Doping Of Semiconductor Channel Region Beneath Gate Insulator (e.g., Threshold Voltage Adjustment, Etc.) Patents (Class 438/217)
  • Patent number: 8003467
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method including forming STI features in a silicon substrate, defining a first and a second active regions for a PFET and an NFET, respectively; forming a hard mask having an opening to expose the silicon substrate within the first active region; etching the silicon substrate through the opening to form a recess within the first active region; growing a SiGe layer in the recess such that a top surface of the SiGe layer within the first active region and a top surface of the silicon substrate within the second active region are substantially coplanar; forming metal gate material layers; patterning the metal gate material layers to form a metal gate stack on the SiGe layer within the first active region; and forming an eSiGe S/D stressor distributed in both the SiGe layer and the silicon substrate within the first active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Aun Ng, Wen-Chih Yang, Chien-Liang Chen, Chung-Hau Fei, Maxi Chang, Bao-Ru Young, Harry Chuang
  • Patent number: 8003456
    Abstract: A method for producing a semiconductor component is proposed. The method includes providing a semiconductor body having a first surface; forming a mask on the first surface, wherein the mask has openings for defining respective positions of trenches; producing the trenches in the semiconductor body using the mask, wherein mesa structures remain between adjacent trenches; introducing a first dopant of a first conduction type using the mask into the bottoms of the trenches; carrying out a first thermal step; introducing a second dopant of a second conduction type, which is complementary to the first conduction type, at least into the bottoms of the trenches; and carrying out a second thermal step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Davide Chiola, Carsten Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 7998849
    Abstract: A low resistance layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a high resistance layer formed on the low resistance layer. A source region of a first conductivity type is formed on a surface region of the high resistance layer. A drain region of the first conductivity type is formed at a distance from the source region. A first resurf region of the first conductivity type is formed in a surface region of the high resistance layer between the source region and the drain region. A channel region of a second conductivity type is formed between the source region and the first resurf region. A gate insulating film is formed on the channel region, and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. An impurity concentration in the channel region under the gate electrode gradually lowers from the source region toward the first resurf region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsudai, Norio Yasuhara, Yusuke Kawaguchi, Kenichi Matsushita
  • Patent number: 7999331
    Abstract: In a semiconductor substrate in a first section, a channel region having an impurity concentration peak in an interior of the semiconductor substrate is formed, and in the semiconductor substrate in a second section and a third section, channel regions having an impurity concentration peak at a position close to a surface of the substrate are formed. Then, extension regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section. After that, the substrate is thermally treated to eliminate defects produced in the extension regions. Then, using gate electrodes and side-wall spacers as a mask, source/drain regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Akamatsu, Masafumi Tsutsui, Yoshinori Takami
  • Patent number: 7994012
    Abstract: To improve characteristics of a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory. There is provided a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory cell that performs memory operations by transferring a charge to/from a charge storage film, wherein the nonvolatile memory cell includes a p well formed in a principal plane of a silicon substrate, and a memory gate electrode formed over the principal plane across the charge storage film, and wherein a memory channel region located beneath the charge storage film of the principal plane of the silicon substrate contains fluorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuyoshi Shiba
  • Publication number: 20110156153
    Abstract: In a process strategy for forming high-k metal gate electrode structures in an early manufacturing phase, a predoped semiconductor material may be used in order to reduce the Schottky barrier between the semiconductor material and the conductive cap material of the gate electrode structures. Due to the substantially uniform material characteristics of the predoped semiconductor material, any patterning-related non-uniformities during the complex patterning process of the gate electrode structures may be reduced. The predoped semiconductor material may be used for gate electrode structures of complementary transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Inventors: Sven Beyer, Jande Hoentschel, Uwe Griebenow, Thilo Scheiper
  • Patent number: 7968412
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a MISFET device, in a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor layer is formed, having a first type of conductivity and a first level of doping. A first body region and a second body region, having a second type of conductivity, opposite to the first type of conductivity, and an enriched region, extending between the first and second body regions are formed in the semiconductor layer. The enriched region has the first type of conductivity and a second level of doping, higher than the first level of doping. Moreover, a gate electrode is formed over the enriched region and over part of the first and second body regions, and a dielectric gate structure is formed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, the dielectric gate structure having a larger thickness on the enriched region and a smaller thickness on the first and second body regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.r.l.
