Multiple Layers Patents (Class 438/761)
  • Publication number: 20130032955
    Abstract: A system and method for a low-k dielectric layer are provided. A preferred embodiment comprises forming a matrix and forming a porogen within the matrix. The porogen comprises an organic ring structure with fewer than fifteen carbons and a large percentage of single bonds. Additionally, the porogen may have a viscosity greater than 1.3 and a Reynolds numbers less than 0.5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Joung-Wei Liou, Hui-Chun Yang, Yu-Yun Peng, Keng-Chu Lin
  • Patent number: 8362596
    Abstract: A dielectric capping layer having a dielectric constant of less than 4.2 is provided that exhibits a higher mechanical and electrical stability to UV and/or E-Beam radiation as compared to conventional dielectric capping layers. Also, the dielectric capping layer maintains a consistent compressive stress upon post-deposition treatments. The dielectric capping layer includes a tri-layered dielectric material in which at least one of the layers has good oxidation resistance, is resistance to conductive metal diffusion, and exhibits high mechanical stability under at least UV curing. The low k dielectric capping layer also includes nitrogen content layers that contain electron donors and double bond electrons. The low k dielectric capping layer also exhibits a high compressive stress and high modulus and is stable under post-deposition curing treatments, which leads to less film and device cracking and improved device reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephan A. Cohen, Alfred Grill, Thomas J. Haigh, Jr., Xiao H. Liu, Son V. Nguyen, Thomas M. Shaw, Hosadurga Shobha
  • Patent number: 8362571
    Abstract: Transistor architectures and fabrication processes generate channel strain without adversely impacting the efficiency of the transistor fabrication process while preserving the material quality and enhancing the performance of the resulting transistor. Transistor strain is generated is PMOS devices using a highly compressive post-salicide amorphous carbon capping layer applied as a blanket over on at least the source and drain regions. The stress from this capping layer is uniaxially transferred to the PMOS channel through the source-drain regions to create compressive strain in PMOS channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Qingguo Wu, James S. Sims, Mandyam Sriram, Seshasayee Varadarajan, Haiying Fu, Pramod Subramonium, Jon Henri, Sirish Reddy
  • Publication number: 20130020630
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device having a different gate structure in each of a plurality of device regions is described. The method may include a replacement gate process. The method includes forming a hard mask layer on oxide layers formed on one or more regions of the substrate. A high-k gate dielectric layer is formed on each of the first, second and third device regions. The high-k gate dielectric layer may be formed directly on the hard mask layer in a first and second device regions and directly on an interfacial layer formed in a third device region. A semiconductor device including a plurality of devices (e.g., transistors) having different gate dielectrics formed on the same substrate is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., ("TSMC")
    Inventors: Da-Yuan Lee, Kuang-Yuan Hsu
  • Patent number: 8354306
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display device includes: sequentially forming a thin film transistor (TFT) array, a first electrode, a bank pattern, a spacer, and a first relevant layer on an acceptor substrate; sequentially forming a metal pattern and an organic light emission material layer on a doner substrate; aligning and attaching the acceptor substrate and the doner substrate, and forming the light emission layer by transferring the organic light emission material onto the acceptor substrate by applying power to the metal pattern; and sequentially forming the second relevant layer and the second electrode on the light emission layer-formed acceptor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Woochan Kim, Byungchul Ahn, Changwook Han
  • Publication number: 20130009264
    Abstract: A moisture barrier, device or product having a moisture barrier or a method of fabricating a moisture barrier having at least a polymer layer, and interfacial layer, and a barrier layer. The polymer layer may be fabricated from any suitable polymer including, but not limited to, fluoropolymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), or ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE). The interfacial layer may be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD). In embodiments featuring an ALD interfacial layer, the deposited interfacial substance may be, but is not limited to, Al2O3, AlSiOx, TiO2, and an Al2O3/TiO2 laminate. The barrier layer associated with the interfacial layer may be deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). The barrier layer may be a SiOxNy film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicants: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, BENEQ OY
    Inventors: Joel W. Pankow, Gary J. Jorgensen, Kent M. Terwilliger, Stephen H. Glick, Nora Isomaki, Kari Harkonen, Tommy Turkulainen
  • Patent number: 8349746
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the formation of microelectronic structures. Low k dielectric materials need to exhibit a dielectric constant of less than about 2.6 for the next technology node of 32 nm. The present invention enables the formation of semiconductor devices which make use of such low k dielectric materials while providing an improved flexural and shear strength integrity of the microelectronic structure as a whole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Bo Xie, Alexandros T. Demos, Daemian Raj, Sure Ngo, Kang Sub Yim
