International Business Machines Corporation

Jerome Brett Lasky

Jed Hickory Rankin

James William Adkisson

Jeffrey P Gambino

Kirk David Peterson

John J Ellis-Monaghan

Francis Roger White

Charles W Koburger, Iii

Andres Bryant

Mark David Jaffe

Donna Kaye Johnson

Edward J Nowak

Effendi Leobandung

Randy William Mann

Marc Waine Cantell

Archibald John Allen

Larry Alan Nesbit

Peter James Lindgren

John R Abernathey

Wayne I Kinney

John H Givens

Mary Conroy Bushey

David Paul Agnello

Chung H Lam

Timothy Harrison Daubenspeck

Wolfgang Sauter

Dominic Joseph Schepis

Christopher David Muzzy

Jeffrey Bowman Johnson

Edmund Juris Sprogis

John Joseph Pekarik

James Spiros Nakos

William Joseph Murphy

Richard A Phelps

Timothy Charles Krywanczyk

John Anthony Bracchitta

Scott R Stiffler

Donald W Brouillette

Rick L Mohler

Stephen Frank Geissler

Paul William Pastel

Glenn Robert Miller

Prabhat Tiwari

Ronald J Line

Wolfgang Otto Rauscher

John Edward Cronin

Steven J Holmes

Pai-Hung Pan

Bomy A Chen

Paul Christian Parries

Werner A Rausch

Minh H Tong

Michael D Armacost

Richard John Rassel

Kenneth John Giewont

Paul E Bakeman, Jr

Mickey H Yu

Justin W Wong

Ronald R Troutman

Anthony C Speranza

Subhash Balakrishna Kulkarni

Jonathan R Fales

Edward W Sengle

Thomas O Sedgwick

Michael L Kerbaugh

Ronald R Silverman

Josef W Korejwa

Bruce A Kauffmann

Dale P Hallock

Scott L Pennington

David K Lord

Peter H Bartlau

Craig M Hill

James D Weil

Howard H Hansen

Bret Philips

A method of preventing the formation of cracks on the backside of a silicon (Si) semiconductor chip or wafer during the processing thereof. Also provided is a method for inhibiting the propagation of cracks, which have already formed in the backside of a silicon chip during the processing thereof and prior to the joining thereto of a substrate during the fabrication of an electronic package. The methods entail either treating the backside with a wet etch, or alternatively, applying a protective film layer thereon prior to forming an electronic package incorporating the chip or wafer.

Prevention of backside cracks in semiconductor chips or wafers using backside film or backside wet etch

A structure. The structure may include a layer of cobalt disilicide that is substantially free of cobalt monosilicide and there is substantially no stringer of an oxide of titanium on the layer of cobalt disilicide. The structure may include a substrate that includes: an insulated-gate field effect transistor (FET) that includes a source, a drain, and a gate; a first layer of cobalt disilicide on the source, said first layer having substantially no cobalt monosilicide, and said first layer having substantially no stringer of an oxide of titanium thereon; a second layer of cobalt disilicide on the drain, said second layer having substantially no cobalt monosilicide having substantially no stringer of an oxide of titanium thereon; and a third layer of cobalt disilicide on the gate, said third layer having substantially no cobalt monosilicide and having substantially no stringer of an oxide of titanium thereon.

Cobal disilicide structure

The invention provides vertically-stacked photodiodes buried in a semiconductor material that are isolated and selectively contacted by deep trenches. One embodiment of the invention provides a pixel sensor comprising: a plurality of photosensitive elements formed in a substrate, each photosensitive element being adapted to generate photocharges in response to electromagnetic radiation; and a plurality of photocharge transfer devices, each photocharge transfer device being coupled to at least one of the plurality of photosensitive elements.

Deep trench contact and isolation of buried photodetectors

A novel CMOS image sensor cell structure and method of manufacture. The imaging sensor comprises a substrate having an upper surface, a gate comprising a dielectric layer formed on the substrate and a gate conductor formed on the gate dielectric layer, a collection well layer of a first conductivity type formed below a surface of the substrate adjacent a first side of the gate conductor, a pinning layer of a second conductivity type formed atop the collection well at the substrate surface, and a diffusion region of a first conductivity type formed adjacent a second side of the gate conductor, the gate conductor forming a channel region between the collection well layer and the diffusion region. A portion of the bottom of the gate conductor is recessed below the surface of the substrate. Preferably, a portion of the gate conductor is recessed at or below a bottom surface of the pinning layer to a depth such that the collection well intersects the channel region thereby eliminating any potential barrier interference caused by the pinning layer.

Recessed gate for a CMOS image sensor

A test structure (') having an array () of test devices () for detecting and studying defects that can occur in an integrated circuit device, e.g., a transistor (), due to the relative positioning of one component () of the device with respect to another component () of the device. The test devices in the array are of a like kind, but vary in their configuration. The differences in the configurations are predetermined and selected with the intent of forcing defects to occur within at least some of the test devices. During testing, the responses of the test devices are sensed so as to determine whether or not a defect has occurred in any one or more of the test devices. If a defective test device is detected, the corresponding wafer () may be subjected to physical failure analysis for yield learning.