    Inventors: Orazio Battiato, Domenico Repici, Fabrizio Marco Di Paola, Giuseppe Arena, Angelo Magri′
  • Patent number: 7968400
    Abstract: Low voltage, middle voltage and high voltage CMOS devices have upper buffer layers of the same conductivity type as the sources and drains that extend under the sources and drains and the gates but not past the middle of the gates, and lower bulk buffer layers of the opposite conductivity type to the upper buffer layers extend from under the upper buffer layers to past the middle of the gates forming an overlap of the two bulk buffer layers under the gates. The upper buffer layers and the lower bulk buffer layers can be implanted for both the NMOS and PMOS FETs using two masking layers. For middle voltage and high voltage devices the upper buffer layers together with the lower bulk buffer layers provide a resurf region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Cai
  • Patent number: 7968407
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor memory device, the method including forming a tunnel insulation layer on a substrate, forming a preliminary charge trapping layer on the tunnel insulation layer, forming an etch stop layer on the preliminary charge trapping layer, wherein a portion of the preliminary charge trapping layer is not covered by the etch stop layer, removing the exposed portion of the preliminary charge trapping layer to form a charge trapping layer having a uniform thickness, forming a dielectric layer on the charge trapping layer, and forming a gate electrode on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Albert Fayrushin
  • Patent number: 7955923
    Abstract: A trigger circuit is provided for a pull-down device by connecting a diode between the I/O pad and the body of the pull-down device. In one embodiment, the pull-down device is formed as a plurality of discrete transistors in a single well. The drain of each transistor is connected through a ballast resistor to the I/O pad; and the source of each transistor is connected through a ballast resistor to ground. The trigger circuit is a diode formed in a different well from that of the transistors. The cathode of the diode is connected to the I/O pad and the anode is connected to the transistor well through a center tap located between the transistors. Preferably, the transistors are NMOS transistors formed in a P-well. Advantageously, the diode is an N+/PLDD diode. Alternatively, the diode is an N+/P diode where the P region is formed by an ESD implant. In other embodiments the diode is formed in the same well as the transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Antonio Gallerano, Cheng-Hsiung Huang, Chih-Ching Shih, Jeffrey T. Watt
  • Publication number: 20110121400
    Abstract: This method for making complementary p and n MOSFET transistors with Schottky source and drain electrodes controlled by a gate electrode, comprising: making source and drain electrodes from a single silicide for both p and n transistors; segregating first impurities from groups II and III of the periodic table at the interface between the silicide and the channel of the p transistor, the complementary n transistor being masked; and segregating second impurities from groups V and VI of the periodic table, at the interface between the silicide and the channel of the n transistor, and the complementary p transistor being masked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (C,N,R.S.)
