| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090053864 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING A SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE HAVING HETEROGENEOUS CRYSTALLINE ORIENTATIONS - A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure having heterogeneous crystalline orientations by forming a region including a semiconductor material having a specified crystalline orientation using an epitaxial buffer overlying a semiconductor substrate. The buffer provides a transfer body such that the semiconductor material has a crystalline orientation that differs from the crystalline orientation of a semiconductor region underlying the buffer. The method also includes fabricating a semiconductor structure having a p-type device region and an n-type device region, where a supporting semiconductor substrate is either n-type or p-type and where the semiconductor material is separated from the substrate by a buffer and has a crystalline orientation that differs from the crystalline orientation of the substrate. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090068825 | IMPLEMENTATION OF TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT PHASE SWITCH LAYER FOR IMPROVED TEMPERATURE UNIFORMITY DURING ANNEALING - The present invention provides a method of annealing a semiconductor by applying a temperature-dependant phase switch layer to a semiconductor structure. The temperature-dependant phase switch layer changes phase from amorphous to crystalline at a predetermined temperature. When the semiconductor structure is annealed, electromagnetic radiation passes through the temperature-dependant phase switch layer before reaching the semiconductor structure. When a desired annealing temperature is reached the temperature-dependant phase switch layer substantially blocks the electromagnetic radiation from reaching the semiconductor structure. As a result, the semiconductor is annealed at a consistent temperature across the wafer. The temperature at which the temperature-dependant phase switch layer changes phase can be controlled by an ion implantation process. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090140292 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND METHOD OF FABRICATION THEREOF - A method of forming an integrated circuit structure comprising the steps of forming a first and second device region on a surface of a wafer, forming a spacer of a first width on a sidewall of a first gate stack in the first device region, forming a spacer of a second width on a sidewall of a second gate stack in the second device region, with the first width being different from the second width. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090146296 | Method of forming high-k dielectric stop layer for contact hole opening - A composite etch stop layer which comprises primary and secondary stop layers is used to form contacts in a dielectric layer to contact regions in a substrate. The secondary etch stop layer includes a high-k dielectric material to achieve high etch selectivity with the dielectric layer during contact formation. The secondary stop layer is removed to expose the contact regions. Removal of the secondary stop layer is achieved with high selectivity to the materials therebelow. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090156010 | THIN FILM ETCHING METHOD AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE FABRICATION USING SAME - A method for etching a thin film and fabricating a semiconductor device includes etching the thin film on a substrate, while monitoring the removal of an endpoint detection layer remotely located from the substrate, such that precise control of the thin film etching is provided by monitoring the removal of the endpoint detection layer. The endpoint detection layer is formed on a surface of an etching apparatus that is exposed to the same etching conditions as the thin film to be etched. The etching of the thin film is stopped when a predetermined amount of the endpoint detection layer has removed from the surface of the etching apparatus. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090194788 | STRAINED CHANNEL TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE AND METHOD - A transistor device structure comprising: a substrate portion formed from a first material; and a source region, a drain region and a channel region formed in said substrate, the source and drain regions comprising a plurality of islands of a second material different from the first material, the islands being arranged to induce a strain in said channel region of the substrate. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20090218597 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING AN EPITAXIAL CHANNEL AND TRANSISTOR HAVING SAME - A transistor having an epitaxial channel and a method for fabricating a semiconductor device having an epitaxial channel, the method including forming a hardmask on a substrate and forming an opening in the hardmask. The opening is geometrically characterized by a long dimension and a short dimension, and the opening is arranged in a predetermined manner relative to the channel region of a transistor. An epitaxial material is formed in the opening that induces strain in substrate regions proximate to the epitaxial material. The epitaxial material is confined to the opening, such that an epitaxial channel is formed. A transistor is fabricated in proximity to the epitaxial channel, such that the strain induced in the substrate provides enhanced transistor performance. By confining the epitaxial material to a predefined channel in the substrate, plastic strain relaxation of the epitaxial material is minimized and a maximum amount of strain is induced in the substrate. | 09-03-2009 |
