Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Marc Piazza

Philippe Coronel

Pascale Mazoyer

Catherine Mallardeau

Fran&ccedil;ois Leverd

This integrated circuit comprises a capacitor () formed above a substrate () inside a first cavity in a dielectric and comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, a thin dielectric layer placed between the two electrodes, and a structure () for connection to the capacitor. The connection structure is formed at the same level as the capacitor in a second cavity narrower than the first cavity, the said second cavity being completely filled by an extension of at least one of the electrodes of the capacitor.

Integrated circuit, its fabrication process and memory cell incorporating such a circuit

There is provided an integrated circuit having active components including junctions formed in a monocrystalline substrate doped locally, and at least one passive component situated above the active components. The integrated circuit includes a first insulating layer separating the active components and abase of the passive component, and a metal terminal for electrically connecting the passive component with at least one of the active components. The metal terminal is formed in the thickness of the first insulating layer and has a contact surface that projects from the limits of a junction of the one active component. In a preferred embodiment, the passive component is a capacitor. Also provided is a method of fabricating an integrated circuit that includes MOS transistors and an onboard memory plane of DRAM cells in a matrix.

Integrated circuit including active components and at least one passive component associated fabrication method

A method for forming in monolithic form a DRAM-type memory, including the steps of forming, on a substrate, parallel strips including a lower insulating layer, a strongly-conductive layer, a single-crystal semiconductor layer, and an upper insulating layer; digging, perpendicularly to the strips, into the upper insulating layer and into a portion of the semiconductor layer, first and second parallel trenches, each first and second trench being shared by neighboring cells; forming, in each first trench, a first conductive line according to the strip width; forming, in each second trench, two second distinct parallel conductive lines, insulated from the peripheral layers; filling the first and second trenches with an insulating material; removing the remaining portions of the upper insulating layer; and depositing a conductive layer.

A method for manufacturing DRAM cells in a semiconductor wafer including MOS control transistors and capacitors, the source/drain regions and the gates of the control transistors being covered with a protection layer and with an insulating layer, in which the capacitors are formed at the level of openings formed in the insulating layer which extend to the protection layer covering the gates, and in which first capacitor electrodes are connected to source/drain regions of the control transistors by conductive vias crossing the insulating layer and the protection layer.

DRAM and MOS transistor manufacturing

The invention relates to a DRAM integration method that does away with the alignment margins inherent to the photoetching step of the upper electrode of the capacitance for inserting the bit line contact. The removal of the upper electrode is self-aligned on the lower electrode of the capacitance. This is accomplished by forming a difference in topography at the point where the opening of the upper electrode is to be made, and depositing a non-doped polysilicon layer on the upper electrode. An implantation of dopants is performed on this layer, and the part of the non-doped layer located in the lower part of the zone showing the difference in topography is selectively etched. The remainder of the polysilicon layer and the part of the upper electrode located in the lower layer are also etched.

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Pontcharra, France

Marc Piazza