Abstract: A method for integrating a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor in back end of line (BEOL) wiring levels of a semiconductor device includes forming an isolating layer over a lower wiring level, forming a bottom electrode of the capacitor on the isolating layer, and forming an interlevel dielectric material on the isolating layer and the bottom electrode. A capacitor dielectric is formed on the bottom electrode and a top electrode of the capacitor is formed on the capacitor dielectric, wherein the top electrode is formed concurrently with an upper wiring level, the upper level being the next successive wiring level with respect to the lower wiring level.

Abstract: A precision high-frequency capacitor includes a dielectric layer formed on the front side surface of a semiconductor substrate and a first electrode on top of the dielectric layer. The semiconductor substrate is heavily doped and therefore has a low resistivity. A second electrode, insulated from the first electrode, is also formed over the front side surface. In one embodiment, the second electrode is connected by a metal-filled via to a layer of conductive material on the back side of the substrate. In alternative embodiments, the via is omitted and the second electrode is either in electrical contact with the substrate or is formed on top of the dielectric layer, yielding a pair of series-connected capacitors. ESD protection for the capacitor can be provided by a pair of oppositely-directed diodes formed in the substrate and connected in parallel with the capacitor.

Abstract: A Low Noise semiconductor amplifier structure formed from layers of differently doped semiconductor material. This structure when properly biased will amplify voltage signals applied to the input terminal (Base1 or signal-base), and provide the same signal, amplified at the terminal designated as the output or collector. The semiconductor material can be any of a number of semiconductor materials, Germanium, Silicon, Gallium-Arsenide or any material with suitable semi-conducting properties. The structure can be any BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor) form. The presence of an additional, distinct highly doped layer indicated as Base2 in the BJT form, provides an electrical noise suppression function. This inhibits intrinsic electrical noise, and improves the high frequency performance of the device in conjunction with an external capacitor connected to this new Base2 (or anti-base) region.

Abstract: An insulated structure of a chip array component and fabrication method of the same, the element is fabricated by enclosing its main body with a dense layer of high surface insulation resistance material, and then exposing the portions of the main body where terminal electrodes are to be formed by removing the dense layer of high surface insulation resistance material by employing sand blasting, laser trimming, grinding, or etching process.

Abstract: Varactors are provided which have a high tunability and/or a high quality factor associated therewith as well as methods for fabricating the same. One type of varactor disclosed is a quasi hyper-abrupt base-collector junction varactor which includes a substrate having a collector region of a first conductivity type atop a subcollector region, the collector region having a plurality of isolation regions present therein; reach-through implant regions located between at least a pair of the isolation regions; a SiGe layer atop a portion of the substrate not containing a reach-through implant region, the SiGe layer having an extrinsic base region of a second conductivity type which is different from the first conductivity type; and an antimony implant region located between the extrinsic base region and the subcollector region. Another type of varactor disclosed is an MOS varactor which includes at least a poly gate region and a well region wherein the poly gate region and the well region have opposite polarities.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor component includes: providing a semiconductor substrate (210, 510); forming a trench (130, 430) in the semiconductor substrate to define a plurality of active areas separated from each other by the trench; forming a buried layer (240, 750) in the semiconductor substrate underneath a portion of the trench, where the buried layer is at least partially contiguous with the trench; after forming the buried layer, depositing an electrically insulating material (133, 810) in the trench; forming a collector region (150, 950) in one of the plurality of active areas, where the collector region forms a contact to the buried layer; forming a base structure over the one of the plurality of active areas; and forming an emitter region over the one of the plurality of active areas.

Abstract: An electrical circuit is formed by forming and patterning a conductive layer on a substrate, forming and patterning a conductive layer on another substrate, depositing a dielectric layer on at least a portion of one of conductive layers, mounting an integrated circuit (IC) between the substrates, coupling the IC to the conductive layers, and affixing the substrates together with the conductive layers between the substrates. These are either separate substrates or a unitary substrate. The IC is mounted either to a substrate, a conductive layer, or a dielectric layer. The IC is coupled to the conductive layers either directly or through openings formed in the dielectric layer. An interior conductive layer may be used to couple the IC to the conductive layers.

