| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080204200 | Systems and methods of locating raido frequency identification tags by radio frequencey technology - Methods and systems with one or more mobile transceivers to locate position of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags via radio frequency (RF) technology are disclosed. The systems called RF Locator (RFL) include at least one mobile RF transceiver and other functional components such as, a globe positioning system (GPS), a processor, and a display. Information of space positions, times and physical characteristics related to RF signals are collected sequentially by the mobile transceiver(s) during RFID tag locating process. The processor calculates the location of the RFID tag by using the collected information. Two methods to determine the location of the RFID tag are disclosed in this invention. The first method is to utilize the information of space positions and times. The second method is to use the information of space positions and RF signal characteristics. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080217696 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR CONTROLLING STRESS IN A TRANSISTOR CHANNEL - A method for manufacturing a device including an n-type device and a p-type device. In an aspect of the invention, the method involves forming a shallow-trench-isolation oxide (STI) isolating the n-type device from the p-type device. The method further involves adjusting the shallow-trench-isolation oxide corresponding to at least one of the n-type device and the p-type device such that a thickness of the shallow-trench-isolation oxide adjacent to the n-type device is different from a thickness of the shallow-trench-isolation oxide adjacent to the p-type device, and forming a strain layer over the semiconductor substrate. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080220581 | OPTO-THERMAL ANNEALING METHODS FOR FORMING METAL GATE AND FULLY SILICIDED GATE-FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - An opto-thermal annealing method for forming a field effect transistor uses a reflective metal gate so that electrical properties of the metal gate and also interface between the metal gate and a gate dielectric are not compromised when opto-thermal annealing a source/drain region adjacent the metal gate. Another opto-thermal annealing method may be used for simultaneously opto-thermally annealing: (1) a silicon layer and a silicide forming metal layer to form a fully silicided gate; and (2) a source/drain region to form an annealed source/drain region. An additional opto-thermal annealing method may use a thermal insulator layer in conjunction with a thermal absorber layer to selectively opto-thermally anneal a silicon layer and a silicide forming metal layer to form a fully silicide gate. | 09-11-2008 |
| 20080224216 | STRAINED HOT (HYBRID OREINTATION TECHNOLOGY) MOSFETs - A strained HOT MOSFET. The MOSFET includes (a) a first semiconductor layer having a first crystallographic orientation; (b) a buried oxide layer on top of the first semiconductor layer; (c) a second semiconductor layer on top of the buried oxide layer, wherein the second semiconductor layer has a second crystallographic orientation, and wherein the second crystallographic orientation is different from the first crystallographic orientation; (d) a third semiconductor layer on top of the first semiconductor layer, wherein the third semiconductor layer has the first crystallographic orientation; and (e) a fourth semiconductor layer on top of the third semiconductor layer, wherein the fourth semiconductor layer includes a different material than that of the third semiconductor layer, and wherein the fourth semiconductor layer has the first crystallographic orientation. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080224231 | TRANSISTORS HAVING V-SHAPE SOURCE/DRAIN METAL CONTACTS - A semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes (a) a semiconductor layer, (b) a gate dielectric region, and (c) a gate electrode region. The gate electrode region is electrically insulated from the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer comprises a channel region, a first and a second source/drain regions. The channel region is disposed between the first and second source/drain regions and directly beneath and electrically insulated from the gate electrode region. The semiconductor structure further includes (d) a first and a second electrically conducting regions, and (e) a first and a second contact regions. The first electrically conducting region and the first source/drain region are in direct physical contact with each other at a first and a second common surfaces. The first and second common surfaces are not coplanar. The first contact region overlaps both the first and second common surfaces. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080224258 | SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTUE WITH MULTIPLE FINS HAVING DIFFERENT CHANNEL REGION HEIGHTS AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE - Disclosed are embodiments of a semiconductor structure with fins that are positioned on the same planar surface of a wafer and that have channel regions with different heights. In one embodiment the different channel region heights are accomplished by varying the overall heights of the different fins. In another embodiment the different channel region heights are accomplished by varying, not the overall heights of the different fins, but rather by varying the heights of a semiconductor layer within each of the fins. The disclosed semiconductor structure embodiments allow different multi-gate non-planar FETs (i.e., tri-gate or dual-gate FETs) with different effective channel widths to be formed of the same wafer and, thus, allows the beta ratio in devices that incorporate multiple FETs (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM) cells) to be selectively adjusted. | 09-18-2008 |
| 20080237720 | HIGH MOBILITY CMOS CIRCUITS - Semiconductor structure formed on a substrate and process of forming the semiconductor. The semiconductor includes a plurality of field effect transistors having a first portion of field effect transistors (FETS) and a second portion of field effect transistors. A first stress layer has a first thickness and is configured to impart a first determined stress to the first portion of the plurality of field effect transistors. A second stress layer has a second thickness and is configured to impart a second determined stress to the second portion of the plurality of field effect transistors. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080237733 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD TO ENHANCE CHANNEL STRESS BY USING OPTIMIZED STI STRESS AND NITRIDE CAPPING LAYER STRESS - The embodiments of the invention provide a structure and method to enhance channel stress by using optimized STI stress and nitride capping layer stress. More specifically, a transistor structure is provided comprising a substrate having a first transistor region and a second transistor region, different than the first transistor region. Moreover, first transistors are provided over the first transistor region and second transistors, different than the first transistors, are provided over the second transistors region. The first transistor comprises an NFET and the second transistor comprises a PFET. The structure further includes STI regions in the substrate adjacent sides of the first transistors and the second transistors, wherein the STI regions comprise stress producing regions. Recesses are within at least two of the STI regions, such that portions of at least one of said first stress liner and said second stress liner are positioned within said recesses. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080237749 | CMOS GATE CONDUCTOR HAVING CROSS-DIFFUSION BARRIER - A gate conductor is provided for a transistor pair including an n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) having an NFET active semiconductor region and a p-type field effect transistor (“PFET”) having a PFET active semiconductor region, where the NFET and PFET active semiconductor regions are separated by an isolation region. An NFET gate extends in a first direction over the NFET active semiconductor region. A PFET gate extends in the first direction over the PFET active semiconductor region. A diffusion barrier is sandwiched between the NFET gate and the PFET gate. A continuous layer extends continuously in the first direction over the NFET gate and the PFET gate. The continuous layer contacts top surfaces of the NFET gate and the PFET gate and the continuous layer includes at least one of a semiconductor, a metal or a conductive compound including a metal. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080242069 | HYBRID SOI/BULK SEMICONDUCTOR TRANSISTORS - Channel depth in a field effect transistor is limited by an intra-layer structure including a discontinuous film or layer formed within a layer or substrate of semiconductor material. Channel depth can thus be controlled much in the manner of SOI or UT-SOI technology but with less expensive substrates and greater flexibility of channel depth control while avoiding floating body effects characteristic of SOI technology. The profile or cross-sectional shape of the discontinuous film may be controlled to an ogee or staircase shape to improve short channel effects and reduce source/drain and extension resistance without increase of capacitance. Materials for the discontinuous film may also be chosen to impose stress on the transistor channel from within the substrate or layer and provide increased levels of such stress to increase carrier mobility. Carrier mobility may be increased in combination with other meritorious effects. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080246032 | TEST STRUCTURE FOR DETECTING VIA CONTACT SHORTING IN SHALLOW TRENCH ISOLATION REGIONS - A test structure for detecting void formation in semiconductor device layers includes a plurality of active device areas formed in a substrate, a plurality of shallow trench isolation (STI) regions separating the active device areas, a plurality of gate electrode structures formed across the active device areas and the STI regions, and a matrix of vias formed over the active device areas and between the gate electrode structures. At least one edge of each of a pair of vias at opposite ends of a given one of the STI regions extends at least out to an edge of the associated active device area. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080246041 | METHOD OF FABRICATING SOI nMOSFET AND THE STRUCTURE THEREOF - A method of fabricating a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) N-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (nMOSFET), where the transistor has a structure incorporating a gate disposed above a body of the SOI substrate. The body comprises of a first surface and a second surface. The second surface interfaces between the body and the insulator of the SOI. Between the first surface and second surface is defined a channel region separating a source region and a drain region. Each of the source region and drain region includes a third surface under which is embedded crystalline silicon-carbon (Si:C), which extends from the second surface to the third surface. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080246112 | SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE INCLUDING LAMINATED ISOLATION REGION - A semiconductor structure and a related method for fabrication thereof include an isolation region located within an isolation trench within a semiconductor substrate. The isolation region comprises; (1) a lower lying dielectric plug layer recessed within the isolation trench; (2) a U shaped dielectric liner layer located upon the lower lying dielectric plug layer and partially filling the recess; and (3) an upper lying dielectric plug layer located upon the U shaped dielectric liner layer and completely filling the recess. The isolation region provides for sidewall coverage of the isolation trench, thus eliminating some types of leakage paths. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080251856 | FORMING SILICIDED GATE AND CONTACTS FROM POLYSILICON GERMANIUM AND STRUCTURE FORMED - Methods of forming silicided contacts self-aligned to a gate from polysilicon germanium and a structure so formed are disclosed. One embodiment of the method includes: forming a polysilicon germanium (poly SiGe) pedestal over a gate dielectric over a substrate; forming a poly SiGe layer over the poly SiGe pedestal, the poly SiGe layer having a thickness greater than the poly SiGe pedestal; doping the poly SiGe layer; simultaneously forming a gate and a contact to each side of the gate from the poly SiGe layer, the gate positioned over the poly SiGe pedestal; annealing to drive the dopant from the gate and the contacts into the substrate to form a source/drain region below the contacts; filling a space between the gate and the contacts; and forming silicide in the gate and the contacts. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080283934 | SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED SILICIDE FOR CONTACT AND RELATED METHOD - A structure, semiconductor device and method having a substantially L-shaped silicide element for a contact are disclosed. The substantially L-shaped silicide element, inter alia, reduces contact resistance and may allow increased density of CMOS circuits. In one embodiment, the structure includes a substantially L-shaped silicide element including a base member and an extended member, wherein the base member extends at least partially into a shallow trench isolation (STI) region such that a substantially horizontal surface of the base member directly contacts a substantially horizontal surface of the STI region; and a contact contacting the substantially L-shaped silicide element. The contact may include a notch region for mating with the base member and a portion of the extended member, which increases the silicide-to-contact area and reduces contact resistance. Substantially L-shaped silicide element may be formed about a source/drain region, which increases the silicon-to-silicide area, and reduces crowding and contact resistance. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080286909 | SIDEWALL SEMICONDUCTOR TRANSISTORS - A novel transistor structure and method for fabricating the same. First, a substrate, a semiconductor region, a gate dielectric region, and a gate block are provided. The semiconductor region, the gate dielectric region, and the gate block are on the substrate. The gate dielectric region is sandwiched between the semiconductor region and the gate block. The semiconductor region is electrically insulated from the gate block by the gate dielectric region. The semiconductor region and the gate dielectric region share an interface surface which is essentially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate. The semiconductor region and the gate dielectric region do not share any interface surface that is essentially parallel to a top surface of the substrate. Next, a gate region is formed from the gate block. Then, first and second source/drain regions are formed in the semiconductor region. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080286916 | METHODS OF STRESSING TRANSISTOR CHANNEL WITH REPLACED GATE - Methods of stressing a channel of a transistor with a replaced gate and related structures are disclosed. A method may include providing an intrinsically stressed material over the transistor including a gate thereof; removing a portion of the intrinsically stressed material over the gate; removing at least a portion of the gate, allowing stress retained by the gate to be transferred to the channel; replacing (or refilling) the gate with a replacement gate; and removing the intrinsically stressed material. Removing and replacing the gate allows stress retained by the original gate to be transferred to the channel, with the replacement gate maintaining (memorizing) that situation. The methods do not damage the gate dielectric. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080296634 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING STRAINED SILICON DIRECTLY-ON-INSULATOR SUBSTRATE WITH HYBRID CRYSTALLINE ORIENTATION AND DIFFERENT STRESS LEVELS - The present invention provides a strained Si directly on insulator (SSDOI) substrate having multiple crystallographic orientations and a method of forming thereof. Broadly, but in specific terms, the inventive SSDOI substrate includes a substrate; an insulating layer atop the substrate; and a semiconducting layer positioned atop and in direct contact with the insulating layer, the semiconducting layer comprising a first strained Si region and a second strained Si region; wherein the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation different from the second strained Si region and the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation the same or different from the second strained Si region. The strained level of the first strained Si region is different from that of the second strained Si region. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080296648 | FIN MEMORY STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATION THEREOF - A semiconductor fin memory structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor fin memory structure include a semiconductor fin-channel within a finFET structure that is contiguous with and thinner than a conductor fin-capacitor node within a fin-capacitor structure that is integrated with the finFET structure. A single semiconductor layer may be appropriately processed to provide the semiconductor fin-channel within the finFET structure that is contiguous with and thinner than the conductor fin-capacitor node within the fin-capacitor structure. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080299732 | METHOD FOR REDUCING OVERLAP CAPACITANCE IN FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A field effect transistor (FET) device includes a gate conductor formed over a semiconductor substrate, a source region having a source extension that overlaps and extends under the gate conductor, and a drain region having a drain extension that overlaps and extends under the gate conductor only at selected locations along the width of the gate conductor. | 12-04-2008 |
| 20080310207 | 3-D SRAM ARRAY TO IMPROVE STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE - A design structure for a three-dimensional memory circuit provides reduction in memory cell instability due to half-select operation by reduction of the number of memory cells sharing a sense amplifier and, potentially, avoidance of half-select operation by placing some or all peripheral circuits including local evaluation circuits functioning as a type of sense amplifier on an additional chips or chips overlying the memory array. Freedom of placement of such peripheral circuits is provided with minimal increase in connection length since word line decoders may be placed is general registration with ant location along the word lines while local evaluation circuits and/or sense amplifiers can be placed at any location generally in registration with the bit line(s) to which they correspond. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080310220 | 3-D SRAM ARRAY TO IMPROVE STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE - A three-dimensional memory circuit provides reduction in memory cell instability due to half-select operation by reduction of the number of memory cells sharing a sense amplifier and, potentially, avoidance of half-select operation by placing some or all peripheral circuits including local evaluation circuits functioning as a type of sense amplifier on an additional chips or chips overlying the memory array. Freedom of placement of such peripheral circuits is provided with minimal increase in connection length since word line decoders may be placed is general registration with ant location along the word lines while local evaluation circuits and/or sense amplifiers can be placed at any location generally in registration with the bit line(s) to which they correspond. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20080311708 | HYBRID STRAINED ORIENTATED SUBSTRATES AND DEVICES - A method for forming a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a semiconductor structure which includes (a) substrate, (b) a first semiconductor region on top of the substrate, wherein the first semiconductor region comprises a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, which is different from the first semiconductor material, and wherein the first semiconductor region has a first crystallographic orientation, and (c) a third semiconductor region on top of the substrate which comprises the first and second semiconductor materials and has a second crystallographic orientation. The method further includes forming a second semiconductor region and a fourth semiconductor region on top of the first and the third semiconductor regions respectively. Both second and fourth semiconductor regions comprise the first and second semiconductor materials. The second semiconductor region has the first crystallographic orientation, whereas the fourth semiconductor region has the second crystallographic orientation. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090001429 | HYBRID STRAINED ORIENTATED SUBSTRATES AND DEVICES - A semiconductor structure. The structure includes (a) substrate, (b) a first semiconductor region on top of the substrate, wherein the first semiconductor region comprises a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material, which is different from the first semiconductor material, and wherein the first semiconductor region has a first crystallographic orientation, and (c) a third semiconductor region on top of the substrate which comprises the first and second semiconductor materials and has a second crystallographic orientation. The structure further includes a second semiconductor region and a fourth semiconductor region on top of the first and the third semiconductor regions respectively. Both second and fourth semiconductor regions comprise the first and second semiconductor materials. The second semiconductor region has the first crystallographic orientation, whereas the fourth semiconductor region has the second crystallographic orientation. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090008705 | BODY-CONTACTED FINFET - A silicon containing fin is formed on a semiconductor substrate. A silicon oxide layer is formed around the bottom of the silicon containing fin. A gate dielectric is formed on the silicon containing fin followed by formation of a gate electrode. While protecting the portion of the semiconductor fin around the channel, a bottom portion of the silicon containing semiconductor fin is etched by a isotropic etch leaving a body strap between the channel of a finFET on the silicon containing fin and an underlying semiconductor layer underneath the silicon oxide layer. The fin may comprise a stack of inhomogeneous layers in which a bottom layer is etched selectively to a top semiconductor layer. Alternatively, the fin may comprise a homogeneous semiconductor material and the silicon containing fin may be protected by dielectric films on the sidewalls and top surfaces of the silicon containing fin. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090014794 | MOSFET WITH LATERALLY GRADED CHANNEL REGION AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SAME - The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor device having a channel region comprising a semiconductor alloy of a first semiconductor material and a second, different material, and wherein atomic distribution of the second material in the channel region is graded along a direction that is substantially parallel to a substrate surface in which the semiconductor device is located. Specifically, the semiconductor device comprises a field effect transistor (FET) that has a SiGe channel with a laterally graded germanium content. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090014798 | FINFET SRAM WITH ASYMMETRIC GATE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF - A FinFET SRAM transistor device includes transistors formed on fins with each transistor including a semiconductor channel region within a fin plus a source region and a drain region extending within the fin from opposite sides of the channel region with fin sidewalls having a gate dielectric formed thereon. Bilateral transistor gates extend from the gate dielectric. An asymmetrically doped FinFET transistor has source/drain regions doped with a first dopant type, but the asymmetrically doped FinFET transistor include at least one of the bilateral transistor gate electrode regions on one side of at least one of the fins counterdoped with respect to the first dopant type. The finFET transistors are connected in a six transistor SRAM circuit including two PFET pull-up transistors, two NFET pull down transistors and two NFET passgate transistors. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090014803 | NANOELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSISTORS AND METHODS OF FORMING SAME - Nanoelectromechanical transistors (NEMTs) and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an NEMT may include a substrate including a gate adjacent thereto, a source region and a drain region; an electromechanically deflectable nanotube member; and a channel member electrically insulatively coupled to the nanotube member so as to be aligned with the source region and the drain region, wherein electromechanical deflection of the nanotube member is controllable, in response to an electrical potential applied to the gate and the nanotube member, between an off state and an on state, the on state placing the channel member in electrical connection with the source region and the drain region to form a current path. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090017572 | NANOELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSISTORS AND METHODS OF FORMING SAME - Nanoelectromechanical transistors (NEMTs) and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an NEMT may include a substrate including a gate, a source region and a drain region; an electromechanically deflectable nanotube member; and a channel member electrically insulatively coupled to the nanotube member so as to be aligned with the source region and the drain region, wherein the electromechanical deflection of the nanotube member is controllable, in response to an electrical potential applied to the gate and the nanotube member, between an off state and an on state, the on state placing the channel member in electrical connection with the source region and the drain region to form a current path. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090032845 | SOI FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR HAVING ASYMMETRIC JUNCTION LEAKAGE - A source trench and a drain trench are asymmetrically formed in a top semiconductor layer comprising a first semiconductor in a semiconductor substrate. A second semiconductor material having a narrower band gap than the first semiconductor material is deposited in the source trench and the drain trench to form a source side narrow band gap region and a drain side narrow band gap region, respectively. A gate spacer is formed and source and drain regions are formed in the top semiconductor layer. A portion of the boundary between an extended source region and an extended body region is formed in the source side narrow band gap region. Due to the narrower band gap of the second semiconductor material compared to the band gap of the first semiconductor material, charge formed in the extended body region is discharged through the source and floating body effects are reduced or eliminated. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090032859 | FINFET FLASH MEMORY DEVICE WITH AN EXTENDED FLOATING BACK GATE - A floating gate is formed on one side of the semiconductor fin on a floating gate dielectric. A control gate dielectric is formed on the opposite side of the semiconductor fin and on the floating gate. A gate conductor is formed on the control gate dielectric across the semiconductor fin. A gate spacer reaching above a gate cap layer and the control gate dielectric thereupon is formed by a conformal deposition of a dielectric layer and a reactive ion etch. The control gate dielectric and the material of the floating gate are removed from exposed portions of the semiconductor fin. The gate spacer is thereafter removed and source and drain regions are formed in the semiconductor fin. The overlap between the drain and the floating gate is extended by the thickness of the gate spacer, resulting in an enhanced efficiency in charge trapping in the floating gate. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090032889 | FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR HAVING AN ASYMMETRIC GATE ELECTRODE - The gate electrode of a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) comprises a source side gate electrode and a drain side gate electrode that abut each other near the middle of the channel. In one embodiment, the source side gate electrode comprises a silicon oxide based gate dielectric and the drain side gate electrode comprises a high-k gate dielectric. The source side gate electrode provides high carrier mobility, while the drain side gate electrode provides good short channel effect and reduced gate leakage. In another embodiment, the source gate electrode and drain gate electrode comprises different high-k gate dielectric stacks and different gate conductor materials, wherein the source side gate electrode has a first work function a quarter band gap away from a band gap edge and the drain side gate electrode has a second work function near the band gap edge. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090050942 | SELF-ALIGNED SUPER STRESSED PFET - The embodiments of the invention comprise a self-aligned super stressed p-type field effect transistor (PFET). More specifically, a field effect transistor comprises a channel region comprising N-doped material and a gate above the channel region. The field effect transistor also includes a source region on a first side of the channel region and a drain region on a second side of the channel region opposite the first side. The source and drain regions each comprise silicon germanium, wherein the silicon germanium has structural indicia of epitaxial growth. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090057765 | FINFET STRUCTURE USING DIFFERING GATE DIELECTRIC MATERIALS AND GATE ELECTRODE MATERIALS - A semiconductor structure includes a first finFET and a second finFET. The first finFET and the second finFET may comprise an n-finFET and a p-finFET to provide a CMOS finFET structure. Within the semiconductor structure, at least one of: (1) a first gate dielectric within the first finFET and a second gate dielectric within the second finFET comprise different gate dielectric materials; and/or (2) a first gate electrode within the first finFET and a second gate electrode within the second finFET comprise different gate electrode materials. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090065872 | FULL SILICIDE GATE FOR CMOS - A method is provided for fabricating an n-type field effect transistor (“NFET”) and a p-type field effect transistor (“PFET”) in which the NFET and PFET are formed after which a protective hard mask layer, e.g., a dielectric stressor layer is formed to overlie edges of gates, source regions and drain regions of the PFET and NFET. Sputter etching can be used to remove a portion of the protective hard mask layer to expose the gates of the PFET and NFET. The semiconductor elements can be etched selectively with respect to the protective hard mask layer to reduce a thickness of the semiconductor elements. A metal may then be deposited and caused to react with the reduced thickness semiconductor element to form silicide elements of the gates. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090072400 | CONTACT FORMING IN TWO PORTIONS AND CONTACT SO FORMED - Methods of forming a contact in two or more portions and a contact so formed are disclosed. One method includes providing a device including a silicide region; and forming a contact to the silicide region by: first forming a lower contact portion to the silicide region through a first dielectric layer, and second forming an upper contact portion to the lower contact portion through a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer. A contact may include a first contact portion contacting a silicide region, the first contact portion having a width less than 100 nm; and a second contact portion coupled to the first contact portion from above, the second contact portion having a width greater than the width of the first contact portion. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090073758 | SRAM CELLS WITH ASYMMETRIC FLOATING-BODY PASS-GATE TRANSISTORS - The embodiments of the invention provide SRAM cells with asymmetric floating-body pass-gate transistors. More specifically, a semiconductor device includes an SRAM cell, a first pass-gate transistor, and a second pass-gate transistor. The first pass-gate transistor is connected to a first side of the SRAM cell, wherein the first pass-gate transistor comprises a first drain region and a first source region. The second pass-gate transistor is connected to a second side of the SRAM cell, wherein the second side is opposite the first side. The second pass-gate transistor comprises a second source region and a second drain region. Furthermore, the first source region and/or the second source region comprise a xenon implant. The first drain region and the second drain region each lack a xenon implant. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090079026 | STRESS-GENERATING STRUCTURE FOR SEMICONDUCTOR-ON-INSULATOR DEVICES - A stack pad layers including a first pad oxide layer, a pad nitride layer, and a second pad oxide layer are formed on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. A deep trench extending below a top surface or a bottom surface of a buried insulator layer of the SOI substrate and enclosing at least one top semiconductor region is formed by lithographic methods and etching. A stress-generating insulator material is deposited in the deep trench and recessed below a top surface of the SOI substrate to form a stress-generating buried insulator plug in the deep trench. A silicon oxide material is deposited in the deep trench, planarized, and recessed. The stack of pad layer is removed to expose substantially coplanar top surfaces of the top semiconductor layer and of silicon oxide plugs. The stress-generating buried insulator plug encloses, and generates a stress to, the at least one top semiconductor region. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090090938 | CHANNEL STRESS ENGINEERING USING LOCALIZED ION IMPLANTATION INDUCED GATE ELECTRODE VOLUMETRIC CHANGE - A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure uses a volumetric change ion implanted into a volumetric change portion of a gate electrode that is located over a channel region within a semiconductor substrate to form a volume changed portion of the gate electrode located over the channel region within the semiconductor substrate. The volume changed portion of the gate electrode is typically bidirectionally symmetrically graded in a vertical direction. The volume-changed portion of the gate electrode has a first stress that induces a second stress different than the first stress into the channel region of the semiconductor substrate. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090090979 | HIGH PERFORMANCE MOSFET - A semiconductor structure which exhibits high device performance and improved short channel effects is provided. In particular, the present invention provides a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOFET) that includes a low dopant concentration within an inversion layer of the structure; the inversion layer is an epitaxial semiconductor layer that is formed atop a portion of the semiconductor substrate. The inventive structure also includes a well region of a first conductivity type beneath the inversion layer, wherein the well region has a central portion and two horizontally abutting end portions. The central portion has a higher concentration of a first conductivity type dopant than the two horizontally abutting end portions. Such a well region may be referred to as a non-uniform super-steep retrograde well. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090096003 | SEMICONDUCTOR CELL STRUCTURE INCLUDING BURIED CAPACITOR AND METHOD FOR FABRICATION THEREOF - A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure include at least one field effect transistor, and also a capacitor, located over a substrate. In particular, the capacitor is located interposed between the field effect transistor and the substrate. The field effect transistor may include a planar field effect transistor as well as a fin-FET. The capacitor may be connected with a conductor plug layer to a source/drain region of the field effect transistor to form a dynamic random access memory cell structure. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090108324 | SEMICONDUCTOR FIN BASED NONVOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATION THEREOF - A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure include a semiconductor fin having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. A first gate dielectric and a charge storage layer are successively layered upon the first side of the semiconductor fin. A second gate dielectric and a gate electrode are layered upon the second side and the charge storage layer. The semiconductor structure comprises a nonvolatile semiconductor device. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090108351 | FINFET MEMORY DEVICE WITH DUAL SEPARATE GATES AND METHOD OF OPERATION - A FinFET device comprises a front gate (FG) and a separate back gate (BG) disposed on opposite sides of the fine. The fin structure may act as a floating body of a volatile memory cell. The front and back gates may be doped with the same or opposite polarity, and may be biased oppositely. A plurality of FinFETs may be connected in a memory array with single column erase, or double column erase capability. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090108378 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING SELF-ALIGNED METAL CONTACTS - A semiconductor structure including at least one transistor is provided which has a stressed channel region that is a result of having a stressed layer present atop a gate conductor that includes a stack comprising a bottom polysilicon (polySi) layer and a top metal semiconductor alloy (i.e., metal silicide) layer. The stressed layer is self-aligned to the gate conductor. The inventive structure also has a reduced external parasitic S/D resistance as a result of having a metallic contact located atop source/drain regions that include a surface region comprised of a metal semiconductor alloy. The metallic contact is self-aligned to the gate conductor. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090127626 | STRESS-GENERATING SHALLOW TRENCH ISOLATION STRUCTURE HAVING DUAL COMPOSITION - A shallow trench isolation structure containing a first shallow trench isolation portion comprising the first shallow trench material and a second shallow trench isolation portion comprising the second shallow trench material is provided. A first biaxial stress on at least one first active area and a second bidirectional stress on at least one second active area are manipulated separately to enhance charge carrier mobility in middle portions of the at least one first and second active areas by selection of the first and second shallow trench materials as well as adjusting the type of the shallow trench isolation material that each portion of the at least one first active area and the at least one second active area laterally abut. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090140345 | SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE INCLUDING SELF-ALIGNED DEPOSITED GATE DIELECTRIC - A semiconductor structure, such as a field effect device structure, and more particularly a CMOS structure, includes a gate dielectric that is at least in-part aligned to an active region of a semiconductor substrate over which is located the gate dielectric. The gate dielectric comprises other than a thermal processing product of the semiconductor substrate. In particular, the gate dielectric may be formed using an area selective deposition method such as but not limited to an area selective atomic layer deposition method. Within the context of a CMOS structure, the invention provides particular advantage insofar as the use of a self-aligned method for forming a gate dielectric aligned upon an active region of a semiconductor substrate may avoid a masking process that may otherwise be needed to strip portions of an area non-selective blanket gate dielectric. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090140350 | LITHOGRAPHY FOR PRINTING CONSTANT LINE WIDTH FEATURES - An anisotropic wet etch of a semiconductor layer generates facets joined by a ridge running along the center of a pattern in a dielectric hardmask layer on the semiconductor layer. The dielectric hardmask layer is removed and a conformal masking material layer is deposited. Angled ion implantation of Ge, B, Ga, In, As, P, Sb, or inert atoms is performed parallel to each of the two facets joined by the ridge causing damage to implanted portions of the masking material layer, which are removed selective to undamaged portions of the masking material layer along the ridge and having a constant width. The semiconductor layer and a dielectric oxide layer underneath are etched selective to the remaining portions of the dielectric nitride. Employing remaining portions of the dielectric oxide layer as an etch mask, the gate conductor layer is patterned to form gate conductor lines having a constant width. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090142894 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING A SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE - A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure. The novel transistor structure comprises first and second source/drain (S/D) regions whose top surfaces are lower than a top surface of the channel region of the transistor structure. A semiconductor layer and a gate stack on the semiconductor layer are provided. The semiconductor layer includes (i) a channel region directly beneath the gate stack, and (ii) first and second semiconductor regions essentially not covered by the gate stack, and wherein the channel region is disposed between the first and second semiconductor regions. The first and second semiconductor regions are removed. Regions directly beneath the removed first and second semiconductor regions are removed so as to form first and second source/drain regions, respectively, such that top surfaces of the first and second source/drain regions are below a top surface of the channel region. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090149010 | STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OF DISLOCATION FREE STRESSED CHANNELS IN BULK SILICON AND SOI MOS DEVICES BY GATE STRESS ENGINEERING WITH SiGe AND/OR Si:C - Structures and methods of manufacturing are disclosed of dislocation free stressed channels in bulk silicon and SOI (silicon on insulator) CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) devices by gate stress engineering with SiGe and/or Si:C. A CMOS device comprises a substrate of either bulk Si or SOI, a gate dielectric layer over the substrate, and a stacked gate structure of SiGe and/or Si:C having stresses produced at the interfaces of SSi (strained Si)/SiGe or SSi/Si:C in the stacked gate structure. The stacked gate structure has a first stressed film layer of large grain size Si or SiGe over the gate dielectric layer, a second stressed film layer of strained SiGe or strained Si:C over the first stressed film layer, and a semiconductor or conductor such as p(poly)-Si over the second stressed film layer. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090152646 | Structure and method for manufacturing device with planar halo profile - A semiconductor device and method for manufacturing the device with a planar halo profile is provided. The semiconductor device can be a MOSFET. The method of forming the structure includes forming an angled spacer adjacent a gate structure and implanting a halo implant at an angle to form a halo profile having low dopant concentration near a gate dielectric under the gate structure. The structure includes an underlying wafer or substrate and an angled gate spacer having an upper portion and an angled lower portion. The upper portion is structured to prevent halo dopants from penetrating an inversion layer of the structure. The structure further includes a low concentration halo dopant within a channel of a gate structure. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090174006 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF CREATING ENTIRELY SELF-ALIGNED METALLIC CONTACTS - The semiconductor structure is provided that has entirely self-aligned metallic contacts. The semiconductor structure includes at least one field effect transistor located on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The at least one field effect transistor includes a gate conductor stack comprising a lower layer of polysilicon and an upper layer of a first metal semiconductor alloy, the gate conductor stack having sidewalls that include at least one spacer. The structure further includes a second metal semiconductor alloy layer located within the semiconductor substrate at a footprint of the at least one spacer. The structure also includes a first metallic contact comprising a metal from Group VIII or IB of the Periodic Table of Elements and at least one of W, B, P, Mo and Re located on, and self-aligned to the first metal semiconductor alloy layer and a second metallic contact comprising a metal from Group VIII or IB of the Periodic Table of Elements and at least one of W, B, P, Mo and Re located on, and self-aligned to the second metal semiconductor alloy layer. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090176351 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD TO IMPROVE MOSFET RELIABILITY - A method embodiment deposits a dielectric layer over a transistor and then implants a gettering agent into the dielectric layer. The insulating layer into which the gettering agent is implanted comprises a single continuous insulating layer and is the insulating layer that borders the next layer of metallization. After this dielectric layer is formed, standard contacts (tungsten) are formed through the insulating layer to the source, drain, gate, etc. of the transistor. Additionally, reactive ion etching of the contacts is performed. The reactive ion etching process can create mobile ions; however, the gettering agent traps the mobile ions and prevents the mobile ions from contaminating the transistor. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090184369 | FINFET DEVICES AND METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Disclosed herein is a tunneling fin field effect transistor comprising a fin disposed on a box layer disposed in a wafer; the wafer comprising a silicon substrate and a buried oxide layer. The fin comprises a silicide body that comprises a first silicide region and a second silicide region and forms a short between N and P doped regions. The silicide body is disposed on a surface of the buried oxide layer. A tunneling device disposed between the first silicide region and the second silicide region; the tunneling device comprising a first P-N junction. A gate electrode is further disposed around the fin; the gate electrode comprising a second P-N junction, and a third silicide region; the third silicide region forming a short between N and P doped regions in the gate electrode. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090184378 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD TO FABRICATE MOSFET WITH SHORT GATE - A method of producing a semiconducting device is provided that in one embodiment includes providing a semiconducting device including a gate structure atop a substrate, the gate structure including a dual gate conductor including an upper gate conductor and a lower gate conductor, wherein at least the lower gate conductor includes a silicon containing material; removing the upper gate conductor selective to the lower gate conductor; depositing a metal on at least the lower gate conductor; and producing a silicide from the metal and the lower gate conductor. In another embodiment, the inventive method includes a metal as the lower gate conductor. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090194819 | CMOS STRUCTURES AND METHODS USING SELF-ALIGNED DUAL STRESSED LAYERS - A CMOS structure and methods for fabricating the CMOS structure provide that a first stressed layer located over a first transistor and a second stressed layer located over a second transistor abut but do not overlap. Such an abutment absent overlap provides for enhanced manufacturing flexibility when forming a contact to a silicide layer upon a source/drain region within one of the first transistor and the second transistor. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090206441 | METHOD OF FORMING COPLANAR ACTIVE AND ISOLATION REGIONS AND STRUCTURES THEREOF - Methods of forming coplanar active regions and isolation regions and structures thereof are disclosed. One embodiment includes shallow-trench-isolation (STI) formation in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer on a substrate of a semiconductor structure; and bonding a handle wafer to the STI and SOI layer to form an intermediate structure. The intermediate structure may have a single layer including at least one STI region and at least one SOI region therein disposed between the damaged substrate and the handle wafer. The method may also include cleaving the hydrogen implanted substrate and removing any residual substrate to expose a surface of the at least one STI region and a surface of the at least one SOI region. The exposed surface of the at least one STI region forms an isolation region and the exposed surface of the at least one SOI region forms an active region, which are coplanar to each other. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090218627 | FIELD EFFECT DEVICE STRUCTURE INCLUDING SELF-ALIGNED SPACER SHAPED CONTACT - A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure include or provide a field effect device that includes a spacer shaped contact via. The spacer shaped contact via preferably comprises a spacer shaped annular contact via that is located surrounding and separated from an annular spacer shaped gate electrode at the center of which may be located a non-annular and non-spacer shaped second contact via. The annular gate electrode as well as the annular contact via and the non-annular contact via may be formed sequentially in a self-aligned fashion while using a single sacrificial mandrel layer. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090218631 | SRAM CELL HAVING ASYMMETRIC PASS GATES - Conductive stripes laterally abutting the dielectric lines are formed over a thin semiconductor layer on a gate dielectric. Angled halo ion implantation is performed to implant p-type dopants on the side of the drains of pull-down transistors and a first source/drain region of each pass gate transistor. The dielectric lines are removed and the pattern of the conductive stripes is transferred into the semiconductor layer to form gate electrodes. The resulting pass gate transistors are asymmetric transistors have a halo implantation on the side of the first source/drain regions, while the side of a second source/drain regions does not have such a halo implantation. As such, the pass gate transistors provide enhanced readability, writability, and stability. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090230438 | SELECTIVE NITRIDATION OF TRENCH ISOLATION SIDEWALL - A method is provided of forming a trench isolation region adjacent to a single-crystal semiconductor region for a transistor. Such method can include, for example, recessing a single-crystal semiconductor region to define a first wall of the semiconductor region, a second wall remote from the first wall and a plurality of third walls extending between the first and second walls, each of the first and second walls extending in a first direction. In one embodiment, the first direction may be a <110> crystallographic direction of a wafer such as a silicon direction, for example. Oxidation-inhibiting regions can be formed at the first and second walls of the semiconductor region selectively with respect to the third walls. A dielectric region can then be formed adjacent to the first, second and third walls of the semiconductor region for a trench isolation region. During the formation of the dielectric region, the oxidation-inhibiting regions reduce oxidation of the semiconductor region at the first and second walls relative to the plurality of third walls. A transistor formed in the semiconductor region can have a channel whose length is oriented in the first direction by processing including annealing, which at least partially oxidizes the semiconductor region at the third walls. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090230455 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MEMORY - The present invention provides a memory device including at least two of a first dielectric on a semiconductor substrate; a floating gates corresponding to each of the at least two gate oxides; a second dielectric on the floating gates; a control gate conductor formed atop the second gate oxide; source and drain regions present in portions of the semiconducting substrate that are adjacent to each portion of the semiconducting substrate that is underlying the at least two of the first gate oxide, wherein the source and drain regions define a length of a channel positioned therebetween; and a low-k dielectric material that is at least present between adjacent floating gates of the floating gates corresponding to each of the at least two gate oxides, wherein the low-k dielectric material is present along a direction perpendicular to the length of the channel positioned therebetween. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090236676 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD TO MAKE HIGH PERFORMANCE MOSFET WITH FULLY SILICIDED GATE - The present invention in one embodiment provides a method of producing a device including providing a semiconducting device including a gate structure including a silicon containing gate conductor atop a substrate; forming a metal layer on at least the silicon containing gate conductor; and directing chemically inert ions to impact the metal layer, wherein momentum transfer from of the chemically inert ions force metal atoms from the metal layer into the silicon containing gate conductor to provide a silicide gate conductor. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090242941 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING DEVICE WITH A V-SHAPE CHANNEL NMOSFET - A CMOS structure includes a v-shape surface in an nMOSFET region. The v-shape surface has an orientation in a (100) plane and extends into a Si layer in the nMOSFET region. The nMOSFET gate dielectric layer is a high-k material, such as Hf02. The nMOSFET has a metal gate layer, such as Ta. Poly-Si is deposited on top of the metal gate layer. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090242942 | ASYMMETRIC SOURCE AND DRAIN FIELD EFFECT STRUCTURE AND METHOD - A semiconductor structure, such as a CMOS semiconductor structure, includes a field effect device that includes a plurality of source and drain regions that are asymmetric. Such a source region and drain region asymmetry is induced by fabricating the semiconductor structure using a semiconductor substrate that includes a horizontal plateau region contiguous with and adjoining a sloped incline region. Within the context of a CMOS semiconductor structure, such a semiconductor substrate allows for fabrication of a pFET and an nFET upon different crystallographic orientation semiconductor regions, while one of the pFET and the nFET (i.e., typically the pFET) has asymmetric source and drain regions. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090256205 | 2-T SRAM CELL STRUCTURE AND METHOD - The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a memory device including a substrate including at least one device region; a first field effect transistor having a first threshold voltage and a second field effect transistor having a second threshold voltage, the second field effect transistor including a second active region present in the at least one device region of the substrate, the second active region including a second drain and a second source separated by a second channel region, wherein the second channel region includes a second trap that stores holes produced when the first field effect transistor is in the on state, wherein the holes stored in the second trap increase the second threshold voltage to be greater than the first threshold voltage. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090256213 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING DEVICE WITH A V-SHAPE CHANNEL NMOSFET - A CMOS structure includes a v-shape surface in an nMOSFET region. The v-shape surface has an orientation in a (100) plane and extends into a Si layer in the nMOSFET region. The nMOSFET gate dielectric layer is a high-k material, such as Hf02. The nMOSFET has a metal gate layer, such as Ta. Poly-Si is deposited on top of the metal gate layer. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090256594 | NANOELECTROMECHANICAL DIGITAL INVERTER - A digital inverter formed by three carbon nanotubes (CNTs) extending vertically from a substrate, one CNT functioning as first source (S | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090267130 | STRUCTURE AND PROCESS INTEGRATION FOR FLASH STORAGE ELEMENT AND DUAL CONDUCTOR COMPLEMENTARY MOSFETS - A method is provided for simultaneously fabricating a flash storage element, an NFET and a PFET having metal gates with different workfunctions. A first gate metal layer of the NFET having a first workfunction is deposited simultaneously with a first metal layer for forming the floating gate of the flash storage element. A second gate metal layer of the PFET having a second workfunction different from the first workfunction is deposited simultaneously with a second metal layer for forming the control gate of the flash storage element. A semiconductor layer is deposited over the first and second metal layers and gate metal layers and patterned to form first, second and third gates. Source and drain regions of the flash storage element, the NFET and the PFET are formed adjacent to the first, second and third gates, respectively. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090273040 | HIGH PERFORMANCE SCHOTTKY-BARRIER-SOURCE ASYMMETRIC MOSFETS - The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a semiconductor device including a semiconducting body including a schottky barrier region at a first end of the semiconducting body, a drain dopant region at the second end of the semiconducting body, and a channel positioned between the schottky barrier region and the drain dopant region. The semiconducting device may further include a gate structure overlying the channel of the semiconducting body. Further, a drain contact may be present to the drain dopant region of the semiconducting body, the drain contact being composed of a conductive material and in direct physical contact with a portion of a sidewall of the semiconducting body having a dimension that is less than a thickness of the semiconducting body in which the drain dopant region is positioned. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090280626 | FINFET STRUCTURE WITH MULTIPLY STRESSED GATE ELECTRODE - A semiconductor structure and its method of fabrication include a semiconductor fin located over a substrate. A gate electrode is located over the semiconductor fin. The gate electrode has a first stress in a first region located closer to the semiconductor fin and a second stress which is different than the first stress in a second region located further from the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin may also be aligned over a pedestal within the substrate. The semiconductor structure is annealed under desirable stress conditions to obtain an enhancement of semiconductor device performance. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090283836 | CMOS STRUCTURE INCLUDING PROTECTIVE SPACERS AND METHOD OF FORMING THEREOF - The present invention provides a semiconductor device includes a substrate including a semiconducting region and isolation regions, a gate structure including a high-k gate dielectric layer atop the semiconducting region of the substrate and a metal gate conductor layer atop the high-k gate dielectric; protective nitride spacers enclosing the high-k gate dielectric layer between the metal gate conductor layer and the semiconducting region of the substrate, the protective nitride spacers separating the isolation regions from the high-k dielectric; and a polysilicon gate conductor overlying the metal gate conductor layer and enclosing the protective nitride spacers between at least the high-k dielectric layer, the semiconducting region, and a portion of the polysilicon gate conductor. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090294800 | HYBRID FET INCORPORATING A FINFET AND A PLANAR FET - A stack of a vertical fin and a planar semiconductor portion are formed on a buried insulator layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. A hybrid field effect transistor (FET) is formed which incorporates a finFET located on the vertical fin and a planar FET located on the planar semiconductor portion. The planar FET enables a continuous spectrum of on-current. The surfaces of the vertical fin and the planar semiconductor portion may be set to coincide with crystallographic orientations. Further, different crystallographic orientations may be selected for the surfaces of the vertical fin and the surfaces of the planar semiconductor portion to tailor the characteristics of the hybrid FET. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090294873 | FIELD EFFECT STRUCTURE AND METHOD INCLUDING SPACER SHAPED METAL GATE WITH ASYMMETRIC SOURCE AND DRAIN REGIONS - A semiconductor structure and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure provide a field effect device, such as a field effect transistor, that includes a spacer shaped metal gate located over a channel within a semiconductor substrate that separates a plurality of source and drain regions within the semiconductor substrate. Within the semiconductor structure, the plurality of source and drain regions is asymmetric with respect to the spacer shaped metal gate. The particular semiconductor structure may be fabricated using a self aligned dummy gate method that uses a portion of a spacer as a self alignment feature when forming the spacer shaped metal gate, which may have a sub-lithographic linewidth. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090294923 | Structure and Method for Reducing Threshold Voltage Variation - A structure comprises at least one transistor on a substrate, an insulator layer over the transistor, and an ion stopping layer over the insulator layer. The ion stopping layer comprises a portion of the insulator layer that is damaged and has either argon ion damage or nitrogen ion damage. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090294984 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED HETEROGENEOUS SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE - A first set of semiconductor devices is formed on a first semiconductor substrate comprising a first semiconductor material having a first melting point. A first via-level dielectric layer containing first contact vias is formed on the first semiconductor substrate. A second semiconductor substrate comprising a second semiconductor material having a second melting point lower than the first melting point is formed either by bonding or deposition. A second set of semiconductor devices is formed on the second semiconductor substrate. A second via-level dielectric layer, second contact vias contacting the second set of semiconductor devices, and inter-substrate vias electrically connecting the first contact vias are thereafter formed. A metal interconnect layer containing a metal interconnect structure is formed over the second via-level dielectric layer to electrically connect the first and second set of semiconductor devices through the second contact vias and the inter-substrate vias. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090309163 | METHOD AND STRUCTURE FOR ENHANCING BOTH NMOSFET AND PMOSFET PERFORMANCE WITH A STRESSED FILM AND DISCONTINUITY EXTENDING TO UNDERLYING LAYER - A structure and method for making includes adjacent pMOSFET and nMOSFET devices in which the gate stacks are each overlain by a stressing layer that provides compressive stress in the channel of the pMOSFET device and tensile stress in the channel of the nMOSFET device. One of the pMOSFET or nMOSFET device has a height shorter than that of the other adjacent device, and the shorter of the two devices is delineated by a discontinuity or opening in the stressing layer overlying the shorter device. In a preferred method for forming the devices a single stressing layer is formed over gate stacks having different heights to form a first type stress in the substrate under the gate stacks, and forming an opening in the stressing layer at a distance from the shorter gate stack so that a second type stress is formed under the shorter gate stack. In an exemplary embodiment, the opening may be extended into an underlying layer such as a source/drain region of the shorter gate stack and a bottom thereof silicided such that a contact formed therein exhibits reduced contact resistance. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090321808 | STRUCTURES, FABRICATION METHODS, AND DESIGN STRUCTURES FOR MULTIPLE BIT FLASH MEMORY CELLS - A semiconductor structure, a fabrication method, and a design structure of the same. The semiconductor structure includes (i) a semiconductor substrate which includes a top substrate surface perpendicular to the top substrate surface, (ii) a control gate electrode region and a first semiconductor body region on the semiconductor substrate, and (iii) a second semiconductor body region on the first semiconductor body region. The semiconductor structure further includes (i) a first gate dielectric region sandwiched between the first semiconductor body region and the control gate electrode region and (ii) a second gate dielectric region sandwiched between the second semiconductor body region and the control gate electrode region. The second semiconductor body region overlaps the first semiconductor body region in the reference direction. A first thickness of the first gate dielectric region is different from a second thickness of the second gate dielectric region. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090321828 | STRUCTURES, FABRICATION METHODS, DESIGN STRUCTURES FOR STRAINED FIN FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS (FINFETS) - A semiconductor structure, a fabrication method, and a design structure for a FinFet. The FinFet includes a dielectric layer, a central semiconductor fin region on the dielectric layer, a first semiconductor seed region on the dielectric layer, and a first strain creating fin region. The first semiconductor seed region is sandwiched between the first strain creating fin region and the dielectric layer. The first semiconductor seed region includes a first semiconductor material. The first strain creating fin region includes the first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material different than the first semiconductor material. A first atom percent of the first semiconductor material in the first semiconductor seed region is different than a second atom percent of the first semiconductor material in the first strain creating fin region. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100006926 | METHODS FOR FORMING HIGH PERFORMANCE GATES AND STRUCTURES THEREOF - Methods for forming high performance gates in MOSFETs and structures thereof are disclosed. One embodiment includes a method including providing a substrate including a first short channel active region, a second short channel active region and a long channel active region, each active region separated from another by a shallow trench isolation (STI); and forming a field effect transistor (FET) with a polysilicon gate over the long channel active region, a first dual metal gate FET having a first work function adjusting material over the first short channel active region and a second dual metal gate FET having a second work function adjusting material over the second short channel active region, wherein the first and second work function adjusting materials are different. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100035400 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING SELF-ALIGNED METAL CONTACTS - A semiconductor structure including at least one transistor is provided which has a stressed channel region that is a result of having a stressed layer present atop a gate conductor that includes a stack comprising a bottom polysilicon (polySi) layer and a top metal semiconductor alloy (i.e., metal silicide) layer. The stressed layer is self-aligned to the gate conductor. The inventive structure also has a reduced external parasitic S/D resistance as a result of having a metallic contact located atop source/drain regions that include a surface region comprised of a metal semiconductor alloy. The metallic contact is self-aligned to the gate conductor. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100038751 | STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING TRENCH CAPACITANCE - A deep trench (DT) capacitor comprises a trench in a silicon layer, a buried plate surrounding the trench, a dielectric layer lining the trench, and a node conductor in the trench. The top surface of the poly node is higher than the surface of the silicon layer, so that it is high enough to ensure that a nitride liner used as a CMP etch stop for STI oxide surrounding a top portion of the poly node will be higher than the STI oxide, so that the nitride liner can be removed prior to forming a silicide contact on top of the poly node. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100038789 | CONFORMAL ADHESION PROMOTER LINER FOR METAL INTERCONNECTS - A dielectric layer is patterned with at least one line trough and/or at least one via cavity. A metallic nitride liner is formed on the surfaces of the patterned dielectric layer. A metal liner is formed on the surface of the metallic nitride liner. A conformal copper nitride layer is formed directly on the metal liner by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD). A Cu seed layer is formed directly on the conformal copper nitride layer. The at least one line trough and/or the at least one via cavity are filled with an electroplated material. The direct contact between the conformal copper nitride layer and the Cu seed layer provides enhanced adhesion strength. The conformal copper nitride layer may be annealed to covert an exposed outer portion into a contiguous Cu layer, which may be employed to reduce the thickness of the Cu seed layer. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100041198 | TRIPLE GATE AND DOUBLE GATE FINFETS WITH DIFFERENT VERTICAL DIMENSION FINS - A semiconductor structure and its method of fabrication include multiple finFETs with different vertical dimensions for the semiconductor fins. An implant species is implanted in a bottom portion of selected semiconductor fins on which reduced vertical dimension is desired. The bottom portion of the selected semiconductor fins with implant species is etched selective to the semiconductor material without the implanted species, i.e., the semiconductor material in the top portion of the semiconductor fin and other semiconductor fins without the implanted species. FinFETs with the full vertical dimension fins and a high on-current and finFETs with reduced vertical dimension fins with a low on-current thus results on the same semiconductor substrate. By adjusting the depth of the implant species, the vertical dimension of the semiconductor fins may be adjusted in selected finFETs. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100140674 | MOSFET WITH MULTIPLE FULLY SILICIDED GATE AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - A field-effect transistor is provided. The field-effect transistor includes a gate structure including a fully silicided gate material overlying a gate dielectric disposed on a substrate, the fully silicided gate material having an upper region and a lower region, wherein the lower region has a first lateral dimension in accordance with a lateral dimension of the gate dielectric, and the upper region has a second lateral dimension different from the first lateral dimension. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100176506 | THERMOELECTRIC 3D COOLING - The invention comprises a 3D chip stack with an intervening thermoelectric coupling (TEC) plate. Through silicon vias in the 3D chip stack transfer electronic signals among the chips in the 3D stack, power the TEC plate, as well as distribute heat in the stack from hotter chips to cooler chips. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100187592 | HIGH PERFORMANCE FLASH MEMORY DEVICES - Disclosed herein is a flash memory device comprising: a wafer; a gate oxide layer disposed upon the wafer; a floating gate disposed upon the gate oxide layer, the wafer, or a combination thereof; the floating gate comprising a flat floating gate portion and a generally rectangular floating gate portion disposed upon selected areas of the flat floating gate portion; a high K dielectric material disposed upon the floating gate; and a control gate disposed upon the high K dielectric material; wherein the high K dielectric material forms a zigzag pattern coupling the floating gate with the control gate. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100187641 | HIGH PERFORMANCE MOSFET - A semiconductor structure which exhibits high device performance and improved short channel effects is provided. In particular, the present invention provides a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOFET) that includes a low dopant concentration within an inversion layer of the structure; the inversion layer is an epitaxial semiconductor layer that is formed atop a portion of the semiconductor substrate. The inventive structure also includes a well region of a first conductivity type beneath the inversion layer, wherein the well region has a central portion and two horizontally abutting end portions. The central portion has a higher concentration of a first conductivity type dopant than the two horizontally abutting end portions. Such a well region may be referred to as a non-uniform super-steep retrograde well. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100193964 | METHOD OF MAKING 3D INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND STRUCTURES FORMED THEREBY - A method and structure of connecting at least two integrated circuits in a 3D arrangement by a through silicon via which simultaneously connects a connection pad in a first integrated circuit and a connection pad in a second integrated circuit. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100207648 | Contact Resistance Test Structure and Method Suitable for Three-Dimensional Integrated Circuits - A contact resistance test structure, a method for fabricating the contact resistance test structure and a method for measuring a contact resistance while using the contact resistance test structure are all predicated upon two parallel conductor lines (or multiples thereof) that are contacted by one perpendicular conductor line absent a via interposed there between. The test structure and related methods are applicable within the context of three-dimensional integrated circuits. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100219450 | ASYMMETRIC SOURCE/DRAIN JUNCTIONS FOR LOW POWER SILICON ON INSULATOR DEVICES - A semiconductor device includes a buried insulator layer formed on a bulk substrate; a first type semiconductor material formed on the buried insulator layer, and corresponding to a body region of a field effect transistor (FET); a second type of semiconductor material formed over the buried insulator layer, adjacent opposing sides of the body region, and corresponding to source and drain regions of the FET; the second type of semiconductor material having a different bandgap than the first type of semiconductor material; wherein a source side p/n junction of the FET is located substantially within whichever of the first and the second type of semiconductor material having a lower bandgap, and a drain side p/n junction of the FET is located substantially entirely within whichever of the first and the second type of semiconductor material having a higher bandgap. | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100224876 | Two-Sided Semiconductor Structure - Deep via trenches and deep marker trenches are formed in a bulk substrate and filled with a conductive material to form deep conductive vias and deep marker vias. At least one first semiconductor device is formed on the first surface of the bulk substrate. A disposable dielectric capping layer and a disposable material layer are formed over the first surface of the bulk substrate. The second surface, located on the opposite side of the first surface, of the bulk substrate is polished to expose and planarize the deep conductive vias and deep marker vias, which become through-substrate vias and through-substrate alignment markers, respectively. At least one second semiconductor device and second metal interconnect structures are formed on the second surface of the bulk substrate. The disposable material layer and the disposable dielectric capping layer are removed and first metal interconnect structures are formed on the first surface. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100224938 | CMOS Transistors With Silicon Germanium Channel and Dual Embedded Stressors - A p-type MOSFET of a CMOS structure has a silicon-germanium alloy channel to which a longitudinal compressive stress is applied by embedded epitaxial silicon-germanium alloy source and drain regions comprising a silicon-germanium alloy having a higher concentration of germanium than the channel of the p-type MOSFET. An n-type MOSFET of the CMOS structure has a silicon-germanium alloy channel to which a longitudinal tensile stress is applied by embedded epitaxial silicon source and drain regions comprising silicon. The silicon-germanium alloy channel in the p-type MOSFET provides enhanced hole mobility, while the silicon-germanium alloy channel in the n-type MOSFET provides enhanced electron mobility, thereby providing performance improvement to both the p-type MOSFET and the n-type MOSFET. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100230735 | Deep Trench Capacitor on Backside of a Semiconductor Substrate - A pair of through substrate vias is formed through a stack including a lightly doped semiconductor and a bottom semiconductor layer in a semiconductor substrate. The top semiconductor layer includes semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors. At least one deep trench is formed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate in the bottom semiconductor layer and at least one dielectric layer thereupon. A node dielectric and a conductive inner electrode are formed in each of the at least one deep trench. Substrate contact vias abutting the bottom semiconductor layer are also formed in the at least one dielectric layer. Conductive wiring structures on the backside of the semiconductor substrate provide lateral connection between the through substrate vias and the at least one conductive inner electrode and the substrate contact vias. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100237410 | ULTRA-THIN SEMICONDUCTOR ON INSULATOR METAL GATE COMPLEMENTARY FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR WITH METAL GATE AND METHOD OF FORMING THEREOF - A method of forming a semiconductor device is provided that may include providing a semiconductor layer including a raised source and raised drain region that are separated by a recessed channel having a thickness of less than 20 nm, and forming a spacer on a sidewall of the raised source and drain region overlying a portion of the recessed channel. In a following process step, a channel implantation is performed that produces a dopant spike of opposite conductivity as the raised source and drain regions. Thereafter, the offset spacer is removed, and gate structure including a metal gate conductor is formed overlying the recessed channel. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100264469 | MOSFET INCLUDING EPITAXIAL HALO REGION - A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure and a method for fabricating the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure provide for a halo region that is physically separated from a gate dielectric. The structure and the method also provide for a halo region aperture formed horizontally and crystallographically specifically within a channel region pedestal within the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor structure. The halo region aperture is filled with a halo region formed using an epitaxial method, thus the halo region may be formed physically separated from the gate dielectric. As a result, performance of the metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor is enhanced. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100264471 | Enhancing MOSFET performance with stressed wedges - The present invention relates to improved metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices with stress-inducing structures located above the gate structure or at or near the source and drain regions. Specifically, a dielectric layer in on the MOSFET and at least one stress-inducing wedge is pressed into the dielectric layer to induce a stress in the channel of the MOSFET. The at least one stress-inducing wedge is located above the gate of an n-channel MOSFET (nMOSFET) and the at least one stress-inducing wedge is located in or near the source and drain regions, but not above the gate of a p-channel MOSFET (pMOSFET). The former creates tensile stress in the channel of an nMOSFET and then enhance the performance of the nMOSFET. The latter produces compressive stress in the channel of a pMOSFET and then enhance the performance of the pMOSFET. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100270674 | High quality electrical contacts between integrated circuit chips - Methods and structures of connecting at least two integrated circuits in a 3D arrangement by a zigzag conductive chain are disclosed. The zigzag conductive chain, acting as a spring or self-adaptive contact structure (SACS) in a wafer bonding process, is designed to reduce bonding interface stress, to increase bonding interface reliability, and to have an adjustable height to close or eliminate undesirable opens or voids between two integrated circuits. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100283093 | Structure and Method to Form EDRAM on SOI Substrate - A memory device is provided that in one embodiment includes a trench capacitor located in a semiconductor substrate including an outer electrode provided by the semiconductor substrate, an inner electrode provided by a conductive fill material, and a node dielectric layer located between the outer electrode and the inner electrode; and a semiconductor device positioned centrally over the trench capacitor. The semiconductor device includes a source region, a drain region, and a gate structure, in which the semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor layer that is separated from the semiconductor substrate by a dielectric layer. A first contact is present extending from an upper surface of the semiconductor layer into electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate, and a second contact from the drain region of the semiconductor device in electrical contact to the conductive material within the at least one trench. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20110006371 | INDUCING STRESS IN CMOS DEVICE - A first aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device including: a silicon substrate layer; a silicon dioxide layer thereover; and an n-type field effect transistor (NFET) gate having a first recessed source/drain trench and a p-type field effect transistor (PFET) gate having a second recessed source/drain trench, the NFET gate and the PFET gate located over the silicon dioxide layer; depositing a nitride stress liner in the first recessed source/drain trench and the second recessed source/drain trench; depositing an oxide layer over the nitride stress liner; placing the CMOS device on a handling wafer, wherein the oxide layer is closest to the handling wafer; removing the silicon substrate layer; etching the silicon dioxide layer to form an opening abutting a portion of a source/drain region, the source/drain region abutting one of the first recessed source/drain trench or the second recessed source/drain trench; and forming a contact in the opening. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110014757 | PROCESS INTEGRATION FOR FLASH STORAGE ELEMENT AND DUAL CONDUCTOR COMPLEMENTARY MOSFETS - A method is provided for simultaneously fabricating a flash storage element, an NFET and a PFET having metal gates with different workfunctions. A first gate metal layer of the NFET having a first workfunction can be deposited simultaneously with a first metal layer for forming the floating gate of the flash storage element. A second gate metal layer of the PFET having a second workfunction different from the first workfunction can be deposited simultaneously with a second metal layer for forming the control gate of the flash storage element. A semiconductor layer can then be deposited over the first and second metal layers and gate metal layers and patterned to form first, second and third gates. Source and drain regions of the flash storage element, the NFET and the PFET can then be formed adjacent to the first, second and third gates, respectively. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110018039 | LITHOGRAPHY FOR PRINTING CONSTANT LINE WIDTH FEATURES - An anisotropic wet etch of a semiconductor layer generates facets joined by a ridge running along the center of a pattern in a dielectric hardmask layer on the semiconductor layer. The dielectric hardmask layer is removed and a conformal masking material layer is deposited. Angled ion implantation of Ge, B, Ga, In, As, P, Sb, or inert atoms is performed parallel to each of the two facets joined by the ridge causing damage to implanted portions of the masking material layer, which are removed selective to undamaged portions of the masking material layer along the ridge and having a constant width. The semiconductor layer and a dielectric oxide layer underneath are etched selective to the remaining portions of the dielectric nitride. Employing remaining portions of the dielectric oxide layer as an etch mask, the gate conductor layer is patterned to form gate conductor lines having a constant width. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110039397 | Structures and methods to separate microchips from a wafer - Structures and methods for separating chips or ICs from a wafer are disclosed. To save area and manufacturing costs, deep trench formation combining with mechanical bending or lateral etch is used to separate chips or ICs from a wafer. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110062502 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - The present invention proposes a method of forming a dual contact hole, comprising steps of: forming a source/drain region and a replacement gate structure on a semiconductor substrate, the replacement gate structure including a replacement gate; depositing a first inter-layer dielectric layer; planarizing the first inter-layer dielectric layer to expose the replacement gate in the replacement gate structure; removing the replacement gate and depositing to form a metal gate; etching to form a first source/drain contact opening in the first inter-layer dielectric layer; sequentially depositing a liner and filling conductive metal in the first source/drain contact opening to form a first source/drain contact hole; depositing a second inter-layer dielectric layer on the first inter-layer dielectric layer; etching to form a second source/drain contact opening and a gate contact opening in the second inter-layer dielectric layer; and sequentially depositing a liner and filling conductive metal in the second source/drain contact opening and the gate contact opening to form a second source/drain contact hole and a gate contact hole. The present invention also proposes a semiconductor device manufactured by the above process. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110104846 | Thermoelectric 3D Cooling - The invention comprises a 3D chip stack with an intervening thermoelectric coupling (TEC) plate. Through silicon vias in the 3D chip stack transfer electronic signals among the chips in the 3D stack, power the TEC plate, as well as distribute heat in the stack from hotter chips to cooler chips. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110124165 | Structure and Method for Manufacturing Device with a V-Shape Channel NMosfet - A CMOS structure includes a v-shape surface in an nMOSFET region. The v-shape surface has an orientation in a (100) plane and extends into a Si layer in the nMOSFET region. The nMOSFET gate dielectric layer is a high-k material, such as Hf02. The nMOSFET has a metal gate layer, such as Ta. Poly-Si is deposited on top of the metal gate layer. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110162875 | SELECTIVE COPPER ENCAPSULATION LAYER DEPOSITION - A metal interconnect structure provides high adhesive strength between copper atoms in a copper-containing structure and a self-aligned copper encapsulation layer, which is selectively deposited only on exposed copper surfaces. A lower level metal interconnect structure comprises a first dielectric material layer and a copper-containing structure embedded in a lower metallic liner. After a planarization process that forms the copper-containing structure, a material that forms Cu—S bonds with exposed surfaces of the copper-containing structure is applied to the surface of the copper-containing structure. The material is selectively deposited only on exposed Cu surfaces, thereby forming a self-aligned copper encapsulation layer, and provides a high adhesion strength to the copper surface underneath. A dielectric cap layer and an upper level metal interconnect structure can be subsequently formed on the copper encapsulation layer. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110163359 | LITHOGRAPHY FOR PRINTING CONSTANT LINE WIDTH FEATURES - An anisotropic wet etch of a semiconductor layer generates facets joined by a ridge running along the center of a pattern in a dielectric hardmask layer on the semiconductor layer. The dielectric hardmask layer is removed and a conformal masking material layer is deposited. Angled ion implantation of Ge, B, Ga, In, As, P, Sb, or inert atoms is performed parallel to each of the two facets joined by the ridge causing damage to implanted portions of the masking material layer, which are removed selective to undamaged portions of the masking material layer along the ridge and having a constant width. The semiconductor layer and a dielectric oxide layer underneath are etched selective to the remaining portions of the dielectric nitride. Employing remaining portions of the dielectric oxide layer as an etch mask, the gate conductor layer is patterned to form gate conductor lines having a constant width. | 07-07-2011 |