  • Patent number: 8349743
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for fabricating a light emitting device. The method includes forming an oxide including gallium aluminum over a gallium oxide substrate, forming a nitride including gallium aluminum over the oxide including gallium aluminum and forming a light emitting structure over the nitride including gallium aluminum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Tae Moon
  • Patent number: 8349741
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to materials and processes for patterning and etching features in a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, a method of forming a composite amorphous carbon layer is provided. The method comprises positioning a substrate in a process chamber, introducing a hydrocarbon source gas into the process chamber, introducing a diluent source gas into the process chamber, introducing a plasma-initiating gas into the process chamber, generating a plasma in the process chamber, forming an amorphous carbon initiation layer on the substrate, wherein the hydrocarbon source gas has a volumetric flow rate to diluent source gas flow rate ratio of 1:12 or less, and forming a bulk amorphous carbon layer on the amorphous carbon initiation layer, wherein a hydrocarbon source gas used to form the bulk amorphous carbon layer has a volumetric flow rate to a diluent source gas flow rate of 1:6 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Hang Yu, Deenesh Padhi, Man-Ping Cai, Naomi Yoshida, Li Yan Miao, Siu F. Cheng, Shahid Shaikh, Sohyun Park, Heung Lak Park, Bok Hoen Kim
  • Publication number: 20130001603
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display device comprises a first substrate, an insulation layer having an inclined structure, a first electrode, a pixel defining layer defining a luminescent region and a non-luminescent region, an organic light emitting structure, a second electrode and a second substrate. Lateral portions of the first electrode, the second electrode and/or the pixel defining layer may have an inclination angle for preventing a total reflection of light generated from the organic light emitting structure, so that the organic light emitting display device may ensure a light efficiency substantially larger than that of the conventional organic light emitting display device by about at least 30 percent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Jae-Ik Lim, Won-Sang Park, Soo-Min Baek, Min-Woo Kim, Il-Nam Kim, Jae-Kyoung Kim
  • Publication number: 20120326766
    Abstract: Device structures, fabrication methods, operating methods, and design structures for a silicon controlled rectifier. The method includes applying a mechanical stress to a region of a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR. The device and design structures include a SCR with an anode, a cathode, a first region, and a second region of opposite conductivity type to the first region. The first and second regions of the SCR are disposed in a current-carrying path between the anode and cathode of the SCR. A layer is positioned on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate relative to the first region and configured to cause a mechanical stress in the first region of the SCR at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Renata Camillo-Castillo, Erik M. Dahlstrom, Robert J. Gauthier, JR., Ephrem G. Gebreselasie, Richard A. Phelps, Yun Shi, Andreas D. Stricker
  • Publication number: 20120329244
    Abstract: A structure for a semiconductor component is provided having a bi-layer capping coating integrated and built on supporting layer to be transferred. The bi-layer capping protects the layer to be transferred from possible degradation resulting from the attachment and removal processes of the carrier assembly used for layer transfer. A wafer-level layer transfer process using this structure is enabled to create three-dimensional integrated circuits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sampath Purushothaman, Anna W. Topol
  • Patent number: 8338239
    Abstract: A CMOS chip comprising a high performance device region and a high density device region includes a plurality of high performance devices comprising n-type field effect transistors (NFETs) and p-type field effect transistors (PFETs) in the high performance device region, wherein the high performance devices have a high performance pitch; and a plurality of high density devices comprising NFETs and PFETs in the high density device region, wherein the high density devices have a high density pitch, and wherein the high performance pitch is about 2 to 3 times the high density pitch; wherein the high performance device region comprises doped source and drain regions, NFET gate regions having an elevated stress induced using stress memorization technique (SMT), gate and source/drain silicide regions, and a dual stressed liner, and wherein the high density device region comprises doped source and drain regions, gate silicide regions, and a neutral stressed liner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Leland Chang, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey Sleight
  • Patent number: 8338205
    Abstract: A method of fabricating and encapsulating MEMS devices is disclosed, using least two carbon films as the dual sacrificial layers sandwiching a MEMS structural film which is anchored onto a substrate and covered by an encapsulating film containing a plurality of thru-film sacrificial release holes. The dual sacrificial carbon films are selectively removed via plasma-enhanced oxygen or nitrogen ashing through the thru-film sacrificial release holes for releasing the MEMS structural film inside a cavity formed between the encapsulating film and the substrate. The thru-film sacrificial release holes, preferably with a relative high asperity ratio, are then sealed off by depositing a hole-sealing film in a physical vapor deposition process or a chemical vapor deposition process or combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Shanghai Lexvu Opto Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Herb He Huang