Abstract: A power MOSFET comprising a drain layer of a first conductivity type, a drift layer of the first conductivity type provided on the drain layer, a base layer of a first or a second conductivity type provided on the drift layer, a source region of the first conductivity type provided on the base layer, a gate insulating film formed on an inner wall surface of a trench penetrating the base layer and reaching at the drift layer, and a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film inside the trench, wherein the gate insulating film is formed such that a portion thereof adjacent to the drift layer is thicker than a portion thereof adjacent to the base layer, and the drift layer has an impurity concentration gradient higher in the vicinity of the drain layer and lower in the vicinity of the source region along a depth direction of trench.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a capacitor in a semiconductor device that includes providing a semiconductor substrate, forming at least one shallow trench isolation structure in the semiconductor substrate, forming a tunnel oxide layer over the semiconductor substrate, depositing a first polysilicon layer over the tunnel oxide layer, depositing a nitride layer over the first polysilicon layer, depositing a first photoresist over the nitride layer, patterning and defining the first photoresist layer to expose at least a portion of the nitride layer, etching the exposed portion of the nitride layer and the first polysilicon layer underneath the exposed portion of the nitride layer to expose at least a portion of the tunnel oxide layer, removing the patterned and defined photoresist layer, forming a second oxide layer over at least the exposed portion of the tunnel oxide layer, providing a second photoresist layer over the second oxide layer, providing an etchback process to remove a portion of the second photoresist

Abstract: In one embodiment, a first transistor is configured to switch ON to discharge accumulated charges on an interconnect line during a metallization process. This advantageously protects a second transistor, which is coupled to the interconnect line, from charge buildup. The gate of the first transistor may be coupled to the interconnect line by way of a coupling capacitor. The gate of the first transistor may remain floating during the metallization process, and subsequently coupled to ground at a topmost metal level. The metallization process may be physical vapor deposition, for example.

Abstract: A method in the fabrication of an integrated bipolar circuit for forming a p/n-junction varactor is disclosed. The method featuring the steps of providing a p-doped substrate (10; 10, 41); forming a buried n+-doped region (31) in the substrate; forming in the substrate an n-doped region (41) above the buried n+-doped region (31); forming field isolation (81) around the n-doped region (41); multiple ion implanting the n-doped region (41); forming a p+-doped region (151) on the n-doped region (41); forming an n+-doped contact region to the buried n+-doped region (31), the contact region being separated from the n-doped region (41); and heat treating the hereby obtained structure to set the doping profiles of the doped regions. The multiple ion implantation of the n-doped region (41); the formation of the p+-doped region (151); and the heat treatment are performed to obtain a hyper-abrupt p+/n-junction within the n-doped region (41).

Abstract: A vertical thin-film transistor (V-TFT) is provided along with a method for forming the V-TFT. The method comprises: providing a substrate made from a material such as Si, quartz, glass, or plastic; conformally depositing an insulating layer overlying the substrate; forming a gate, having sidewalls and a thickness, overlying a substrate insulation layer; forming a gate oxide layer overlying the gate sidewalls, and a gate insulation layer overlying the gate top surface; etching the exposed substrate insulation layer; forming a first source/drain region overlying the gate insulation layer; forming a second source/drain region overlying the substrate insulation layer, adjacent a first gate sidewall; and, forming a channel region overlying the first gate sidewall with a channel length about equal to the thickness of the gate, interposed between the first and second source/drain regions.

Abstract: A dielectric layer is formed over a substrate comprising a semiconductor material. A magnetic layer is formed over the dielectric layer. The magnetic layer comprises an amorphous alloy comprising cobalt.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for capacitively signaling between different semiconductor chips and modules without the use of connectors, solder bumps, wire-bond interconnections or the like. Preferably, pairs of half-capacitor plates, one half located on each chip, module or substrate are used to capacitively couple signals from one chip, module or substrate to another. The use of plates relaxes the need for high precision alignment as well as reduces the area needed to effect signaling, and reduces or eliminates the requirements for exotic metallurgy.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor results in an integrated polysilicon base contact and field plate element minimally spaced from a polysilicon emitter contact by using a single mask to define respective openings for these elements. In particular, a dielectric layer is deposited on a semiconductor wafer and has two openings defined by a single masking step, one opening above an emitter region and a second opening above a base-collector junction region. Polysilicon is deposited on the dielectric layer and selectively doped in the areas of the openings. Thus for an NPN transistor for example, the area above the emitter opening is doped N type and the area above the base/field plate opening is doped P type. The doped polysilicon is patterned and etched to leave a polysilicon emitter contact and an integrated polysilicon base contact and field plate within the respective openings.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device able to prevent performance degradation of an inductor element provided thereon. A high resistance region is provided below the inductor element formed on the semiconductor substrate. The high resistance region is formed deeper than the well regions of the p-channel and n-channel MOS transistors, thus preventing induction of an eddy current by the magnetic flux generated from the inductor element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated circuit having a MOS capacitor. In one embodiment, a method of forming an integrated circuit comprises forming an oxide layer on a surface of a substrate, the substrate having a plurality of isolation islands. Each isolation island is used in forming a semiconductor device. Patterning the oxide layer to expose predetermined areas of the surface of the substrate. Depositing a nitride layer overlaying the oxide layer and the exposed surface areas of the substrate. Implanting ions through the nitride layer, wherein the nitride layer is an implant screen for the implanted ions. Using the nitride layer as a capacitor dielectric in forming a capacitor. In addition, performing a dry etch to form contact openings that extend through the layer of nitride and through the layer of oxide to access selected device regions formed in the substrate.

