Motorola Corporation

Motorlola, Inc.

James D Hayden

James R Pfiester

Bich-Yen Nguyen

Chitra K Subramanian

Jon T Fitch

Carlos A Mazure

Frank K Baker

Kent J Cooper

Howard C Kirsch

Keith E Witek

Michael P Woo

Olubunmi O Adetutu

Richard D Sivan

Philip J Tobin

Scott S Roth

Dean J Denning

Craig S Lage

Arkalgud R Sitaram

Robert C Taft

David Burnett

Thomas F McNelly

Marius K Orlowski

Hsing-Huang Tseng

Thomas C Mele

Subramoney V Iyer

Asanga H Perera

Mark G Fernandes

Bradley M Somero

Robert P Chebi

Archana Redkar

Anthony Mark Miscione

Cooper Kent J

A method for processing a conductive layer, such as a doped polysilicon layer (14) of a gate stack, provides a degas step after precleaning to reduce particle count and defectivity. The conductive layer is provided on a substrate (10), e.g., a silicon wafer. The substrate (10) and conductive layer are subjected to an elevated temperature, under a vacuum, whereby certain species are liberated. The substrate having the conductive layer formed thereon is then removed from the chamber, and moved to a second, separate chamber, in which a second conductive layer (20) is deposited. By switching chambers, the liberated species are largely prevented from contributing to particle count at the interface between the conductive layers. Alternatively, the second conductive layer is formed in the same chamber, provided that the liberated species are removed from the chamber prior to deposition of the second conductive layer.

Method of processing a conductive layer and forming a semiconductor

A metal-semiconductor layer (26) is formed over an insulating layer (20) such that the metal-semiconductor layer (26) is graded to have varying amounts of the semiconductor and metal throughout the layer. In one embodiment, the metal-semiconductor layer (26) has relatively higher silicon content near the layer's lower and upper surfaces. At the midpoint, the layer is close to stoichiometric tungsten silicide. In another embodiment, a metal-semiconductor-nitrogen layer is formed having nitrogen nearer the lower surface and essentially no nitrogen near the upper surface. The layer (26) can be formed using chemical vapor deposition or sputtering.

Process for forming a semiconductor device

A shared contact structure (30) is formed to electrically connect three coupling layers (59,60,46) to each other and to an active region (33) in a semiconductor substrate (31). A first coupling layer (59) and a second coupling layer (60) are formed such that they are physically isolated from each other. The second coupling layer (60) is formed such that it is in physical contact with the active region (33). A contact opening (45) is formed, which exposes a portion of coupling layers (59, 60). The third coupling layer (46) is then formed so that it is in electrical contact with the second coupling layer (60) and the first coupling layer (59).

Method of forming shared contact structure

A semiconductor device (10) is formed having an SRAM array with a plurality of SRAM cells. In forming the access and latch transistors, two different gate electrode compositions are used to form the access and latch transistors. More specifically, a dielectric layer (22) is formed between two conductive layers (26 and 28) within the gate electrode (52) for the access transistors while the dielectric layer is not formed between the two conductive layers (26 and 28) for the latch transistors. This structure allows an increase in the beta ratio for the SRAM cell thereby making a more stable SRAM cell without having to use diffused resistors between the access transistors in storage nodes or by having to form a differential thickness between the gate dielectric layers for the latch transistors and the access transistors.

Process for forming a semiconductor device and a static-random-access

A process for fabricating an MOS device (44) having a segmented channel region (48) includes the fabrication of a compound MOS gate electrode (46). Both the segmented channel region (48) and the MOS gate electrode (46) are formed by creating an opening (18) and an insulating layer (16) overlying a first polycrystalline silicon layer (14). The lateral extent of both the MOS gate electrode (46) and a buried junction region (24) formed in the semiconductor substrate (10) are defined by first sidewall spacer (22) and a second sidewall spacer (32) formed adjacent to the first sidewall spacer (22).

Process for fabricating a semiconductor device having a segmented

A process for polish planarizing a fill material (40) overlying a semiconductor substrate (30) includes a multi-step polishing process. In one embodiment, a second planarization layer (42) is deposited over a fill material (40) and a portion of the fill material (40) is removed leaving a remaining portion (44). The pad pressure of a CMP apparatus (20) is adjusted such that a first pressure is generated during the polishing process. Then, the remaining portion (44) is removed, while operating the CMP apparatus (20) at a second pad pressure. The selectivity of the polishing process is maintained by reducing the pad pressure during the second polishing step. In a second embodiment, after the first polishing step is performed, the remaining portion (44) is removed by an etching process using a portion (46) of second planarization layer (42).