    Inventors: Guilhem Larrieu, Emmanuel Dubois
  • Patent number: 7948048
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device 10 including a structure where transfer electrodes 2a to 2c are disposed on a semiconductor substrate 1 via an insulation layer 3, a first semiconductor region 4 of a first conductivity type, a second semiconductor region 5 of a conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, and a third semiconductor region 6 of the first conductivity type in a position that overlaps a region of the semiconductor substrate 1 directly underneath the transfer electrodes 2a to 2c. The second semiconductor region 5 is formed on the first semiconductor region 4. The third semiconductor region 6 is formed on the second semiconductor region 5 so that a position of a maximal point 8 of electric potential of the second semiconductor region 5 when being depleted is deeper than a position of the maximal point 8 in a case where the third semiconductor region 6 does not exist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Takao Kuroda
  • Patent number: 7943985
    Abstract: Oxide semiconductor thin film transistors (TFT) and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The methods include forming a channel layer on a substrate, forming source and drain electrodes at opposing sides of the channel layer, and oxidizing a surface of the channel layer by placing an oxidizing material in contact with the surface of the channel layer, reducing carriers on the surface of the channel layer. Due to the oxidizing agent treatment of the surface of the channel layer, excessive carriers that are generated naturally, or during the manufacturing process, may be more effectively controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-sang Kim, Sang-yoon Lee, Myung-kwan Ryu, Jang-yeon Kwon, Kyung-bae Park, Kyung-seok Son, Ji-sim Jung
  • Patent number: 7943468
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method to form a semiconductor device is described. The semiconductor includes a gate stack disposed on a substrate. Tip regions are disposed in the substrate on either side of the gate stack. Halo regions are disposed in the substrate adjacent the tip regions. A threshold voltage implant region is disposed in the substrate directly below the gate stack. The concentration of dopant impurity atoms of a particular conductivity type is approximately the same in both the threshold voltage implant region as in the halo regions. The method includes a dopant impurity implant technique having sufficient strength to penetrate a gate stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Giuseppe Curello, Ian R. Post, Nick Lindert, Walid M. Hafez, Chia-Hong Jan, Mark T. Bohr
  • Publication number: 20110111566
    Abstract: Manufacturing technique for a semiconductor device having a first MISFET of an n channel-type and a second MISFET of a p channel type, including forming a first insulating film composed of a silicon oxide film or a silicon oxynitride film on a semiconductor substrate for forming a gate insulating film of the respective MISFETs; depositing metal elements on the first insulating film; forming of a silicon film on the first insulating film for the forming of a gate electrode of the respective MISFETs; and producing the respective gate electrodes by patterning the silicon film. The depositing of the metal films on the first insulating film is such that there is produced in the vicinity of the interface between the gate electrode and the gate insulating film a surface density of the metal elements within a range of 1×1013 to 5×1014 atoms/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Inventors: Yasuhiro SHIMAMOTO, Jiro Yugami, Masao Inoue, Masaharu Mizutani
  • Patent number: 7939898
    Abstract: A transistor is defined to include a substrate portion and a diffusion region defined in the substrate portion so as to provide an operable transistor threshold voltage. An implant region is defined within a portion of the diffusion region so as to transform the operable transistor threshold voltage of the diffusion region portion into an inoperably high transistor threshold voltage. A gate electrode is defined to extend over both the diffusion region and the implant region. A first portion of the gate electrode defined over the diffusion region forms a first transistor segment having the operable transistor threshold voltage. A second portion of the gate electrode defined over the implant region forms a second transistor segment having the inoperably high transistor threshold voltage. Therefore, a boundary of the implant region defines a boundary of the operable first transistor segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Tela Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Smayling, Scott T. Becker
  • Patent number: 7932153
    Abstract: A threshold control layer of a second MIS transistor is formed under the same conditions for forming a threshold control layer of a first MIS transistor. LLD regions of the second MIS transistor are formed under the same conditions for forming LDD regions of a third transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Nakabayashi, Hideyuki Arai, Mitsuo Nissa
  • Publication number: 20110089495
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures including a high k gate dielectric material that has at least one surface threshold voltage adjusting region located within 3 nm or less from an upper surface of the high k gate dielectric are provided. The at least one surface threshold voltage adjusting region is formed by a cluster beam implant step in which at least one threshold voltage adjusting impurity is formed directly within the high k gate dielectric or driven in from an overlying threshold voltage adjusting material which is subsequently removed from the structure following the cluster beam implant step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Oleg Gluschenkov, Dae-Gyu Park, Haizhou Yin
