Micron Technology Incorporated

Sony Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Round Rock Research, LLC

Mark Fischer

Kunal R Parekh

John T Moore

John K Zahurak

Charles H Dennison

Scott Jeffrey DeBoer

Richard H Lane

David L Dickerson

H Montgomery Manning

Satoru Mayuzumi

J Brett Rolfson

Randhir P S Thakur

Michael P Violette

Zhiping Yin

Stephen W Russell

Mark E Jost

Ardavan Niroomand

Fawad Ahmed

Annette L Martin

Gurtej S Sandhu

Mark Alan Helm

Kevin J Torek

Robert J Hanson

Terrence B McDaniel

Thomas R Glass

Scott J Deboer

T Earl Allen

Durai Vishak Nirmal Ramaswamy

Sanh D Tang

Daniele Vimercati

Jigish D Trivedi

Thomas M Graettinger

Todd R Abbott

Ashonita A Chavan

James E Green

Adam D Johnson

Raymond A Turi

Sameer Chhajed

Terry McDaniel

Haitao Liu

Randhir P Thakur

Kamal M Karda

William Arthur Stanton

Phillip G Wald

Deepak Chandra Pandey

Mingtao Li

HMontgomery Manning

A method of forming an array of capacitors comprises forming a plurality of horizontally-spaced groups that individually comprise a plurality of horizontally-spaced lower capacitor electrodes having a capacitor insulator thereover. Adjacent of the groups are horizontally spaced farther apart than are adjacent of the lower capacitor electrodes within the groups. A void space is between the adjacent groups. An upper capacitor electrode material is formed in the void space and in the groups over the capacitor insulator and the lower capacitor electrodes. The upper capacitor electrode material in the void space connects the upper capacitor electrode material that is in the adjacent groups relative to one another. The upper capacitor electrode material less-than-fills the void space. At least a portion of the upper capacitor electrode material is removed from the void space to disconnect the upper capacitor electrode material in the adjacent groups from being connected relative to one another. A horizontally-elongated conductive line is formed atop and is directly electrically coupled to the upper capacitor electrode material in individual of the groups. Other methods, including structure independent of method of manufacture, are disclosed.

Array of capacitors, array of memory cells, methods of forming an array of capacitors, and methods of forming an array of memory cells

Methods, systems, and devices for techniques to mitigate disturbances of unselected memory cells in a memory array during an access operation are described. A shunt line may be formed between a plate of a selected memory cell and a digit line of the selected memory cell to couple the plate to the digit line during the access operation. A switching component may be positioned on the shunt line. The switching component may selectively couple the plate to the digit line based on instructions received from a memory controller. By coupling the plate to the digit line during the access operation, voltages resulting on the plate by changes in the voltage level of the digit line may be reduced in magnitude or may be altered in type.

Mitigating disturbances of memory cells

A method for fabricated a buried recessed access device comprising etching a plurality of gate trenches in a substrate, implanting and activating a source/drain region in the substrate, depositing a dummy gate in each of the plurality of gate trenches, filling the plurality of gate trenches with an oxide layer, removing each dummy gate and depositing a high-K dielectric in the plurality of gate trenches, depositing a metal gate on the high-K dielectric in each of the plurality of gate trenches, depositing a second oxide layer on the metal gate and forming a contact on the source/drain.

Method for fabricating a metal high-k gate stack for a buried recessed access device

Some embodiments include a construction having a second semiconductor material over a first semiconductor material. A region of the second semiconductor material proximate the first semiconductor material has strain due to different lattice characteristics of the first and second semiconductor materials. A transistor gate extends downwardly into the second semiconductor material. Gate dielectric material is along sidewalls and a bottom of the transistor gate. Source/drain regions are along the sidewalls of the transistor gate, and the gate dielectric material is between the source/drain regions and the transistor gate. A channel region extends between the source/drain regions and is under the bottom of the transistor gate. At least some of the channel region is within the strained region.

Transistors having strained channel under gate in a recess

A semiconductor device comprises a recessed access device that includes a first pillar, a second pillar, a channel region connecting the first and second pillars, and a gate disposed over the channel region. The channel region has a width that is narrower than widths of the first pillar and the second pillar. An array of recessed access devices comprises a plurality of pillars protruding from a substrate, and a plurality of channel regions. Each channel region has a width that is less than about 10 nm and couples neighboring pillars to form a plurality of junctionless recessed access devices. A method of forming at least one recessed access device also comprises forming pillars over a substrate, forming at least a channel region coupled with the pillars, the channel region having a relatively narrow width, and forming a gate at least partially surrounding the channel region on at least three sides.

Semiconductor devices including a recessed access device and methods of forming same

Pitch multiplied and non-pitch multiplied features of an integrated circuit, e.g., features in the array, interface and periphery areas of the integrated circuit, are formed by processing a substrate through a mask. A photoresist layer is patterned to simultaneously define mask elements in the array, interface and periphery areas. The pattern is transferred to an amorphous carbon layer. Spacers are formed on the sidewalls of the patterned amorphous carbon layer. Protective material is deposited and patterned to expose mask elements in the array region and in parts of the interface or periphery areas. Exposed amorphous carbon is removed, leaving free-standing spacers in the array region. The protective material is removed, leaving a pattern of pitch multiplied spacers in the array region and non-pitch multiplied mask elements in the interface and periphery areas. The pattern is transferred to a hard mask layer, through which the substrate is etched.

Efficient pitch multiplication process

Novel etch techniques are provided for shaping silicon features below the photolithographic resolution limits. FinFET devices are defined by recessing oxide and exposing a silicon protrusion to an isotropic etch, at least in the channel region. In one implementation, the protrusion is contoured by a dry isotropic etch having excellent selectivity, using a downstream microwave plasma etch.

Subresolution silicon features and methods for forming the same

The invention includes methods for utilizing partial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology in combination with fin field effect transistor (finFET) technology to form transistors particularly suitable for utilization in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) arrays. The invention also includes DRAM arrays having low rates of refresh. Additionally, the invention includes semiconductor constructions containing transistors with horizontally-opposing source/drain regions and channel regions between the source/drain regions. The transistors can include gates that encircle at least three-fourths of at least portions of the channel regions, and in some aspects can include gates that encircle substantially an entirety of at least portions of the channel regions.

Semiconductor constructions, DRAM arrays, and methods of forming semiconductor constructions

A process may include forming a mask directly on and above a region selected as an initial semiconductor fin on a substrate and reducing the initial semiconductor fin forming a semiconductor fin that is laterally thinned from the initial semiconductor fin. The process may be carried out causing the mask to recede to a greater degree in the lateral direction than the vertical direction. In various embodiments, the process may include removing material from the fin semiconductor to achieve a thinned semiconductor fin, which has receded beneath the shadow of the laterally receded mask. Electronic devices may include the thinned semiconductor fin as part of a semiconductor device.

Processes and apparatus having a semiconductor fin

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Mark Fischer