Abstract: In the present invention, a semiconductor device is formed which includes an MIM capacitor located on the upper surface of a heterostructure from which the emitter, base and collector sections of a nearby HBT are defined. In this way the capacitor and HBT share a substantially common structure, with the base and emitter electrodes of the HBT fashioned from the same metal layers as the upper and lower capacitor plates, respectively. Furthermore, as the insulator region of the capacitor is formed prior to definition of the HBT structure, the dielectric material used can be deposited by means of a plasma enhanced process, without damaging the HBT structure.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing, in a monolithic circuit including a substrate, an inductance and a through via, including the step of forming, from a first surface of the substrate, at least one trench according to the contour of the inductance to be formed; forming by laser in the substrate a through hole at the location desired for the via; simultaneously insulating the surface of the trench and of the hole; and depositing a conductive material in the trench and at least on the hole walls.

Abstract: A circuit substrate includes a passive element and an interconnection pattern, wherein any of the passive element and the interconnection pattern is formed by an aerosol deposition process that uses aerosol of a fine particle material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (10) includes a semiconductor substrate (11) that has a top surface (32) for forming a dielectric region (14) with a trench (40) and one or more adjacent cavities (16). A conductive material such as copper is disposed within the trench to produce an inductor (50). A top surface (49) of the inductor is substantially coplanar with an interconnect surface (31) of the semiconductor substrate, which facilitates connecting to the inductor with standard integrated circuit metallization (57).

Abstract: In a capacitor formation area A1, a capacitor C1 is formed. The capacitor is constituted by a lower-layer electrode-use polysilicon layer 105 (lower-layer electrode) formed on a LOCOS separation film 101, a nitride film 106 (dielectric film) and an upper-layer electrode-use polysilicon layer 107 (upper-layer electrode). In this case, the lower-layer electrode-use polysilicon layer 105 and the nitride film 106 are formed as the same plane pattern. In CMOS formation area A2, an NMOS transistor Q11 is formed on a P-well region 102 and a PMOS transistor Q12 is formed in an N-well region 103. Both of the gate electrodes of NMOS transistor Q11 and NMOS transistor Q21 are formed by the upper-layer electrode-use polysilicon layer 107.

Abstract: A method in the fabrication of an integrated circuit including a PMOS varactor and an npn transistor, comprises the steps of (i) simultaneously forming buried n+-doped regions (31) for the PMOS varactor and the npn transistor in a p-doped substrate (10, 41); (ii) simultaneously forming n-doped wells (41) above the buried n+-doped regions (31); (iii) simultaneously forming field isolation areas (81) around the n-doped regions (41); (iv) forming a PMOS gate region (111, 194) and a p-doped base each in a respective one of the n-doped wells (41); and (v) simultaneously forming n+-doped contacts to the buried n+-doped regions (31); the contacts being separated from the n-doped wells (41). Source and drain regions may be formed in the PMOS n-well (inversion mode) or the PMOS n+-doped contact may be formed in the PMOS n-well instead of being separated from there (accumulation mode).

Abstract: A variable capacitor includes an N+ layer including a variable capacitance region, a P+ layer epitaxially grown on the N+ layer and formed from a SiGe film and a Si film, and a P-type electrode. An NPN-HBT (Hetero-junction Bipolar Transistor) includes a collector diffusion layer formed simultaneously with the N+ layer of the variable capacitor, a collector layer, and a Si/SiGe layer epitaxially grown simultaneously with the P+ layer of the variable capacitor. Since a depletion layer formed in a PN junction of the variable capacitor can extend entirely across the N+ layer, reduction in variation range of the capacitance can be suppressed.