  • Patent number: 7927987
    Abstract: Methods and devices for preventing channeling of dopants during ion implantation are provided. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate and depositing a sacrificial scattering layer over at least a portion a surface of the substrate, wherein the sacrificial scattering layer includes an amorphous material. The method further includes ion implanting a dopant through the sacrificial scattering layer to within a depth profile in the substrate. Subsequently, the sacrificial scattering layer can be removed such that erosion of the substrate surface is less than one percent of a thickness of the sacrificial scattering layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Shawn T. Walsh, Dong Joo Bae, Vikram N. Doshi
  • Publication number: 20110081754
    Abstract: Methods of forming complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) structures with tunable threshold voltages are provided. The methods disclose a technique of obtaining selective placement of threshold voltage adjusting materials on a semiconductor substrate by using a block mask prior to deposition of the threshold voltage adjusting materials. The block mask is subsequently removed to obtain a patterned threshold voltage adjusting material on the semiconductor substrate. The methods are material independent and can be used in sequence for both nFET threshold voltage adjusting materials and pFET threshold voltage adjusting materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Publication date: April 7, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hemanth Jagannathan, Sivananda K. Kanakasabapathy, Matthew W. Copel
  • Patent number: 7915691
    Abstract: Hybrid SRAM circuit, hybrid SRAM structures and method of fabricating hybrid SRAMs. The SRAM structures include first and second cross-coupled inverters coupled to first and second pass gate devices. The pull-down devices of the inverters are FinFETs while the pull-up devices of the inverters and the pass gate devices are planar FETs or pull-down and pull-up devices of the inverters are FinFETs while the pass gate devices are planar FETs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert C. Wong, Haining Sam Yang
  • Patent number: 7913195
    Abstract: According to mask layout data created for a particular factory facility, transistors constituting a semiconductor device are classified into multiple groups depending on the gate length. Thereafter, the concentration of impurity introduced into a channel layer is set for each group, and thereby the gate length-threshold characteristics of a transistor are controlled. An overlapping area of a gate electrode and an element region of a certain group is extracted from mask layout data. The overlapping area is expanded to determine the shape of a mask used in injecting impurity in a channel layer. The data on the mask shape is then added to the mask layout data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Takao
  • Patent number: 7879669
    Abstract: At least one source/drain zone (140, 142, 160, or 162) of an enhancement-mode insulated-gate field-effect transistor (120 or 122) is provided with graded junction characteristics to reduce junction capacitance, thereby increasing switching speed. Each graded junction source/drain zone contains a main portion (140M, 142M, 160M, or 162M) and a more lightly doped lower portion (140L, 142L, 160L, or 162L) underlying, and vertically continuous with, the main portion. The magnitudes of the threshold voltages of a group of such transistors fabricated under the same post-layout fabrication process conditions so as to be of different channel lengths reach a maximum absolute value VTAM when the channel length is at a value LC, are at least 0.03 volt less than VTAM when the channel length is approximately 0.3 ?m greater than LC, and materially decrease with increasing channel length when the channel length is approximately 1.0 ?m greater than LC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Chih Sieh Teng, Constantin Bulucea, Chin-Miin Shyu, Fu-Cheng Wang, Prasad Chaparala
  • Publication number: 20110018067
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first and a second isolation insulating film to define a first, a second, a third and a fourth region, forming a first insulating film, implanting a first impurity of a first conductivity type through the first insulating film into the first, the second and the fourth region at a first depth, forming a second insulating film thinner than the first insulating film, implanting a second impurity of a second conductivity type through the second insulating film into the third region at a second depth in the semiconductor substrate, implanting a third impurity of the second conductivity type into the third region at a third depth shallower than the second depth, forming a first transistor of the first conductivity type in the third region, and forming a second transistor of the second conductivity type in the fourth region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventors: Akihiro Usujima, Shigeo Satoh
  • Patent number: 7875915
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one photodiode associated with a read transistor. The photodiode is formed from a stack of three semiconductor layers comprising a buried layer, an floating substrate layer and an upper layer. The drain region and/or the source region of the transistor are incorporated within the upper layer. The buried layer is electrically isolated from the upper layer so as to allow the buried layer to be biased independently of the upper layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: François Roy, Arnaud Tournier