Test structure and method for detecting and studying crystal lattice dislocation defects in integrated circuit devices

Structures and method for forming the same. The semiconductor structure comprises a photo diode that includes a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region. The first and second semiconductor regions are doped with a first and second doping polarities, respectively, and the first and second doping polarities are opposite. The semiconductor structure also comprises a transfer gate that comprises (i) a first extension region, (ii) a second extension region, and (iii) a floating diffusion region. The first and second extension regions are in direct physical contact with the photo diode and the floating diffusion region, respectively. The semiconductor structure further comprises a charge pushing region. The charge pushing region overlaps the first semiconductor region and does not overlap the floating diffusion region. The charge pushing region comprises a transparent and electrically conducting material.

CMOS sensors having charge pushing regions

A method of forming a pixel sensor cell structure. The method of forming the pixel cell comprises forming a doped layer adjacent to a first side of a transfer gate structure for coupling a collection well region and a channel region. Potential barrier interference to charge transfer caused by a pinning layer is reduced.

Method of forming pixel sensor cell having reduced pinning layer barrier potential

A structure relating to removal of an oxide of titanium generated as a byproduct of a process that forms cobalt disilicide within an insulated-gate field effect transistor (FET). The structure may comprise a layer of cobalt disilicide that is substantially free of cobalt monosilicide, with substantially no stringer of an oxide of titanium on the layer of cobalt disilicide. The structure may alternatively comprise a layer of cobalt disilicide, a patch of an oxide of titanium, and a reagent in contact with the patch at a temperature and for a period of time. The layer is substantially free of cobalt monosilicide. The patch is on the layer of cobalt disilicide. The reagent is adapted to remove the patch within the period of time. The reagent does not chemically react with the layer of cobalt disilicide, and the reagent comprises water, ammonium hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide.

Cobalt disilicide structure

A novel image sensor cell structure and method of manufacture. The imaging sensor comprises a substrate, a gate comprising a dielectric layer and gate conductor formed on the dielectric layer, a collection well layer of a first conductivity type formed below a surface of the substrate adjacent a first side of the gate conductor, a pinning layer of a second conductivity type formed atop the collection well at the substrate surface, and a diffusion region of a first conductivity type formed adjacent a second side of the gate conductor, the gate conductor forming a channel region between the collection well layer and the diffusion region. Part of the gate conductor bottom is recessed below the surface of the substrate. Preferably, a portion of the gate conductor is recessed at or below a bottom surface of the pinning layer to a depth such that the collection well intersects the channel region.

Recessed gate for an image sensor

A pixel sensor cell structure and method of manufacture. The pixel cell comprises a doped layer formed adjacent to a first side of a transfer gate structure for coupling a collection well region and a channel region. Potential barrier interference to charge transfer caused by a pinning layer is reduced.

Pixel sensor cell having reduced pinning layer barrier potential and method thereof

A silicon on insulator transistor is disclosed which has a Schottky contact to the body. The Schottky contact may be formed on the source and/or drain side of the gate conductor. A spacer, with at least a part thereof being disposable, is formed on the sidewalls of the gate conductor. Extension regions are provided in the substrate which extend under the spacer and the gate conductor. Source and drain diffusion regions are implanted into the substrate adjacent to the extension regions. The disposable part of the spacer is then removed to expose a portion of the extension region. A metal layer is formed at least in the extension regions, resulting in the Schottky contact.

Disposable spacer for symmetric and asymmetric Schottky contact to SOI mosfet

The present invention provides a process for fabricating a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) having a double-gate and a double-channel wherein the gate region is self-aligned to the channel regions and the source/drain diffusion junctions. The present invention also relates to the FIN MOSFFET structure which is formed using method of the present invention.

FIN field effect transistor with self-aligned gate

A method and apparatus are provided for forming a silicide on a semiconductor substrate by integrating under a constant vacuum the processes of removing an oxide from a surface of a semiconductor substrate and depositing a metal on the cleaned surface without exposing the cleaned surface to air. The method and apparatus of the present invention eliminates the exposure of the cleaned substrate to air between the oxide removal and metal deposition steps. This in-situ cleaning of the silicon substrate prior to cobalt deposition provides a cleaner silicon substrate surface, resulting in enhanced formation of cobalt silicide when the cobalt layer is annealed.

Integrated cobalt silicide process for semiconductor devices

A chip-on-chip module and associated method of formation. First and second semiconductor chips are coupled together. The first chip comprises a first wiring layer and a first electrically conductive substrate on first and second sides, respectively, of the first chip. A supply voltage VDD is adapted to be electrically coupled to the second side of the first chip. The second chip comprises a second wiring layer and a second electrically conductive substrate on first and second sides, respectively, of the second chip. A ground voltage GND is adapted to be electrically coupled to the second side of the second chip. The first side of the first chip is electrically coupled to the first side of the second chip. The supply voltage VDD and the ground voltage GND are adapted to provide power to the first and second chips.

Power distribution design method for stacked flip-chip packages

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Jerome Brett Lasky