| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20100221906 | ENHANCING INTEGRITY OF A HIGH-K GATE STACK BY CONFINING A METAL CAP LAYER AFTER DEPOSITION - During a manufacturing sequence for forming a sophisticated high-k metal gate structure, a cover layer, such as a silicon layer, may be deposited on a metal cap layer in an in situ process in order to enhance integrity of the metal cap layer. The cover layer may provide superior integrity during the further processing, for instance in view of performing wet chemical cleaning processes and the subsequent deposition of a silicon gate material. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100244141 | THRESHOLD ADJUSTMENT OF TRANSISTORS INCLUDING HIGH-K METAL GATE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES COMPRISING AN INTERMEDIATE ETCH STOP LAYER - During the formation of sophisticated gate electrode structures, a replacement gate approach may be applied in which plasma assisted etch processes may be avoided. To this end, one of the gate electrode structures may receive an intermediate etch stop liner, which may allow the replacement of the placeholder material and the adjustment of the work function in a later manufacturing stage. The intermediate etch stop liner may not negatively affect the gate patterning sequence. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100301427 | WORK FUNCTION ADJUSTMENT IN HIGH-K METAL GATE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES BY SELECTIVELY REMOVING A BARRIER LAYER - In a replacement gate approach in sophisticated semiconductor devices, a tantalum nitride etch stop material may be efficiently removed on the basis of a wet chemical etch recipe using ammonium hydroxide. Consequently, a further work function adjusting material may be formed with superior uniformity, while the efficiency of the subsequent adjusting of the work function may also be increased. Thus, superior uniformity, i.e., less pronounced transistor variability, may be accomplished on the basis of a replacement gate approach in which the work function of the gate electrodes of P-channel transistors and N-channel transistors is adjusted after completing the basic transistor configuration. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100330790 | TECHNIQUE FOR EXPOSING A PLACEHOLDER MATERIAL IN A REPLACEMENT GATE APPROACH BY MODIFYING A REMOVAL RATE OF STRESSED DIELECTRIC OVERLAYERS - In a replacement gate approach, the sacrificial gate material is exposed on the basis of enhanced process uniformity, for instance during a wet chemical etch step or a CMP process, by forming a modified portion in the interlayer dielectric material by ion implantation. Consequently, the damaged portion may be removed with an increased removal rate while avoiding the creation of polymer contaminants when applying an etch process or avoiding over-polish time when applying a CMP process. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20110073963 | SUPERIOR FILL CONDITIONS IN A REPLACEMENT GATE APPROACH BY CORNER ROUNDING PRIOR TO COMPLETELY REMOVING A PLACEHOLDER MATERIAL - In a replacement gate approach, a superior cross-sectional shape of the gate opening may be achieved by performing a material erosion process in an intermediate state of removing the placeholder material. Consequently, the remaining portion of the placeholder material may efficiently protect the underlying sensitive materials, such as a high-k dielectric material, when performing the corner rounding process sequence. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110101470 | HIGH-K METAL GATE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES FORMED BY SEPARATE REMOVAL OF PLACEHOLDER MATERIALS IN TRANSISTORS OF DIFFERENT CONDUCTIVITY TYPE - In a replacement gate approach, a superior cross-sectional shape of the gate opening may be achieved by performing a material erosion process in an intermediate state of removing the placeholder material. Consequently, the remaining portion of the placeholder material may efficiently protect the underlying sensitive materials, such as a high-k dielectric material, when performing the corner rounding process sequence. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110127590 | INCREASING STABILITY OF A HIGH-K GATE DIELECTRIC OF A HIGH-K GATE STACK BY AN OXYGEN RICH TITANIUM NITRIDE CAP LAYER - In a replacement gate approach, the oxygen contents of a cap material may be increased, thereby providing more stable characteristics of the cap material itself and of the high-k dielectric material. Consequently, upon providing a work function adjusting metal species at a very advanced manufacturing stage, corresponding additional treatments may be reduced in number or may even be completely avoided, while at the same time threshold voltage variations may be reduced. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110127613 | HIGH-K METAL GATE ELECTRODE STRUCTURES FORMED BY SEPARATE REMOVAL OF PLACEHOLDER MATERIALS USING A MASKING REGIME PRIOR TO GATE PATTERNING - In a replacement gate approach in sophisticated semiconductor devices, the place-holder material of gate electrode structures of different type are separately removed. Furthermore, electrode metal may be selectively formed in the resulting gate opening, thereby providing superior process conditions in adjusting a respective work function of gate electrode structures of different type. In one illustrative embodiment, the separate forming of gate openings in gate electrode structures of different type may be based on a mask material that is provided in a gate layer stack. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110266633 | Semiconductor Device Comprising Metal Gates and Semiconductor Resistors Formed on the Basis of a Replacement Gate Approach - In a replacement gate approach, the semiconductor material or at least a significant portion thereof in a non-transistor structure, such as a precision resistor, an electronic fuse and the like, may be preserved upon replacing the semiconductor material in the gate electrode structures. To this end, an appropriate dielectric material may be provided at least prior to the removal of the semiconductor material in the gate electrode structures, without requiring significant modifications of established replacement gate approaches. | 11-03-2011 |