  • Patent number: 7867840
    Abstract: In a semiconductor substrate in a first section, a channel region having an impurity concentration peak in an interior of the semiconductor substrate is formed, and in the semiconductor substrate in a second section and a third section, channel regions having an impurity concentration peak at a position close to a surface of the substrate are formed. Then, extension regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section. After that, the substrate is thermally treated to eliminate defects produced in the extension regions. Then, using gate electrodes and side-wall spacers as a mask, source/drain regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Akamatsu, Masafumi Tsutsui, Yoshinori Takami
  • Patent number: 7867839
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments of a p-type, silicon germanium (SiGe), high-k dielectric-metal gate, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (PFET) having an optimal threshold voltage (Vt), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device that includes the PFET and methods of forming both the PFET alone and the CMOS device. The embodiments incorporate negatively charged ions (e.g., fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), etc.) into the high-k gate dielectric material of the PFET only so as to selectively adjust the negative Vt of the PFET (i.e., so as to reduce the negative Vt of the PFET).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xiangdong Chen, Jong Ho Lee, Weipeng Li, Dae-Gyu Park, Kenneth J. Stein, Voon-Yew Thean
  • Publication number: 20100308418
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture thereof are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first transistor having a gate dielectric and a cap layer disposed over the gate dielectric. The first transistor includes a gate including a metal layer disposed over the cap layer and a semiconductive material disposed over the metal layer. The semiconductor device includes a second transistor in a second region of the workpiece, which includes the gate dielectric and the cap layer disposed over the gate dielectric. The second transistor includes a gate that includes the metal layer disposed over the cap layer and the semiconductive material disposed over the metal layer. A thickness of the metal layer, a thickness of the semiconductive material, an implantation region of a channel region, or a doped region of the gate dielectric of the first transistor achieves a predetermined threshold voltage for the first transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventors: Knut Stahrenberg, Roland Hampp, Jin-Ping Han, Klaus von Arnim
  • Patent number: 7847349
    Abstract: In accordance with exemplary embodiments, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) architecture includes elements that perform a radix-2 FFT butterfly in one processor clock cycle at steady state. Some exemplary implementations of the FFT architecture incorporate register and data path elements that relieve memory bandwidth limitations by pairing operands consumed by and results generated by two adjacent butterflies in the overall N-point FFT operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew R. Henry
  • Patent number: 7842983
    Abstract: A device is annealed in a deuterium atmosphere. Deuterium penetrates the device to a boundary, which is passivated by the deuterium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ashutosh Ashutosh, Huicheng Chang, Adrien R. Lavoie, Aaron A. Budrevich
  • Patent number: 7833858
    Abstract: Methods for forming semiconductor structures are provided for a semiconductor device employing a superjunction structure and overlying trench with embedded control gate. An embodiment comprises forming interleaved first and second spaced-apart regions of first and second semiconductor materials of different conductivity type and different mobilities so that the second semiconductor material has a higher mobility for the same carrier type than the first semiconductor material, and providing an overlying third semiconductor material in which a trench is formed with sidewalls having thereon a fourth semiconductor material that has a higher mobility than the third material, adapted to carry current between source regions, through the fourth semiconductor material in the trench and the second semiconductor material in the device drift space to the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Freesscale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Edouard D. deFresart, Robert W. Baird
  • Patent number: 7829957
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which includes both an E-FET and a D-FET and can facilitate control of the Vth in an E-FET and suppress a decrease in the Vf, and a manufacturing method of the same are provided. A semiconductor device which includes both an E-FET and a D-FET on the same semiconductor substrate includes: a first threshold adjustment layer for adjusting threshold of the E-FET; a first etching stopper layer formed on the first threshold adjustment layer; the second threshold adjustment layer formed on the first etching stopper layer for adjusting threshold of the D-FET; a second etching stopper layer formed on the second threshold adjustment layer; a first gate electrode penetrating through the first etching stopper layer, the second threshold adjustment layer, and the second etching stopper layer, which is in contact with the first threshold adjustment layer; and the second gate electrode penetrating through the second etching stopper layer, which is in contact with the second threshold adjustment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kato, Yoshiharu Anda, Akihiko Nishio