  • Publication number: 20120322219
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes forming a base region for a transistor using a base mask and forming a contact region to the base region. The contact region is formed in an area that is at least partially outside of the base mask. The method then forms an emitter region in a diffused base region. The base region diffuses outwardly to be formed under the contact region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: DIODES ZETEX SEMICONDUCTORS LIMITED
    Inventor: David Neil Casey
  • Publication number: 20120322272
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising: forming n-channel field-effect transistors on a silicon substrate; forming a first insulating film covering the field-effect transistors; shrinking the first insulating film; forming a second insulating film over the first insulating film; and shrinking the second insulating film, wherein the forming an insulating film covering the field-effect transistors and the shrinking the insulating film are repeated a plurality of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventors: Tamotsu Owada, Hirofumi Watatani
  • Patent number: 8334219
    Abstract: A method of forming stress-tuned dielectric films having Si—N bonds on a semiconductor substrate by modified plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), includes: introducing a nitrogen-and hydrogen-containing reactive gas and an additive gas into a reaction space inside which a semiconductor substrate is placed; applying RF power to the reaction space using a high frequency RF power source and a low frequency RF power source; and introducing a hydrogen-containing silicon precursor in pulses into the reaction space wherein a plasma is excited, thereby forming a stress-tuned dielectric film having Si—N bonds on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Woo-Jin Lee, Kuo-Wei Hong, Akira Shimuzu
  • Publication number: 20120313181
    Abstract: A stress film forming method is used in a fabrication process of a semiconductor device. Firstly, a substrate is provided, wherein a first-polarity-channel MOSFET and a second-polarity-channel MOSFET are formed on the substrate. Then, at least one deposition-curing cycle process is performed to form a cured stress film over the first-polarity-channel MOSFET and the second-polarity-channel MOSFET. Afterwards, an additional deposition process is performed form a non-cured stress film on the cured stress film, wherein the cured stress film and the non-cured stress film are collectively formed as a seamless stress film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chun-Min Wang, An-Chi Liu, Hsin-Hsing Chen, Chih-Chun Wang
  • Patent number: 8329528
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes an n-channel transistor including n-type source/drain regions and a first gate electrode, a first sidewall insulating film formed on a side wall of the first gate electrode and having a Young's modulus smaller than a Young's modulus of silicon, a p-channel transistor including p-type source/drain regions and a second gate electrode, a second sidewall insulating film formed on a side wall of the second gate electrode and having a Young's modulus larger than the Young's modulus of silicon, a tensile stressor film formed, covering the n-channel transistor, and a compressive stressor film formed, covering the p-channel transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: Masashi Shima
  • Patent number: 8329571
    Abstract: Methods of forming ternary III-nitride materials include epitaxially growing ternary III-nitride material on a substrate in a chamber. The epitaxial growth includes providing a precursor gas mixture within the chamber that includes a relatively high ratio of a partial pressure of a nitrogen precursor to a partial pressure of one or more Group III precursors in the chamber. Due at least in part to the relatively high ratio, a layer of ternary III-nitride material may be grown to a high final thickness with small V-pit defects therein. Semiconductor structures including such ternary III-nitride material layers are fabricated using such methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Christophe Figuet, Pierre Tomasini
  • Patent number: 8323736
    Abstract: Some embodiments include methods of forming metal-containing structures. A first metal-containing material may be formed over a substrate. After the first metal-containing material is formed, and while the substrate is within a reaction chamber, hydrogen-containing reactant may be used to form a hydrogen-containing layer over the first metal-containing material. The hydrogen-containing reactant may be, for example, formic acid and/or formaldehyde. Any unreacted hydrogen-containing reactant may be purged from within the reaction chamber, and then metal-containing precursor may be flowed into the reaction chamber. The hydrogen-containing layer may be used during conversion of the metal-containing precursor into a second metal-containing material that forms directly against the first metal-containing material. Some embodiments include methods of forming germanium-containing structures, such as, for example, methods of forming phase change materials containing germanium, antimony and tellurium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Quick, Eugene P. Marsh
  • Patent number: 8323402
