Imec Vzw

Imec

Sony Corporation

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Geert Van Der Plas

Eric Beyne

Gaspard Hiblot

Xavier Rottenberg

Simone Severi

Murali Jayapala

Ken Sawada

Julien Ryckaert

Jonathan Borremans

Stefaan Van Huylenbroeck

Veronique Rochus

Geert Hellings

Stefan Cosemans

Guy Torfs

Johan Bauwelinck

Xin Yin

Jan Vandewege

Manu Komalan Perumkunnil

Bob Verbruggen

Paul Marchal

Anshul Gupta

Shih-Hung Chen

Mirko Scholz

Zhisheng Li

Vladimir Cherman

Julien Jussot

Herman Oprins

Nikolaos Minas

Shamin Houshmand Sharifi

Sylvain Baudot

Ankur Anchlia

Stéphane Donnay

Roeland Vandebriel

Erik-Jan Marinissen

Lynn Bos

Pierluigi Nuzzo

Fernando De Bernardinis

Yuichi Miyamori

Abdelkarim Mercha

Pieter Woeltgens

A method of producing a gate cut in a semiconductor component is provided. In one aspect, an array of nano-sized semiconductor fins is processed on a semiconductor substrate. Rails may be buried in the substrate and in a layer of dielectric material that isolates neighboring fins from each other. The rails may extend in the direction of the fins and each rail may be situated between two adjacent fins. The rails may be buried power rails for enabling the formation of a power delivery network at the back of an integrated circuit chip. At the front side of the substrate, one or more gate structures are produced. The gate structures extend transversally, or perpendicularly, with respect to the fins and the rails. A gate cut is produced by forming an opening from the back side of the substrate, and removing a portion of the gate structure at the bottom of the opening, thereby creating a gate cut that is aligned to the sidewalls of the rail. In another aspect, a semiconductor component, such as an integrated circuit, includes a gate cut that is aligned to the sidewalls of a buried contact rail.

Method of producing a gate cut in a semiconductor component

Example embodiments relate to integrated circuits with 3D partitioning. One embodiment includes an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a first integrated circuit layer that includes processing cores. The integrated circuit also includes a second integrated circuit layer that includes memory arrays associated with processing cores. Additionally, the integrated circuit includes an intermediate integrated circuit layer interconnected with the first and second integrated circuit layers and including memory control logic and interface circuitries for managing data exchange between the processing cores and the memory arrays.

Integrated circuit with 3D partitioning

Example embodiments relate to methods for inducing stress in semiconductor devices. One method includes a method for producing a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device configured to conduct current through the controlled density of charge carriers in a channel area. The charge carriers of the first semiconductor device have opposite polarity to the charge carriers of the second semiconductor device. The method includes producing a stress relaxed buffer (SRD) layer. The back side of the SRB layer is positioned on a substrate. The method also includes producing a semiconductor layer on the front side of the SRB layer. Additionally, the method includes producing the first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device on the semiconductor layer, removing the substrate, thinning the SRB layer, producing a cavity in the SRB layer, and filling the cavity with a material to create a stress compensation area.

Method for inducing stress in semiconductor devices

The disclosed technology relates to the field of memory devices including memory arrays, and more particularly, to magnetic memory devices. In one aspect, the disclosed technology provides a method of fabricating a memory device, and the memory device. The method comprises: processing a plurality of selector devices in a semiconductor layer of a first substrate, processing an interconnect layer on a front-side of the semiconductor layer, the interconnect layer comprising an interconnect structure electrically connected to the plurality of selector devices, processing a plurality of memory elements in an oxide layer of the first substrate arranged on a back-side of the semiconductor layer, each memory element being electrically connected to one of the selector devices, and processing one or more vias through the semiconductor layer to electrically connect the memory elements to the interconnect structure.

Bipolar selector device for a memory array

An integrated circuit (IC) chip that includes a semiconductor substrate including active devices on its front side, and at least part of a power delivery network (PDN) on its back side, is disclosed. In one aspect, the PDN includes a power supply terminal (Vdd) and a reference terminal (Vss) at the back of the IC. A plurality of TSV (Through Semiconductor Via) connections through the substrate bring the power to the front of the substrate. A field effect transistor is integrated at the back side of the substrate, and includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a gate electrode, which are contacted at the back side of the substrate. The IC further includes a gate control terminal for controlling the gate voltage. The transistor is coupled between the power supply terminal and one or more of the active devices of the IC.

Integrated circuit with backside power delivery network and backside transistor

A vertical isolated gate FET transistor integrated in the front end of line of a semiconductor chip is disclosed. In one aspect, the transistor includes a modified version of a buried power rail and back side TSV (through semiconductor via) connection for connecting the front end of line to a back side signal delivery network, such as a power delivery network (PDN), the PDN being arranged on the backside of the semiconductor substrate that carries the active devices of the FEOL on its front side. In contrast to standard power rail/TSV combinations, the TSV is not electrically connected to the rail, but isolated therefrom by a dielectric plug at the bottom of the rail. The TSV is isolated from the semiconductor substrate by a dielectric liner. Well regions are furthermore provided on the front side, enveloping the rail and the dielectric plug, and on the backside, surrounding the TSV and liner. On the back side, the well includes a contact area adjacent the TSV. The TSV thereby acts as the gate of the transistor, while the rail and the contact area respectively act as source and drain or vice versa.