  • Patent number: 7824976
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus wherein a device formed on a semiconductor substrate comprises a gate insulating film including a high dielectric constant film formed on the substrate and an anti-reaction film formed on the high dielectric constant film, and a gate electrode formed on the anti-reaction film, the high dielectric constant film comprises a film containing at least one of Hf and Zr, and Si and O, or a film containing at least one of Hf and Zr, and Si, O and N, the anti-reaction film comprises an SiO2 film, a film containing SiO2 as a main component and at least one of Hf and Zr, a film containing SiO2 as a main component and N, a film containing SiO2 as a main component, Hf and N, a film containing SiO2 as a main component, Zr and N, or a film containing SiO2 as a main component, Hf, Zr and N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Kaneko, Kazuhiro Eguchi, Seiji Inumiya, Katsuyuki Sekine, Motoyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 7824973
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor device is provided, the method including: forming a substrate; forming a first gate on the substrate; forming a mask layer on the substrate, the mask layer including a first window covering an area within which the first gate is formed so that the first gate divides the substrate exposed by the first window into a first region and a second region; and doping the exposed substrate using rays inclined with respect to the substrate top surface, where the position of the first gate with respect to a border of the first window is chosen such that the inclined doping rays impinge more on the first region than on the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Karl Hofmann, Stefan Decker
  • Patent number: 7816201
    Abstract: A semiconductor device according to an example of the present invention includes a first semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a first MIS transistor of a second conductivity type formed in the first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, and a second MIS transistor of a first conductivity type formed in the second semiconductor region. A first gate insulating layer of the first MIS transistor is thicker than a second gate insulating layer of the second MIS transistor, and a profile of impurities of the first conductivity type in a channel region of the second MIS transistor has peaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiko Kato, Shigeru Ishibashi, Mitsuhiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 7811877
    Abstract: Methods of processing silicon substrates to form metal silicide layers thereover having more uniform thicknesses are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of processing a substrate includes providing a substrate having a plurality of exposed regions comprising silicon, wherein at least two of the plurality of exposed regions have a different rate of formation of a metal silicide layer thereover; doping at least one of the exposed regions to control the rate of formation of a metal silicide layer thereover; and forming a metal silicide layer upon the exposed regions of the substrate, wherein the metal silicide layer has a reduced maximum thickness differential between the exposed regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Sundar Ramamurthy, Majeed A. Foad
  • Publication number: 20100244128
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure, which serves as the core of a semiconductor fabrication platform, has a combination of empty-well regions and filled-well regions variously used by electronic elements, particularly insulated-gate field-effect transistors (“IGFETs”), to achieve desired electronic characteristics. A relatively small amount of semiconductor well dopant is near the top of an empty well. A considerable amount of semiconductor well dopant is near the top of a filled well. Some IGFETs (100, 102, 112, 114, 124, and 126) utilize empty wells (180, 182, 192, 194, 204, and 206) in achieving desired transistor characteristics. Other IGFETs (108, 110, 116, 118, 120, and 122) utilize filled wells (188, 190, 196, 198, 200, and 202) in achieving desired transistor characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Constantin Bulucea, Sandeep R. Bahl, William D. French, Jeng-Jiun Yang, Donald M. Archer, D. Courtney Parker, Prasad Chaparala
  • Publication number: 20100237425
    Abstract: Transistors exhibiting different electrical characteristics such as different switching threshold voltage or different leakage characteristics are formed on the same chip or wafer by selectively removing a film or layer which can serve as an out-diffusion sink for an impurity region such as a halo implant and out-diffusing an impurity such as boron into the out-diffusion sink, leaving the impurity region substantially intact where the out-diffusion sink has been removed. In forming CMOS integrated circuits, such a process allows substantially optimal design for both low-leakage and low threshold transistors and allows a mask and additional associated processes to be eliminated, particularly where a tensile film is employed to increase electron mobility since the tensile film can be removed from selected NMOS transistors concurrently with removal of the tensile film from PMOS transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Victor W.C. Chan, Narasimhulu Kanike, Huiling Shang, Varadarajan Vidya, Jun Yuan, Roger Allen Booth, JR.