Abstract: An input matching parallel inductor 114 which utilizes a spiral inductor, and an input matching parallel capacitor 115 which utilizes an MIM capacitor, both being constituting elements of an input matching circuit portion 125, form an input matching parallel capacitor 115 inside an input matching circuit via-hole 121 being formed by applying a method of surface via-hole to the front surface of a GaAs substrate 124. A choke inductor 119 which utilizes a spiral inductor, and a bypass capacitor 120 which utilizes an MIM capacitor, both being constituting elements of a drain voltage feeding circuit 107, form a bypass capacitor 120 inside a drain voltage feeding circuit via-hole 123 formed by applying a method of surface via-hole to the front surface of the GaAs substrate 124. A drain voltage terminal 136 is extended by a drawing wire 135 from between the spiral inductor and the drain voltage feeding circuit via-hole 123.

Abstract: The invention concerns an intgrated inductor (20), consisting of a flat winding of one or several turns (21, 22, 23) made of a conductive material above a substrate provided with at least a subjacent conductive level wherein is produced, through a contact pick-up strip (12′), at least an intersection of the winding, the width of at least one turn and/or one interval between two turns being reduced in line with said contact pick-up strip.

Abstract: The integrated circuit comprises an inductor made at a metallization level of the circuit and a buried layer situated in the substrate of the integrated circuit under the said inductor, and connection means linking the inductor to the buried layer. The connection means are configured in such a way as to ensure the same potential in terms of dynamic response between the inductor and the buried layer. This equipotential is ensured by a transistor in a follower type arrangement made in the substrate and connected in parallel with the stray capacitances under the inductor.

Abstract: A novel complimentary shielded inductor on a semiconductor is disclosed. A region of electrically floating high resistive material is deposited between the inductor and the semiconductor substrate. The high resistive shield is patterned with a number of gaps, such that a current induced in the shield by the inductor does not have a closed loop path. The high resistive floating shield compliments a grounded low resistive shield to achieve higher performance inductors. In this fashion, noise in the substrate is reduced. The novel complimentary shield does not significantly degrade the figures of merit of the inductor, such as, quality factor and resonance frequency. In one embodiment, the grounded shield is made of patterned N-well (or P-well) structures. In still another embodiment, the low resistive electrically grounded shield is made of patterned Silicide, which may be formed on portions of the substrate itself.

Abstract: A new capacitor architecture includes a front plate of the capacitor formed form a first polysilicon layer. The front plate is surround by first and second dielectric layers. The back plate of the capacitor is formed from one layer of a first two-layer conductive structure which surrounds the first and second dielectric layer. The two layer structure is an equal potential structure and includes a conductive coupling between the two layers. In one embodiment, the back plate of the capacitor is formed from a metal layer. A third and fourth dielectric layers surround the first two-layer conductive structure. A second two-layer equal potential conductive structure surrounds the third and fourth dielectric layers. In one embodiment, the second two-layer equal potential conductive structure comprise an interconnect between a metal layer and the substrate.

Abstract: A spiral inductor, and manufacturing method therefore, is provided including a substrate and an inductor dielectric layer over the substrate having a spiral opening provided therein. A spiral inductor is in the spiral opening with the spiral inductor including a plurality of parallel spiral vias connected together at center proximate and center distal ends of the spiral inductor.

Abstract: A structure and method of making an NPN heterojunction bipolar transistor (100) includes a semiconductor substrate (11) with a first region (82) containing a dopant (86) for forming a base region of the transistor. A second region (84) adjacent to the first region is used to form an emitter region of the transistor. An interstitial trapping material (81) reduces diffusion of dopants in the base region during subsequent thermal processing.

Abstract: A spiral inductor comprising: a substrate; a protruding portion which is formed on the top face of the substrate and the top of which serves as a dummy element for controlling a chemical mechanical polishing process; and a conductive layer which is formed on the substrate so as to have a spiral shape and which serves as an induction element, wherein the protruding portion is formed in a region other than a region directly below the conductive layer.

Abstract: A method and structure for increasing an electrical resistance of a resistor that is within a semiconductor structure, by oxidizing or nitridizing a fraction of a surface layer of the resistor with oxygen/nitrogen (i.e., oxygen or nitrogen) particles, respectively. The semiconductor structure may include a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor chip, and an integrated circuit. The method and structure comprises five embodiments. The first embodiment comprises heating an interior of a heating chamber that includes the oxygen/nitrogen particles as gaseous oxygen/nitrogen-comprising molecules (e.g., molecular oxygen/nitrogen). The second embodiment comprises heating the fraction of the surface layer by a beam of radiation (e.g., laser radiation), or a beam of particles, such that the semiconductor structure is within a chamber that includes the oxygen/particles as gaseous oxygen/nitrogen-comprising molecules (e.g., molecular oxygen/nitrogen).