    Abstract: Methods of growing and manufacturing aluminum nitride crystal, and aluminum nitride crystal produced by the methods. Preventing sublimation of the starting substrate allows aluminum nitride crystal of excellent crystallinity to be grown at improved growth rates. The aluminum nitride crystal growth method includes the following steps. Initially, a laminar baseplate is prepared, furnished with a starting substrate having a major surface and a back side, a first layer formed on the back side, and a second layer formed on the first layer. Aluminum nitride crystal is then grown onto the major surface of the starting substrate by vapor deposition. The first layer is made of a substance that at the temperatures at which the aluminum nitride crystal is grown is less liable to sublimate than the starting substrate. The second layer is made of a substance whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Tanizaki, Naho Mizuhara, Michimasa Miyanaga, Hideaki Nakahata, Yoshiyuki Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20120302071
    Abstract: A substrate structure is produced by forming a first material layer on a substrate having a recess, removing the first material layer from the portion of the substrate except for the recess using a second material that reacts with the first material, and forming a deposition film from the first material layer using a third material that reacts with the first material. A method of manufacturing a device may include the method of forming a substrate structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: SYNOS TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Sang In LEE
  • Patent number: 8318612
    Abstract: The invention provides methods which can be applied during the epitaxial growth of two or more layers of Group III-nitride semiconductor materials so that the qualities of successive layer are successively improved. In preferred embodiments, surface defects interact with a protective layer of a protective material to form amorphous complex regions capable of preventing the further propagation of defects and dislocations. The invention also includes semiconductor structures fabricated by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignees: Soitec, Arizona Board of Regents for and on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Chantal Arena, Subhash Mahajan
  • Patent number: 8318611
    Abstract: Combinatorial plasma enhanced deposition techniques are described, including designating multiple regions of a substrate, providing a precursor to at least a first region of the multiple regions, and providing a plasma to the first region to deposit a first material on the first region formed using the first precursor, wherein the first material is different from a second material formed on a second region of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventors: Sunil Shanker, Tony P. Chiang
  • Patent number: 8318584
    Abstract: The formation of a gap-filling silicon oxide layer with reduced volume fraction of voids is described. The deposition involves the formation of an oxygen-rich less-flowable liner layer before an oxygen-poor more-flowable gapfill layer. However, the liner layer is deposited within the same chamber as the gapfill layer. The liner layer and the gapfill layer may both be formed by combining a radical component with an unexcited silicon-containing precursor (i.e. not directly excited by application of plasma power). The liner layer has more oxygen content than the gapfill layer and deposits more conformally. The deposition rate of the gapfill layer may be increased by the presence of the liner layer. The gapfill layer may contain silicon, oxygen and nitrogen and be converted at elevated temperature to contain more oxygen and less nitrogen. The presence of the gapfill liner provides a source of oxygen underneath the gapfill layer to augment the gas phase oxygen introduced during the conversion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: DongQing Li, Jingmei Liang, Nitin K. Ingle
  • Publication number: 20120295409
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating three-dimensional semiconductor memory devices including forming a plate stack structure with insulating layers and sacrificial layers stacked alternatingly on a substrate, forming first and second trenches separating the plate stack structure into a plurality of mold structures, the first trench being between the second trenches, forming first vertical insulating separators in the first and second trenches, forming semiconductor patterns penetrating the mold structure and being spaced apart from the first and second trenches, removing the first vertical insulating separator from the second trench to expose the sacrificial layers, removing the sacrificial layers exposed by the second trench to form recess regions partially exposing the semiconductor patterns and the first vertical insulating separator, and forming conductive patterns in the recess regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Jumi Yun, Kwangmin Park, Dongchul Yoo, Byong-hyun Jang
  • Publication number: 20120289061
    Abstract: A hybrid deposition process of CVD and ALD, called NanoLayer Deposition (NLD) is provided. The NLD process is a cyclic sequential deposition process, including introducing a first plurality of precursors to deposit a thin film and introducing a second plurality of precursors to modify the deposited thin film. The deposition using the first set of precursors is not self limiting and is a function of substrate temperature and process time. The second set of precursors modifies the already deposited film characteristics. The second set of precursors can treat the deposited film, including treatments such as modification of film composition and doping or removal of impurities from the deposited film. The second set of precursors can also deposit another layer on the deposited film. The additional layer can react with the existing layer to form a compound layer, or can have minimum reaction to form a nanolaminate film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: ASM INTERNATIONAL N.V.