| 20090258445 | MULTI-VARIABLE REGRESSION FOR METROLOGY - A method for assessing metrology tool accuracy is described. Multi-variable regression is used to define the accuracy of a metrology tool such that the interaction between different measurement parameters is taken into account. A metrology tool under test (MTUT) and a reference metrology tool (RMT) are used to measure a set of test profiles. The MTUT measures the test profiles to generate a MTUT data set for a first measurement parameter. The RMT measures the test profiles to generate RMT data sets for the first measurement parameter, and at least a second measurement parameter. Multi-variable regression is then performed to generate a best-fit plane for the data sets. The coefficient of determination (R | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090289284 | High shrinkage stress silicon nitride (SiN) layer for NFET improvement - A method (and semiconductor device) of forming a high shrinkage stressed silicon nitride layer for use as a contact etch stop layer (CESL) or capping layer in a stress management technique (SMT) provides increased tensile stress to a channel of an nFET device to enhance carrier mobility. A spin-on polysilazane-based dielectric material is applied to a semiconductor substrate and baked to form a film layer. The film layer is cured to remove hydrogen from the film which causes shrinkage in the film when it recrystallizes into silicon nitride. The resulting silicon nitride stressed layer introduces an increased level of tensile stress to the transistor channel region. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090289309 | METHOD FOR REDUCING SILICIDE DEFECTS IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A method for forming silicide contacts in integrated circuits (ICs) is described. A spacer pull-back etch is performed during the salicidation process to reduce the stress between the spacer and source/drain silicide contact at the spacer undercut. This prevents the propagation of surface defects into the substrate, thereby minimizing the occurrence of silicide pipe defects. The spacer pull-back etch can be performed after a first annealing step to form the silicide contacts. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20100019329 | Method and apparatus to reduce thermal variations within an integrated circuit die using thermal proximity correction - A method (and semiconductor device) of fabricating a semiconductor device utilizes a thermal proximity correction (TPC) technique to reduce the impact of thermal variations during anneal. Prior to actual fabrication, a location of interest (e.g., a transistor) within an integrated circuit design is determined and an effective thermal area around the location is defined. Thermal properties of structures intended to be fabricated within this area are used to calculate an estimated temperature that would be achieved at the location of interest from a given anneal process. If the estimated temperature is below or above a predetermined target temperature (or range), TPC is performed. Various TPC techniques may be performed, such as the addition of dummy cells and/or changing dimensions of the structure to be fabricated at the location of interest (resulting in an modified thermally corrected design, to suppress local variations in device performance caused by thermal variations during anneal. | 01-28-2010 |
| 20100096695 | HIGH STRESS FILM - A semiconductor device that includes a substrate having an active region prepared with a transistor is presented. The semiconductor device includes a stress structure adjacent to the substrate. The stress structure includes a dielectric layer having nanocrystals embedded therein. The nanocrystals induce a first or a second stress on a channel region of the transistor which improves carrier mobility of the transistor. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100167505 | METHODS FOR REDUCING LOADING EFFECTS DURING FILM FORMATION - A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method comprises selectively forming a first layer over a first and second exposed portions of a substrate. The first and second exposed portions are of different sizes and are located adjacent to a first and second active devices. During the first layer formation, a gas mixture comprising first and second source gases that function as growth components for forming the first layer and a reactant gas that functions as an etching component for controlling selectivity of the first layer growth is provided. The reactant gas is different from the first and second source gases and one of first and second source gases forms the first layer at a faster rate over the first exposed portion as compared to the second exposed portion and the other source gas exhibits an opposite behavior. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100267236 | METHOD FOR REDUCING SILICIDE DEFECTS IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A method for forming silicide contacts in integrated circuits (ICs) is described. A spacer pull-back etch is performed during the salicidation process to reduce the stress between the spacer and source/drain silicide contact at the spacer undercut. This prevents the propagation of surface defects into the substrate, thereby minimizing the occurrence of silicide pipe defects. The spacer pull-back etch can be performed after a first annealing step to form the silicide contacts. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100308374 | STRAINED CHANNEL TRANSISTOR STRUCTURE AND METHOD - A transistor device structure comprising: a substrate portion formed from a first material; and a source region, a drain region and a channel region formed in said substrate, the source and drain regions comprising a plurality of islands of a second material different from the first material, the islands being arranged to induce a strain in said channel region of the substrate. | 12-09-2010 |