Abstract: An inductor for an integrated circuit or integrated circuit package comprises a three-dimensional structure. In one embodiment the inductor is arranged on an integrated circuit substrate in at least two rows, each row comprising upper segments and lower segments, with the upper segments being longer than the lower segments. The upper segments in a first row are offset 180 degrees from those in an adjoining row to provide greater coupling of magnetic flux. The materials and geometry are optimized to provide a low resistance inductor for use in high performance integrated circuits. In another embodiment the inductor is arranged on an integrated circuit package substrate. Also described are methods of fabricating the inductor on an integrated circuit or as part of an integrated circuit package.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) capacitive resonator and methods for manufacturing the same are invented and disclosed. In one embodiment, the MEMS capacitive resonator comprises a semiconductor resonating member and a polysilicon electrode capacitively coupled to the semiconductor resonating member.

Abstract: A gate electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween. A channel region composed of a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is formed in a region of a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate located below the gate electrode. Source/drain regions each composed of a second-conductivity-type impurity layer are formed in regions of the surface portion of the semiconductor substrate located on both sides of the gate electrode. Second-conductivity-type extension regions are formed between the channel region and respective upper portion of the source/drain regions in contact relation with the source/drain regions. First-conductivity-type pocket regions are formed between the channel region and respective lower portion of the source/drain regions in contact relation with the source/drain regions and in spaced relation to the gate insulating film.

Abstract: When a barrier metal disposed on a thin film resistor material is wet-etched to expose the underlying thin film resistor material as a thin film resistor, the wet etching is performed at first and second steps. The first step is performed using H2O2/NH4OH solution, and is stopped before the thin film resistor material is exposed. Then, the second step is performed using H2O2/H2O solution until the thin film resistor material is exposed with a desired length, thereby forming the thin film resistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate on which a circuit element forming region and a plurality of connection pads are formed, a first columnar electrode which is formed on a first connection pad so as to be electrically connected to the first connection pad, a first conductive layer which is formed on a second connection pad so as to be electrically connected to the second connection pad, an encapsulating film which is formed at least around the first columnar electrode, on the semiconductor substrate and on the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer which is formed on the encapsulating film so as to face the first conductive layer. A passive element is formed from the first and second conductive layers.

Abstract: A method of utilizing passive circuit components in an integrated circuit comprising the steps of providing a plurality of integrated capacitive elements and a plurality of integrated inductive elements interconnected to form an electrical circuit wherein each inductive element has a width and creates a circumferential magnetic field. Each integrated inductive element is oriented such that the circumferential magnetic field is parallel to the plane of each adjacent integrated capacitive element and parallel to the width of the integrated inductive element so that the resistance of the electrical circuit is decreased and the quality factor is increased.

Abstract: Multiple coupled inductors are formed in a well in a semiconductor device. The inductors, which preferably are spiral inductors, are strongly coupled with high quality factors. The coupled inductors may be used as efficient signal splitting and combining circuits.

Abstract: The invention relates to the protection of devices in a monolithic chip fabricated from an epitaxial wafer, such as a wafer for a Group III-V compound semiconductor or a wafer for a Group IV compound semiconductor. Devices fabricated from Group III-V compound semiconductors offer higher speed and better isolation than comparable devices from silicon semiconductors. Semiconductor devices can be permanently damaged when exposed to an undesired voltage transient such as electrostatic discharge (ESD). However, conventional techniques developed for silicon devices are not compatible with processing techniques for Group III-V compound semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs). Embodiments of the invention advantageously include transient voltage protection circuits that are relatively efficiently and reliably manufactured to protect sensitive devices from undesired voltage transients.