Multi-step planarization process using polishing at two different pad

Vertically stacked regions of n-type and p-type conductivity are formed around bipolar and field effect transistors to reduce parasitic capacitance between the semiconductor device and surrounding well regions. Under reverse bias a portion of the vertically stacked region is fully depleted and thus reduces the parasitic capacitance between the semiconductor device and the well region.

Method of formation of bipolar transistor having reduced parasitic

A thin-film transistor and SRAM memory cell include thin-film source and drain regions (12, 14) separated by an opening (22) and overlying and insulating layer (11). A thin-film channel layer (16) overlies the thin-film source and drain regions (12, 14) and a portion of the insulating layer (11) exposed by the opening (22). A thin-film gate electrode (20) is positioned in the opening (22) and defines a thin-film channel region (24) in the thin-film channel layer (16). The thin-film gate electrode (20) is separated from the thin-film channel region (24) by a gate dielectric layer (18). The thin-film channel region (24) extends along vertical wall surfaces (26, 28) of the thin-film source and drain regions (12, 14) providing an extended channel length for the thin-film transistor.

High-performance thin-film transistor and SRAM memory cell

An under-gated thin film transistor (54) having low leakage current and a high on/off current ratio is formed using a composite layer (40) of semiconducting material. In one embodiment a composite layer (40) of semiconducting layer is formed by depositing two distinct layers (34, 38) of semiconducting material over the transistor gate electrode (18). The composite layer (40) is then patterned and implanted with ions to form a source region (46) and a drain region (48) within the composite layer (40), and to define a channel region (50) and an offset drain region (52) within the composite layer (40).

Thin film transistor and method of formation

Method for forming a thin film transistor

Semiconductor device

A semiconductor device (10) has a capacitor structure formed within an opening (30) of a stack of a dielectric layer (24), a conductive layer (26), and a dielectric layer (28). A first capacitor electrode is formed by conductive sidewall spacers (32) which are in electrical contact with conductive layer (26) along sidewalls of the opening. A capacitor dielectric (34) is formed on the sidewall spacers. A second capacitor electrode is formed by a conductive layer (38), either alone or in conjunction with a second set of conductive sidewall spacers (36). In one embodiment, the capacitor is formed over a gate electrode (15) of a bulk transistor and makes contact thereto. The capacitor structure is particularly suited for use in an SRAM cell.

Semiconductor device having increased capacitance and method for making

The present invention includes an integrated circuit having a self-aligned contact that makes contact to both a region within the substrate and a capacitor plate of a capacitor that is adjacent to the doped region. The present invention also includes a static-random-access memory cell with a capacitor having a first plate and a second plate. The first plate includes a first plate section of a gate electrode of a transistor, and the second plate includes a first conductive member that is substantially coincident with the first plate section. The second plate may be formed over a gate electrode of a latch transistor or over a word line. The disclosure includes methods of forming the integrated circuit and the static-random-access memory cell.

Static-random-access memory cell and an integrated circuit having a

An SRAM cell is formed such that pass channel-stop regions, which are adjacent to the pass transistors, have a higher doping concentration compared to the latch channel-stop regions that are adjacent to the latch transistors. In one embodiment, the pass channel-stop regions are formed using two channel-stop doping steps, whereas the latch channel-stop regions are formed during only one channel-stop doping step. The doping steps may be performed before or after field isolation is formed. The higher doping concentration causes the dopant from the pass channel-stop regions to extend laterally further from the edge of the field isolation compared to the latch channel-stop regions. The process can be adapted for use in almost any type of field isolation process.

Static-random-access memory cell with channel stops having differing

A semiconductor memory cell (10) includes first and second cross-coupled driver transistors (13, 19) each having a source-drain region and a channel region formed in a first thin-film layer (36, 36'). First and second parallel opposed wordlines (20, 22) overlie a single-crystal semiconductor substrate (12) and the channel region (46) of each driver transistor overlies a portion of an adjacent wordline. A portion of the thin-film layer (36, 36') makes contact to the single-crystal semiconductor substrate (12) adjacent to the opposite wordline. The channel and source-drain regions of first and second load transistors (15, 21) are formed in a second thin-film layer (64) which overlies the driver transistors (13, 19). The load transistors (15, 21) are cross-coupled to the driver transistors (13, 19) through common nodes (31, 33).

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

James D Hayden