  • Patent number: 7800173
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a MISFET device, in a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor layer is formed, having a first type of conductivity and a first level of doping. A first body region and a second body region, having a second type of conductivity, opposite to the first type of conductivity, and an enriched region, extending between the first and second body regions are formed in the semiconductor layer. The enriched region has the first type of conductivity and a second level of doping, higher than the first level of doping. Moreover, a gate electrode is formed over the enriched region and over part of the first and second body regions, and a dielectric gate structure is formed between the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer, the dielectric gate structure having a larger thickness on the enriched region and a smaller thickness on the first and second body regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, S.r.l.
    Inventors: Orazio Battiato, Domenico Repici, Fabrizio Marco Di Paola, Giuseppe Arena, Angelo Magri′
  • Patent number: 7776680
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of a method of forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device that has at least one high aspect ratio gate structure with a void-free and seam-free metal gate conductor layer positioned on top of a relatively thin high-k gate dielectric layer. These method embodiments incorporate a gate replacement strategy that uses an electroplating process to fill, from the bottom upward, a high-aspect ratio gate stack opening with a metal gate conductor layer. The source of electrons for the electroplating process is a current passed directly through the back side of the substrate. This eliminates the need for a seed layer and ensures that the metal gate conductor layer will be formed without voids or seams. Furthermore, depending upon the embodiment, the electroplating process is performed under illumination to enhance electron flow to a given area (i.e., to enhance plating) or in darkness to prevent electron flow to a given area (i.e., to prevent plating).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Veeraraghavan S. Basker, John M. Cotte, Hariklia Deligianni, Toshiharu Furukawa, Vamsi K. Paruchuri, William R. Tonti
  • Publication number: 20100203691
    Abstract: A transistor suitable for high-voltage applications is provided. The transistor is formed on a substrate having a deep well of a first conductivity type. A first well of the first conductivity type and a second well of a second conductivity type are formed such that they are not immediately adjacent each other. The well of the first conductivity type and the second conductivity type may be formed simultaneously as respective wells for low-voltage devices. In this manner, the high-voltage devices may be formed on the same wafer as low-voltage devices with fewer process steps, thereby reducing costs and process time. A doped isolation well may be formed adjacent the first well on an opposing side from the second well to provide further device isolation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Bau Wu, Chien-Shao Tang, Robin Hsieh, Ruey-Hsin Liu, Shun-Liang Hsu
  • Patent number: 7772063
    Abstract: Reduced-step CMOS processes for low-cost integrated circuits (ICs) and, more particularly, low-cost radio frequency identification (RFID) devices are disclosed. The CMOS processes disclosed provide sufficient device performance and reliability while reducing the number and complexity of required process steps, thereby reducing the cost for manufacturing ICs. By recognizing the particular needs for low-cost integrated circuits such as RFID devices (for example, reduced needs for performance, power and longevity) and by identifying a reduced set of CMOS process steps, an advantageous solution is achieved for producing low-cost integrated circuits and low-cost RFID devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Identifi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David Novosel
  • Patent number: 7772655
    Abstract: In a semiconductor substrate in a first section, a channel region having an impurity concentration peak in an interior of the semiconductor substrate is formed, and in the semiconductor substrate in a second section and a third section, channel regions having an impurity concentration peak at a position close to a surface of the substrate are formed. Then, extension regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section. After that, the substrate is thermally treated to eliminate defects produced in the extension regions. Then, using gate electrodes and side-wall spacers as a mask, source/drain regions are formed in the first section, the second section and the third section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Akamatsu, Masafumi Tsutsui, Yoshinori Takami
  • Patent number: 7767514
    Abstract: The invention includes methods of forming channel region implants for two transistor devices simultaneously, in which a mask is utilized to block a larger percentage of a channel region location of one of the devices relative to the other. The invention also pertains to methods of forming capacitor structures in which a first capacitor electrode is spaced from a semiconductor substrate by a dielectric material, a second capacitor electrode comprises a conductively-doped diffusion region within the semiconductor material, and a capacitor channel region location is beneath the dielectric material and adjacent the conductively-doped diffusion region. An implant mask is formed to cover only a first portion of the capacitor channel region location and to leave a second portion of the capacitor channel region location uncovered. While the implant mask is in place, dopant is implanted into the uncovered second portion of the capacitor channel region location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hongmei Wang, Kurt D. Beigel, Fred D. Fishburn, Rongsheng Yang