Abstract: An on-chip inductor may be fabricated by creating at least one dielectric layer, creating at least one conductive winding on the at least one dielectric layer and creating: (1) a P-well layer having a major surface parallel to a major surface of the dielectric layer, (2) field oxide layer having a major surface parallel to a major surface of the dielectric layer, (3) P-well and field oxide layer, or (4) a poly-silicon layer having a major surface parallel to a major surface of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor of type NPN has an active region at the surface of the component, which is surrounded, as seen along the surface of the component, in the conventional way by thick field oxide areas. The active region is partly covered by an electrically isolating surface layer, preferably comprising a nitride layer. A base region in the active region is defined by a well-defined opening, which is lithographically produced, in the electrically isolating surface layer. For a bipolar lateral transistor of type PNP, which instead has emitter and collector regions surrounded by such thick field oxide areas, the emitter and collector regions can in the corresponding way be defined by a lithographically defined opening in an electrically isolating surface layer. Owing to the well defined openings the base-collector capacitance and the emitter-collector capacitance respectively can be reduced in these cases, what results in better high frequency characteristics of the transistors.

Abstract: An on-chip decoupling capacitor cell is disclosed that is compatible with standard CMOS cells. A cell boundary defining the area of the cell includes a first transistor area and a second transistor area. A PMOS transistor having an n-well is formed within the first transistor area. The on-chip decoupling capacitor cell further includes an n-well extension that extends the n-well into the second transistor area, thereby providing a decoupling capacitor cell having reduced leakage compared to a CMOS capacitor cell, and increased capacitance per unit area compare with a traditional PMOS capacitor cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate made of P− type or P−− type silicon having a thickness of approximately 700 &mgr;m and a resistivity of 10 &OHgr;·cm to 1000 &OHgr;·cm is provided, a BOX layer with a thickness of 0.2 &mgr;m to 10 &mgr;m is provided on the semiconductor substrate and a p− type SOI layer is provided on this BOX layer. A first insulating film, which makes contact with the BOX layer, is locally buried in this p− type SOI layer and a CMOS is formed in a region of the p− type SOI layer wherein the above-described first insulating film is not provided. A second insulating film is provided above the first insulating film and over the CMOS, so as to cover the CMOS, and an inductor is provided on the region of this second insulating film corresponding to the first insulating film.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising a poly-emitter transistor (1) and a capacitor (2). A base electrode (14), a first electrode (16, 37) and an emitter window (18) are formed at the same time in a first polysilicon layer (13) covered with an insulating layer (25). Subsequently, the side walls of the electrodes (20, 39) and the wall (23) of the emitter window are covered at the same time with insulating spacers (22, 44) by depositing a layer of an insulating material, followed by an anisotropic etching process. The base (8) of the transistor is formed by ion implantation. The emitter (9) is formed by diffusion, from an emitter electrode (30) formed in a second polysilicon layer. Preferably, the first electrode of the capacitor consists of mutually connected strips (37).

Abstract: A method of integrated circuit component integration in copper interconnects, including the following steps of the first embodiment. A wafer is provided having an exposed top-most planar copper interconnect. The wafer being divided into one or more areas selected from the group consisting of: a spiral inductor area having an exposed planar copper interconnect bottom half of a stacked spiral inductor; a MIM capacitor area having an exposed planar copper interconnect bottom plate and an exposed planar copper interconnect contact point of a MIM capacitor; and a precision resistor area having a two exposed planar copper interconnect routing points of a precision resistor. A spiral inductor is formed within the spiral inductor area; a MIM capacitor is formed within the MIM capacitor area; and a precision resistor is formed within the precision resistor area.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device (10) having a low permittivity region (24) includes forming a first layer (30/42) over a surface of a trench (20), and etching through an opening (70) in the first layer that is smaller than a width (W2) of the trench to remove a first material (38) from the trench. A second material (44) is deposited to plug the opening to seal an air pocket (40) in the trench. The low permittivity region features air pockets with a high volume because the small size of the opening allows the second material to plug the trench without accumulating significantly in the trench.

Abstract: An n-well resistor device and its method of fabrication. The n-well resistor device of the present invention comprises a first n-type region and a second n-type region formed in an n-type silicon region. A gate dielectric layer formed on said n-type silicon region. A polysilicon gate formed on said gate dielectric.

Abstract: The present invention provides an acoustic transducer, or an array of such transducers, formed on a single integrated circuit chip, and a method of making the same, in which there is included an array of acoustic transducers, each capable of detecting an acoustic signal and generating a transducer signal, and including a first and second electrode with a void region disposed between the first and second electrode, and at least one signal line associated with one of the first and second electrodes. Disposed below the array of acoustic transducers is a plurality of amplifiers and other circuit components, such that each of the plurality of amplifiers is coupled to one of the signal lines associated with one of the acoustic transducers and is capable of amplifying the associated transducer signal to obtain an amplified transducer signal on an amplifier output signal line.