Vertical isolated gate field effect transistor integrated in a semiconductor chip

A method is provided for bonding and interconnecting two semiconductor chips arranged on semiconductor substrates. HSQ (Hydrogen Silsesquioxane) or an equivalent material is used as a bonding layer and after bonding and thinning one of the wafers (or first thinning and then bonding), the bond layer is locally irradiated by an e-beam through the thinned substrate, thereby locally transforming the bonding material into silicon oxide. Then a via opening is etched through the thinned substrate and an etch process selectively removes the oxide from an area delimited by the bonding material or vice versa. The filling of the via opening establishes an electrical connection between the bonded wafers, that is equivalent to a connection obtained by hybrid bonding, but that does not suffer from the disadvantages thereof.

Method for bonding and interconnecting semiconductor chips

The disclosed technology relates generally to integrated circuit structures, and more particularly to a semiconductor fin structure having silicided portions. In an aspect, a semiconductor device including a fin structure and a substrate is disclosed. The fin structure includes a first source/drain region, a second source/drain region, and a channel region. The channel region is arranged between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region to separate the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region in a length direction of the fin structure. The first source/drain region includes a bottom portion and a top portion, wherein the bottom portion of the first source/drain region is fully silicided and the top portion of the first source/drain region is partly silicided.

Semiconductor fin structures having silicided portions

The disclosed technology relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit that comprises a semiconductor device which has a port to be protected from Plasma-Induced Damage due to electric charge that may accumulate at the port during a plasma-processing step, and a protection circuit that is provided to the integrated circuit. In one aspect, the protection circuit comprises a discharge path, a control terminal, and a plasma pick-up antenna connected to the control terminal. The protection circuit further comprises a bipolar transistor which has a base connected to the control terminal. Such protection circuit is much more efficient in allowing charge transfer from the device port to a reference voltage terminal.

Semiconductor integrated circuit manufactured using a plasma-processing step

A method of producing a through semiconductor via (TSV) connection is disclosed. In one aspect, an opening of the TSV is produced for contacting a first semiconductor die bonded to a second die or to a temporary carrier. The first die includes fin-shaped devices in the front end of line of the die. Etching of the TSV opening does not end on a metal pad, but the opening is etched until reaching a well that is formed of material of a first doping type and formed in the first die amid semiconductor material of a second doping type opposite the first. After filling the TSV opening with a conductive material, the TSV connects to a conductor of an intermediate metallization (IM) of the first die through at least one fin extending from the well and connected to the conductor. A package of dies comprising at least one TSV produced by the above method is also disclosed.

Method for producing a through semiconductor via connection

An example embodiment may include a sensor for monitoring and/or measuring stress in a semiconductor component. The component may include a substrate formed of a semiconductor material. The substrate may include a planar main surface. The sensor may include at least one slanted surface of the substrate material, the slanted surface being defined by an oblique inclination angle with respect to the main surface of the substrate. The sensor may also include at least one straight resistive path extending on at least part of the slanted surface and a plurality of contacts and terminals for accessing the at least one resistive path. The contacts and terminals may allow for the measurement of an electrical resistance of the resistive path and an assessment of a shear stress in a plane that is not parallel to the main surface of the substrate.

Stress sensor for semiconductor components

An assembly including a carrier substrate and at least one group of interconnected integrated circuit modules mounted thereon is disclosed. The modules are provided with a connection for transmitting a clock signal through the group of interconnected modules. The modules are also provided with digital input ports and output ports and a logic circuit configured for identifying the position of the modules in the group on the basis of a count of the clock pulses, and on the basis of the logic state of the input and output ports. In one aspect, a method involves the transfer of a token in the form of one or more logic states, through the group of modules, from a first module to a last module, resulting in the identification of all modules in a progressive manner.

Assembly of integrated circuit modules and method for identifying the modules

The disclosed technology relates to semiconductors, and more particularly to a junction field effect transistor (JFET). In one aspect, a method of fabricating a JFET includes forming a well of a first dopant type in a substrate, wherein the well is isolated from the substrate by an isolation region of a second dopant type. The method additionally includes implanting a dopant of the second dopant type at a surface of the well to form a source, a drain and a channel of the JFET, and implanting a dopant of the first dopant type at the surface of the well to form a gate of the JFET. The method additionally includes, prior to implanting the dopant of the first type and the dopant of the second type, forming a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) layer on the well and forming contact openings in the PMD layer above the source, the drain and the gate. The PMD layer has a thickness such that the channel is formed by implanting the dopant of the first type and the dopant of the second type through the PMD layer. The method further includes, after implanting the dopant of the first type and the dopant of the second type, siliciding the source, the drain and the gate, and forming metal contacts in the contact openings.

Method of forming a junction field effect transistor

Methods and systems for measuring capacitance difference are disclosed. In one aspect, first and second capacitive elements are connected between voltage receiving nodes for receiving first and second DC voltages and nodes connectable to a third DC voltage via a first, resp. second switch. Further, in a first phase, a voltage difference is applied to charge the capacitive elements and the switches are alternately closed. First resulting currents are measured. Further, in a second phase, the first and second DC voltages are applied alternatingly and the switches are alternately closed. Second resulting currents are measured. The capacitance difference can be determined from the first and second resulting currents.

Method and system for measuring capacitance difference between capacitive elements

Micro-mirror arrays configured for use in a variable focal length lens are described herein. An example variable focal length lens comprises a micro-mirror array having a plurality of micro-mirror elements arranged in at least a first section and a second section. Each micro-mirror element has a tilt axis and comprises, on each of two opposing sides of the tilt axis, (i) at least one actuation electrode, (ii) at least one measurement electrode, and (iii) at least one stopper. Additionally, each micro-mirror element in the first section has a first tilt angle range, and each micro-mirror element in the second section has a second tilt angle range, with the first tilt angle range being less than the second tilt angle range.

Growing community of inventors

Leuven, Belgium

Geert Van Der Plas