99% and Fe and Ni contents of not greater than 10 ppm, preferably having a Co purity of 99.999%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Shinji Nishihara, Shuji Ikeda, Naotaka Hashimoto, Hiroshi Momiji, Hiromi Abe, Shinichi Fukada, Masayuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7211474
    Abstract: A region of a semiconductor wafer is converted to an SOI structure by etching a set of isolation trenches for each transistor active area and oxidizing the sidewalls of the trenches to a depth that leaves a pillar of semiconductor that forms a body contact extending from the active area downward to the bulk semiconductor. A self-aligned gate is then formed above the body contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ramachandra Divakaruni
  • Patent number: 7202120
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes an n-channel MOS transistor and a p-channel MOS transistor formed respectively in first and second device regions of a substrate, the n-channel MOS transistor including a first gate electrode carrying sidewall insulation films on respective sidewall surfaces thereof, the p-channel MOS transistor including a second gate electrode carrying sidewall insulation films on respective sidewall surfaces thereof, wherein there is provided a stressor film on the substrate over the first and second device regions such that the stressor film covers the first gate electrode including the sidewall insulation films thereof and the second gate electrode including the sidewall insulation films thereof, wherein the stressor film has a decreased film thickness in the second device region at least in the vicinity of a base part of the second gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Masashi Shima, Yosuke Shimamune, Akiyoshi Hatada, Akira Katakami, Naoyoshi Tamura
  • Patent number: 7187038
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, MOS transistors in the substrate, and a dielectric layer on the MOS transistors. Contact holes are formed through the dielectric layer to provide electrical connection to the MOS transistors. An etch-stop layer is between the MOS transistors and the dielectric layer. The etch-stop layer includes a first layer of material having a first residual stress level and covers some of the MOS transistors, and a second layer of material having a second residual stress level and covers all of the MOS transistors. The respective thickness of the first and second layers of material, and the first and second residual stress levels associated therewith are selected to obtain variations in operating parameters of the MOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Pierre Morin, Jorge Luis Regolini
  • Patent number: 7169677
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a spacer structure includes: forming a gate insulation layer having a gate deposition-inhibiting layer, a gate layer and a covering deposition-inhibiting layer on a semiconductor substrate, and patterning the gate layer and the covering deposition-inhibiting layer in order to form gate stacks. An insulation layer is deposited selectively using the deposition-inhibiting layers, thereby permitting highly accurate formation of the spacer structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Helmut Tews
  • Patent number: 7163850
    Abstract: In a bottom gate-type thin-film transistor manufacturing method, after ion doping, an ion stopper (55) is removed. The ion stopper (55) does not remain in the interlayer insulating film (8) lying immediately above the gate electrode. The thin-film transistor has such a structure that no ion stopper (55), and the interlayer insulating layer is in direct contact with at least the channel region of the semiconductor layer (4). The impurity concentration in the vicinity of the interface between the interlayer insulating film and the semiconductor layer 4 is 1018 atoms/cc or less. This structure can prevent the back channel phenomenon and reduce variations in characteristic resulting from variations in manufacturing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Oda, Toshifumi Yamaji, Shiro Nakanishi, Yoshihiro Morimoto, Kiyoshi Yoneda
  • Patent number: 7157337
    Abstract: Consistent with an example embodiment according to the invention, a material for the intermediate layer is chosen which can be selectively etched with respect to the dielectric layer. Before the deposition of the first conductor layer, the intermediate layer is removed at the location of the first channel region, and after the deposition of the first conductor layer and the removal thereof outside the first channel region and before the deposition of the second conductor layer, the intermediate layer is removed at the location of the second channel region. Thus, field effect transistors (FETs) are obtained in a simple manner and without damage to their gate dielectric. Preferably, a further intermediate layer is deposited on the intermediate layer which can be selectively etched with respect thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Robert James Pascoe Lander, Dirk Maarten Knotter
  • Patent number: 7118945
    Abstract: A method of forming an insulating layer including preparing a substrate and depositing an insulating layer on the substrate such that density of a top portion of the insulating layer is different from that of a bottom portion of the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: LG. Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eui Hoon Hwang, Chan Il Park
  • Patent number: 7105392
    Abstract: An objective is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device manufactured by using the manufacturing method, in which a laser crystallization method is used that is capable of preventing the formation of grain boundaries in TFT channel formation regions, and is capable of preventing conspicuous drops in TFT mobility, reduction in the ON current, and increases in the OFF current, all due to grain boundaries. Depressions and projections with stripe shape or rectangular shape are formed. Continuous wave laser light is then irradiated to a semiconductor film formed on an insulating film along the depressions and projections with stripe shape of the insulating film, or along a longitudinal axis direction or a transverse axis direction of the rectangular shape. Note that although it is most preferable to use continuous wave laser light at this point, pulse wave laser light may also be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Isobe, Shunpei Yamazaki, Chiho Kokubo, Koichiro Tanaka, Akihisa Shimomura, Tatsuya Arao, Hidekazu Miyairi, Mai Akiba
  • Patent number: 7098090
    Abstract: A method for integrating first and second type devices on a semiconductor substrate includes forming openings within an active semiconductor layer of a dual semiconductor-on-insulator in first and second regions of the semiconductor substrate. First and second non-MOS transistor device implant regions are formed within portions of an intermediate semiconductor layer underlying first and second openings, respectively, in a first device portion, filled with a fill material and planarized. A top surface portion of the active semiconductor layer disposed in-between the first and second openings is exposed, first and second low dose non-MOS transistor device well regions are formed in respective first and second portions of the intermediate semiconductor layer underlying a region in-between the first and second openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Omar Zia, Lawrence Cary Gunn, III