    Inventors: Tue Nguyen, Tai Dung Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20120280372
    Abstract: To provide a method for reducing a thickness of an interfacial layer, which contains: (a) forming a film of an oxide of a first metal on a semiconductor layer via an oxide film of a semiconducdor serving as an interfacial layer; and (b) forming a film of an oxide of a second metal on the film of the oxide of the first metal, where the second metal has higher valency than that of the first metal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Naoto Umezawa, Toyohiro Chikyo, Toshihide Nabatame
  • Publication number: 20120280369
    Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising simultaneously or alternately exposing a substrate, which has two or more kinds of thin films having different elemental components laminated or exposed; and performing different modification treatments to the thin films respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tatsuyuki Saito, Kazuhiro Yuasa, Yoshiro Hirose, Yuji Takebayashi, Ryota Sasajima, Katsuhiko Yamamoto, Hirohisa Yamazaki, Shintaro Kogura, Hirotaka Hamamura
  • Patent number: 8304351
    Abstract: Methods of forming a dielectric layer are described. The methods include the steps of mixing a silicon-containing precursor with a plasma effluent, and depositing a silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer on a substrate. The silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer is converted to a silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer by curing in an ozone-containing atmosphere in the same substrate processing region used for depositing the silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer. Another silicon-and-nitrogen-containing layer may be deposited on the silicon-and-oxygen-containing layer and the stack of layers may again be cured in ozone all without removing the substrate from the substrate processing region. After an integral multiple of dep-cure cycles, the conversion of the stack of silicon-and-oxygen-containing layers may be annealed at a higher temperature in an oxygen-containing environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Linlin Wang, Abhijit Basu Mallick, Nitin K. Ingle, Shankar Venkataraman
  • Publication number: 20120276752
    Abstract: Hardmask films having high hardness and low stress are provided. In some embodiments a film has a stress of between about ?600 MPa and 600 MPa and hardness of at least about 12 GPa. In some embodiments, a hardmask film is prepared by depositing multiple sub-layers of doped or undoped silicon carbide using multiple densifying plasma post-treatments in a PECVD process chamber. In some embodiments, a hardmask film includes a high-hardness boron-containing film selected from the group consisting of SixByCz, SixByNz, SixByCzNw, BxCy, and BxNy. In some embodiments, a hardmask film includes a germanium-rich GeNx material comprising at least about 60 atomic % of germanium. These hardmasks can be used in a number of back-end and front-end processing schemes in integrated circuit fabrication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Vishwanathan RANGARAJAN, George Andrew ANTONELLI, Ananda BANERJI, Bart VAN SCHRAVENDIJK
  • Publication number: 20120276714
    Abstract: A method of oxidizing polysilazane is disclosed, comprising providing a substrate, comprising a trench, forming a polysilazane layer in the trench, and treating the polysilazane layer in an acid containing solution applied with mega-sonic waves to oxidize the polysilazane layer, wherein the acid containing solution comprises phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, H2SO4 added with O3 (SOM), H2SO4 added with H2O2 (SPM), H3PO4 added with O3, or H3PO4 added with H2O2, and removing the silicon oxide layer outside of the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shing-Yih Shih, Yi-Nan Chen, Hsien-Wen Liu
  • Publication number: 20120261758
    Abstract: The invention relates to integrated circuit fabrication, and more particularly to a semiconductor device with a gate dielectric layer. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises a substrate having a first active region; a first gate structure over the first active region, wherein the first gate structure comprises a first interfacial layer having a convex top surface; a first high-k dielectric over the first interfacial layer; and a first gate electrode over the first high-k dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Wei-Yang LEE, Xiong-Fei YU, Da-Yuan LEE, Kuang-Yuan HSU
  • Patent number: 8288804
    Abstract: Provided is a carbon nanotube field effect transistor manufacturing method wherein carbon nanotube field effect transistors having excellent stable electric conduction property are manufactured with excellent reproducibility. After arranging carbon nanotubes to be a channel on a substrate, the carbon nanotubes are covered with an insulating protection film. Then, a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed on the insulating protection film. At this time, a contact hole is formed on the protection film, and the carbon nanotubes are connected with the source electrode and the drain electrode. Then, a wiring protection film, a conductive film and a plasma CVD film are sequentially formed on the insulating protection film, the source electrode and the drain electrode. In the field effect transistor thus manufactured, since the carbon nanotubes to be the channel are not contaminated and not damaged, excellent stable electric conductive property is exhibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kikuchi, Osamu Takahashi, Katsunori Kondo, Tomoaki Yamabayashi, Kunio Ogasawara, Tadashi Ishigaki, Yutaka Hienuki, Motonori Nakamura, Agus Subagyo