  • Patent number: 7759183
    Abstract: Complementary transistors and methods of forming the complementary transistors on a semiconductor assembly are described. The transistors can be formed from a metal silicon compound deficient of silicon bonding atoms on a dielectric material overlying a semiconductor substrate conductively doped for PMOS and NMOS regions. The metal silicon compound overlying the NMOS region is converted to a metal silicon nitride and the metal silicon compound overlying the PMOS region is converted to a metal silicide. NMOS transistor gate electrodes comprising metal silicon nitride and PMOS transistor gate electrodes comprising metal silicide can be formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yongjun J. Hu
  • Publication number: 20100164003
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes at least one NMOS transistor, wherein the NMOS transistor includes a substrate having a semiconductor surface, and a gate stack formed in or on the surface including a gate electrode on a gate dielectric, wherein a channel region is located in the semiconductor surface below the gate dielectric. A source and a drain region are on opposing sides of the gate stack. An In region having a retrograde profile is under at least a portion of the channel region. The retrograde profile includes (i) a surface In concentration at a semiconductor surface interface with the gate dielectric of less than 5×1016 cm?3, (ii) a peak In concentration at least 20 nm from the semiconductor surface below the gate dielectric, and wherein (iii) the peak In concentration is at least two (2) orders of magnitude higher than the In concentration at the semiconductor surface interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: PUNEET KOHLI, MANOJ MEHROTRA
  • Patent number: 7727831
    Abstract: The leakage current generated due to the extension of the depleted layer to the end of the chip is reduced. In MOSFET 100, the depths of the trenches 112 in the gate pad portion 50 and the circumference portion 70 are larger than the depths of the trenches 111 in the cell region 60. Therefore, the depleted layer extending from the cell region 60 along the direction toward the gate pad portion 50 or the direction toward the circumference portion 70 is blocked by the presence of the trench 112. In other words, an extending of the depleted layer can be terminated by disposing the trench 112, so as to avoid reaching the depleted layer to the end of the semiconductor chip. Accordingly, a leakage current generated from the cell region 60 along the direction toward the end of the semiconductor chip can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Kinya Ohtani
  • Patent number: 7727833
    Abstract: A voltage reference is created from an operational amplifier circuit having two substantially identical P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (P-MOS) transistors with each one having a different gate dopant. The different gate dopants result in different threshold voltages for each of the two otherwise substantially identical P-MOS transistors. The difference between these two threshold voltages is then used to create the voltage reference equal to the difference. The two P-MOS transistors are configured as a differential pair in the operational amplifier circuit and the output of the operational amplifier is used as the voltage reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Gregory Dix
  • Patent number: 7718494
    Abstract: A method for forming a high-voltage drain metal-oxide-semiconductor (HVD-MOS) device includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a well region of a first conductivity type; and forming an embedded well region in the semiconductor substrate and only on a drain side of the HVD-MOS device, wherein the embedded region is of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type. The step of forming the embedded well region includes simultaneously doping the embedded well region and a well region of a core regular MOS device, and simultaneously doping the embedded well region and a well region of an I/O regular MOS device, wherein the core and I/O regular MOS devices are of the first conductivity type. The method further includes forming a gate stack extending from over the embedded well region to over the well region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yung Chih Tsai, Michael Yu, Chih-Ping Chao, Chih-Sheng Chang
  • Patent number: 7718498
    Abstract: A semiconductor device suitable for a source-follower circuit, provided with a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate via a gate insulation film, a first conductivity type layer formed in the semiconductor substrate under a conductive portion of the gate electrode and containing a first conductivity type impurity, first source/drain regions of the first conductivity type impurity formed in the semiconductor substrate and extended from edge portions of the gate electrode, and second source/drain regions having a first conductivity type impurity concentration lower than that in the first source/drain regions and formed adjoining the gate insulation film and the first source/drain regions in the semiconductor substrate so as to overlap portions of the conductive portion of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuichiro Itonaga