Micron Technology Incorporated

Bell Telephone Laboratories

Joseph E Geusic

Leonard Forbes

Kie Y Ahn

Paul A Farrar

Alan R Reinberg

Arup Bhattacharyya

Salman Akram

Eugene P Marsh

Luan C Tran

Kevin G Donohoe

Eugene H Cloud

David J McElroy

Terence J Nelson

Dirk Joachim Muehlner

David J Mcelroy

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for forming a wafer with a strained semiconductor. In various embodiments of the method, a predetermined contour is formed in one of a semiconductor membrane and a substrate wafer. The semiconductor membrane is bonded to the substrate wafer and the predetermined contour is straightened to induce a predetermined strain in the semiconductor membrane. In various embodiments, a substrate wafer is flexed into a flexed position, a portion of the substrate wafer is bonded to a semiconductor layer when the substrate wafer is in the flexed position, and the substrate wafer is relaxed to induce a predetermined strain in the semiconductor layer. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Strained semiconductor by full wafer bonding

Systems, devices and methods are provided that are related to cellular materials that have a precisely-determined arrangement of voids formed using surface transformation. In various embodiments, the cellular materials are suitable for use in various structural, mechanical and/or thermal applications. One aspect of the present subject matter is a method of forming cellular material. According to various embodiments of the method, a predetermined arrangement of the plurality of holes is formed in a volume of material through a surface of the volume of material. The volume of material is annealed such that the volume of material undergoes a surface transformation in which the arrangement of the plurality of holes is transformed into a predetermined arrangement of at least one empty space below the surface of the volume of material. Other aspects are provided herein.

Method of forming cellular material

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a semiconductor structure, comprising a gettering region proximate to a device region in a semiconductor wafer. The gettering region includes a precisely-determined arrangement of a plurality of precisely-formed voids through a surface transformation process. Each of the voids has an interior surface that includes dangling bonds such that the plurality of voids getter impurities from the at least one device region. The structure includes a transistor formed using the device region. The transistor includes a gate dielectric over the device region, a gate over the gate dielectric, and a first diffusion region and a second diffusion region formed in the device region. The first and second diffusion regions are separated by a channel region formed in the device region between the gate and the proximity gettering region.

Gettering using voids formed by surface transformation

Systems, devices and methods are provided to improve performance of integrated circuits by providing a low-k insulator. One aspect is an integrated circuit insulator structure. One embodiment includes a solid structure of an insulator material, and a precisely determined arrangement of at least one void formed within the solid structure which lowers an effective dielectric constant of the insulator structure. One aspect is a method of forming a low-k insulator structure. In one embodiment, an insulator material is deposited, and a predetermined arrangement of at least one hole is formed in a surface of the insulator material. The insulator material is annealed such that the low-k dielectric material undergoes a surface transformation to transform the arrangement of at least one hole into predetermined arrangement of at least one empty space below the surface of the insulator material. Other aspects are provided herein.

Low k interconnect dielectric using surface transformation

An integrated circuit with a number of optical waveguides that are formed in high aspect ratio holes. The high aspect ratio holes extend through a semiconductor wafer. The optical waveguides include a highly reflective material that is deposited so as to line an inner surface of the high aspect ratio holes which may be filled with air or a material with an index of refraction that is greater than 1. These metal confined waveguides are used to transmit signals between functional circuits on the semiconductor wafer and functional circuits on the back of the wafer or beneath the wafer.

Electronic systems using optical waveguide interconnects formed through a semiconductor wafer

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a memory device, comprising at least one gettering region, a memory array, a plurality of word lines and bit lines, and control circuitry. The gettering region is formed in a semiconductor substrate. The gettering region includes a precise arrangement of precisely-formed voids to getter impurities from a crystalline semiconductor region of the substrate. The memory array is formed in the crystalline semiconductor region, and includes a plurality of memory cells formed in rows and columns, and at least one transistor for each of the plurality of memory cells. Each word line is connected to a row of memory cells, and each bit line is connected to a column of memory cells. The control circuitry includes word line select circuitry and bit line select circuitry to select a number of memory cells for writing and reading operations.

A multi-layered reflective mirror formed of spaced-apart plate-shaped empty space patterns formed within a substrate is disclosed. The plurality of plate-shaped empty space patterns are formed by drilling holes in the substrate and annealing the substrate to form the spaced-apart plate-shaped empty space patterns.

Method of forming mirrors by surface transformation of empty spaces in solid state materials

A method and device for cooling an integrated circuit is provided. A method and device using a gas to cool circuit structures such as a number of air bridge structures is provided. A method and device using a boiling liquid to cool circuit structures is provided. Further provided is a method of controlling chip temperature. This allows circuit and device designers an opportunity to design more efficient structures. Some properties that exhibit less variation when temperature ranges are controlled include electromigration, conductivity, operating speed, and reliability.

Integrated circuit cooling and insulating device and method

Some embodiments of the invention include a memory cell having a vertical transistor and a trench capacitor. The trench capacitor includes a capacitor plate with a roughened surface for increased surface area. Other embodiments are described and claims.

Device, system, and method for a trench capacitor having micro-roughened semiconductor surfaces

One aspect of this disclosure relates to a method for creating a gettering site in a semiconductor wafer. In various embodiments, a predetermined arrangement of a plurality of holes is formed in the semiconductor wafer through a surface of the wafer. The wafer is annealed such that the wafer undergoes a surface transformation to transform the arrangement of the plurality of holes into a predetermined arrangement of at least one empty space of a predetermined size within the wafer to form the gettering site. One aspect relates to a semiconductor wafer. In various embodiments, the wafer includes at least one device region, and at least one gettering region located proximate to the at least one device region. The gettering region includes a precisely-determined arrangement of a plurality of precisely-formed voids that are formed within the wafer using a surface transformation process. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley Heights, NJ, United States of America

Joseph E Geusic