  • Publication number: 20120255612
    Abstract: Discloses is a method for depositing a thin metal oxide film on a substrate, comprising: providing a substrate (104); sequentially and alternatingly exposing a surface of said substrate to a first metal precursor and a first oxidant precursor, so as to deposit a first portion (116) of said metal oxide film (114) having a first thickness; and sequentially and alternatingly exposing the surface of the substrate to a second metal precursor and a second oxidant precursor, so as to deposit a second portion (118) of said metal oxide film (114) having a second thickness over said first portion of said metal oxide film, wherein the second oxidant precursor is ozone or oxygen plasma, while the first oxidant precursor is a milder oxidant than ozone. Also disclosed is a solar cell (100) including a metal oxide passivation film (114) deposited by said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Inventor: Dieter Pierreux
  • Patent number: 8283263
    Abstract: An integrated circuit method for manufacturing an integrated circuit system including loading a wafer into a processing chamber and pre-purging the processing chamber with a first ammonia gas. Depositing a first nitride layer over the wafer and purging the processing chamber with a second ammonia gas. Depositing a second nitride layer over the first nitride layer that is misaligned with the first nitride layer. Post-purging the processing chamber with a third ammonia gas and purging the processing chamber with a nitrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Sripad Sheshagiri Nagarad, Hwa Weng Koh, Dong Kyun Sohn, Xiaoyu Chen, Louis Lim, Sung Mun Jung, Chiew Wah Yap, Pradeep Ramachandramurthy Yelehanka, Nitin Kamat
  • Patent number: 8283264
    Abstract: A system for processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The system includes a mainframe having a plurality of modules attached thereto. The modules include processing modules, storage modules, and transport mechanisms. The processing modules may include combinatorial processing modules and conventional processing modules, such as surface preparation, thermal treatment, etch and deposition modules. In one embodiment, at least one of the modules stores multiple masks. The multiple masks enable in-situ variation of spatial location and geometry across a sequence of processes and/or multiple layers of a substrate to be processed in another one of the modules. A method for processing a substrate is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony P. Chiang, Richard Endo, James Tsung
  • Patent number: 8278218
    Abstract: An electrical conductor having a multilayer diffusion barrier of use in a resultant semiconductor device is presented. The electrical conductor line includes an insulation layer, a diffusion barrier, and a metal line. The insulation layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a metal line forming region. The diffusion barrier is formed on a surface of the metal line forming region of the insulation layer and has a multi-layered structure made of TaN layer, an MoxOy layer and an Mo layer. The metal line is formed on the diffusion barrier to fill the metal line forming region of the insulation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Joon Seok Oh, Seung Jin Yeom, Baek Mann Kim, Dong Ha Jung, Jeong Tae Kim, Nam Yeal Lee, Jae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 8273668
    Abstract: Methods of forming a pattern and methods of fabricating a semiconductor device having a pattern are provided, the methods include forming a self-assembly induction layer including a first region and a second region on a semiconductor substrate. A block copolymer layer is coated on the self-assembly induction layer. A first pattern, a second pattern and a third pattern are formed by phase separating the block copolymer. At least one of the first, second and third patterns may be removed to form a preliminary pattern. An etching process may be performed using the preliminary pattern as an etching mask. The first pattern contains the same material as that of the second pattern, and the third pattern contains a material different from that of the first pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Dong Ki Yoon, Shiyong Yi, Kyoungseon Kim, Seongwoon Choi, Seokhwan Oh, Sang Ouk Kim, Seung Hak Park
  • Patent number: 8273667
    Abstract: The present invention related to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. More particularly, this method describes how to manufacture a semiconductor device having a porous, low dielectric constant layer formed between metal lines, comprising an insulation layer enveloping fillers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Chang Soo Park
  • Patent number: 8274146
