Lsi Logic Corporation

Lsi Corporation

David Pritchard

Hemanshu D Bhatt

Derryl D J Allman

David T Price

Charles E May

Peter Austin Burke

Byung-Sung Kwak

Sey-Shing Sun

Ponce Saopraseuth

Santosh S Menon

Sam Gu

Steve Reder

A transistor integration process provides a damascene method for the formation of gate electrodes and gate dielectric layers. An interlayer-dielectric film is deposited prior to the gate electrode formation to avoid the demanding gap fill requirements presented by adjacent gates. A trench is formed in the interlayer-dielectric film followed by the deposition of the gate material in the trench. This process avoids the potential for damage to high-k gate dielectric layers caused by high thermal cycles and also reduces or eliminates the problematic formation of voids in the dielectric layers filling the gaps between adjacent gates.

Spacer-less transistor integration scheme for high-K gate dielectrics and small gate-to-gate spaces applicable to Si, SiGe and strained silicon schemes

A method for redirecting void diffusion away from vias in an integrated circuit design includes steps of forming an electrical conductor in a first electrically conductive layer of an integrated circuit design, forming a via between a distal end of the electrical conductor and a second electrically conductive layer of the integrated circuit design, and reducing tensile stress in the electrical conductor to divert void diffusion away from the via.

Method for redirecting void diffusion away from vias in an integrated circuit design

A method of diverting void diffusion in an integrated circuit includes steps of forming an electrical conductor having a boundary in a first electrically conductive layer of an integrated circuit, forming a via inside the boundary of the electrical conductor in a dielectric layer between the first electrically conductive layer and a second electrically conductive layer of the integrated circuit, and forming a slot between the via and the boundary of the electrical conductor for diverting void diffusion in the electrical conductor away from the via.

Method and apparatus for diverting void diffusion in integrated circuit conductors

A method and apparatus for redirecting void diffusion away from vias in an integrated circuit design includes steps of forming an electrical conductor in a first electrically conductive layer of an integrated circuit design, forming a via between a distal end of the electrical conductor and a second electrically conductive layer of the integrated circuit design, and reducing tensile stress in the electrical conductor to divert void diffusion away from the via.

Method and apparatus for redirecting void diffusion away from vias in an integrated circuit design

The present invention is directed to a method of fabricating a local interconnect. A disclosed method involves forming two separate cavities in the ILD above two electrical contacts of a transistor. A first cavity extend down to an underlying etch stop layer. The first cavity is then filled with a protective layer. The second cavity is then formed adjacent to the first cavity and extends down to expose the underlying etch stop layer. The protective layer is removed to form an expanded cavity including the first and second cavities which expose the underlying etch stop layer in the expanded cavity. The etch stop material in the expanded cavity is also removed to expose an underlying gate contact and expose one of a source or drain contact. The gate contact is then electrically connected with one of the exposed source or drain contacts to form a local interconnect.

Local interconnect manufacturing process

A process is disclosed for removing a photoresist mask used to form openings in an underlying layer of low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material of an integrated circuit structure formed on a semiconductor substrate, which comprises exposing the photoresist mask in a plasma reactor to a plasma formed using a reducing gas until the photoresist mask is removed. In a preferred embodiment the reducing gas is selected from the group consisting of NH , H , forming gas, and a mixture of NH and H . The process further provides for the removal of etch residues by first contacting the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material with a solvent capable of dissolving and/or removing etch residues left from forming the openings in the low k dielectric material, and from removing the photoresist mask used to form the openings in the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material; and then annealing the substrate in an annealing chamber at a temperature sufficient to remove liquid and gaseous byproducts from the low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material.

Process for removal of resist mask over low k carbon-doped silicon oxide dielectric material of an integrated circuit structure, and removal of residues from via etch and resist mask removal

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Saxony, Germany

David Pritchard