  • Patent number: 7078278
    Abstract: A dual-metal CMOS arrangement and method of making the same provides a substrate and a plurality of NMOS devices and PMOS devices formed on the substrate. Each of the plurality of NMOS devices and PMOS devices have gate electrodes. Each NMOS gate electrode includes a first silicide region on the substrate and a first metal region on the first silicide region. The first silicide region of the NMOS gate electrode consists of a first silicide having a work function that is close to the conduction band of silicon. Each of the PMOS gate electrodes includes a second silicide region on the substrate and a second metal region on the second silicide region. The second silicide region of the PMOS gate electrode consists of a second silicide having a work function that is close to the valence band of silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: James Pan, Ming-Ren Lin
  • Patent number: 7078766
    Abstract: A transistor structure fabricated on thin SOI is disclosed. The transistor on thin SOI has gated n+ and p+ junctions, which serve as switches turning on and off GIDL current on the surface of the junction. GIDL current will flow into the floating body and clamp its potential and can thus serve as an output node. The transistor can function as an inverter. The body (either n-well or p-well) is isolated from the n+ or P+ “GIDL switches” by a region of opposite doping type, i.e., p-base and n-base. The basic building blocks of logic circuits, e.g., NAND and NOR gates, are easily implemented with such transistors on thin SOI wafers. These new transistors on thin SOI only need contacts and metal line connections on the VCC and VSS. The connection of fan-outs (between the output and input) can be implemented by capacitor coupling. The transistor structure and operation is useful for high-performance, low-voltage, and low-power VLSI circuits on SOI wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Corp.
    Inventor: Min-hwa Chi
  • Patent number: 7078247
    Abstract: The integrity of a liner in an interconnect structure or other layer in an integrate circuit is tested in a short time by exposing the liner to a reactive gas that attacks the underlying silicon or other material behind the liner. A weak spot in the liner permits the gas to react with the silicon, which produces a visible area that can be readily identified. The test can be performed in a few hours, in contrast to a period of several months required to complete the process, package the circuit and conduct a burn-in test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Bauer, Jr., Kenneth Giewont, Subramanian Iyer, Bosang Kim, Jeffrey Lloyd, Peter Locke, James Norum, Paul Parries, Kent Way, Kwong Hon Wong
  • Patent number: 7075002
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thin-film solar cell, comprising the steps of: forming an amorphous silicon film on a substrate; placing a metal element that accelerates the crystallization of silicon in contact with the surface of the amorphous silicon film; subjecting the amorphous silicon film to a heat treatment to obtain a crystalline silicon film; depositing a silicon film to which phosphorus has been added in contact with the crystalline silicon film; and subjecting the crystalline silicon film and the silicon film to which phosphorus has been added to a heat treatment to getter the metal element from the crystalline film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 7064050
    Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) comprising at least one FET that comprises a gate electrode comprising a metal carbide and method of fabrication are provided. The CMOS comprises dual work function metal gate electrodes whereby the dual work functions are provided by a metal and a carbide of a metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril Cabral, Jr., Christophe Detavernier, Rajarao Jammy, Katherine L. Saenger
  • Patent number: 7064017
    Abstract: A method of forming a CMOS transistor on a substrate is provided, wherein the method requires only two implanting procedures to form all source/drain and light doped region. First, the source/drain of an NMOS transistor is formed by using a photoresist layer which covers up the source/drain of a PMOS transistor as a mask with a phosphorus dopant being implanted into. Next, the lightly doped region of an NMOS transistor and the source/drain of a PMOS transistor are formed by using a photoresist layer which covers up the source/drain of an NMOS transistor as well as the gate as masks with a boron dopant being implanted into. Of which, the dosage of the boron dopant is smaller than that of the phosphorus dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Kun-Hong Chen, Ming-Yan Chen
  • Patent number: 7052941
    Abstract: Vertically oriented semiconductor devices may be added to a separately fabricated substrate that includes electrical devices and/or interconnect. The plurality of vertically oriented semiconductor devices are physically separated from each other, and are not disposed within the same semiconductor body, or semiconductor substrate. The plurality of vertically oriented semiconductor devices may be added to the separately fabricated substrate as a thin layer including several doped semiconductor regions which, subsequent to attachment, are etched to produce individual doped stack structures. Alternatively, the plurality of vertically oriented semiconductor devices may be fabricated prior to attachment to the separately fabricated substrate. The doped stack structures may form the basis for diodes, capacitors, n-MOSFETs, p-MOSFETs, bipolar transistors, and floating gate transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Inventor: Sang-Yun Lee
  • Patent number: 7049662
    Abstract: There is provided a method for fabricating a FinFET in which a self-limiting reaction is employed to produce a unique and useful structure that may be detectable with simple failure analysis techniques. The structure is an improved vertical fin with a gently sloping base portion that is sufficient to reduce or prevent the formation of an undercut area in the base of the vertical fin. The structure is formed via the self-limiting properties of the reaction so that the products of the reaction form both vertically on a surface of the vertical fin and horizontally on a surface of an insulating layer (e.g., buried oxide). The products preferentially accumulate faster at the base of the vertical fin where the products from both the horizontal and vertical surfaces overlap. This accumulation or build-up results from a volume expansion stemming from the reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Wesley Natzle, Bruce B. Doris