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a high speed circuit, an interconnect pad, a passivation layer under the interconnect pad, a first patterned metal layer, and a first via. The high speed circuit is for a high speed signal at a terminal of the high speed circuit. The interconnect pad is on a top surface of the integrated circuit structure. The first patterned metal layer is under the passivation layer having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the first patterned metal layer is connected to the terminal of the high speed circuit. The second portion of the first patterned metal layer is under the interconnect pad and is electrically floating when the high frequency signal is present on the interconnect pad portion. The result is reduced capacitive loading on the high speed signal which improves performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Stockinger, Kevin J. Hess, James W. Miller
  • Publication number: 20120238107
    Abstract: A processing method for forming a structure including an amorphous carbon film includes performing a preliminary treatment of removing water from a surface of the underlying layer by heating the inside of the reaction chamber at a preliminary treatment temperature of 800 to 950° C. and supplying a preliminary treatment gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen gas and ammonia gas into the reaction chamber while exhausting gas from inside the reaction chamber; and, then performing main CVD of forming an amorphous carbon film on the underlying layer by heating the inside of the reaction chamber at a main process temperature and supplying a hydrocarbon gas into the reaction chamber while exhausting gas from inside the reaction chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Okada, Yukio Tojo
  • Patent number: 8268730
    Abstract: A method for fabricating semiconductor device structures includes forming a non-conformal mask over a surface of a substrate. Non-conformal mask material with a planar or substantially planar upper surface is formed on the surface of the substrate. The planarity or substantial planarity of the non-conformal material eliminates or substantially eliminates distortion in a “mask” formed thereover and, thus, eliminates or substantially eliminates distortion in any mask that is subsequently formed using the pattern of the mask. In some embodiments, mask material of the non-conformal mask does not extend into recesses in the upper surface of the substrate; instead it “bridges” the recesses. Semiconductor device structures that include non-conformal masks and semiconductor device structures that have been fabricated with non-conformal masks are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: David H. Wells
  • Patent number: 8263464
    Abstract: A memory structure that combines embedded flash memory and PPROM. The PPROM can be used as a memory structure. The flash memory can be used, e.g., as air replacement cells or back up memory, or additional memory cells. The PPROM cells are stacked on top of the flash memory cells and the PPROM density can be increased by implementing three-dimensional PPROM structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chao I Wu
  • Publication number: 20120225251
    Abstract: Lithographic and nanolithographic methods that involve patterning a first compound on a substrate surface, exposing non-patterned areas of the substrate surface to a second compound and removing the first compound while leaving the second compound intact. The resulting hole patterns can be used as templates for either chemical etching of the patterned area of the substrate or metal deposition on the patterned area of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Chad A. Mirkin, Khalid Salaita
  • Publication number: 20120220131
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor memory device includes forming a photoresist layer on a substrate, performing an exposure process such by illuminating a first area of the photoresist layer with a first amount of a light and illuminating a second area of the photoresist layer with a light of a second amount smaller than the first amount, removing the first area of the photoresist layer to form a photoresist pattern, and forming a capping layer on a surface of the photoresist pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventor: Tae-Seung EOM
  • Publication number: 20120220086
    Abstract: Methods are provided for fabricating a CMOS integrated circuit having a dual stress layer without NiSi hole formation. One method includes depositing a tensile stress layer overlying a semiconductor substrate. A portion of the tensile stress layer is removed, leaving a remaining portion, before applying a curing radiation. A curing radiation is then applied to the remaining portion; and a compressive stress layer is deposited overlying the semiconductor substrate and the remaining portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Peter Baars, Marco Lepper, Clemens Fitz
  • Patent number: 8252685
    Abstract: Techniques to improve characteristics of processed semiconductor substrates are described, including cleaning a substrate using a preclean process, the substrate comprising a dielectric region and a conductive region, introducing a hydroquinone to the substrate after cleaning the substrate using the preclean operation, and forming a capping layer over the conductive region of the substrate after introducing the hydroquinone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Intermolecular, Inc.
    Inventors: Anh Ngoc Duong, Chi-I Lang
  • Patent number: 8252697
    Abstract: Methods of forming transparent zinc-tin oxide structures are described. Devices that include transparent zinc-tin oxide structures as at least one of a channel layer in a transistor or a transparent film disposed over an electrical device that is at a substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kie Y. Ahn, Leonard Forbes