Motorola Corporation

Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Mototrola, Inc.

Michael P Woo

James D Hayden

Wayne J Ray

Mousumi Bhat

Bich-Yen Nguyen

Kent J Cooper

Craig S Lage

Mark Douglas Hall

David L O'Meara

Howard C Kirsch

Scott S Roth

Carlos A Mazure

Stanley Michael Filipiak

Terry Grant Sparks

Richard D Sivan

Yeong-Jyh Tom Lii

Shih-Wei Sun

Wayne M Paulson

Umesh Sharma

Thomas C Mele

Arkalgud R Sitaram

Andrew G Nagy

Jung-Hui Lin

T P Ong

Shih W Sun

Larry E Frisa

Carol M Gelatos

Xiaodong Wang

James R Pfiester

Philip J Tobin

Frank K Baker

Mahbub M Rashed

Robert E Booth

Hong Tian

Sushama Davar

Giri Nallapati

Robert P Chebi

A method includes forming a first transistor having a first gate dielectric thickness and a first source/drain extension depth, a second transistor having a second gate dielectric thickness and the first source/drain extension depth, and a third transistor having the second gate dielectric thickness and a second source/drain extension depth. The second source/drain extension depth is greater than the first source/drain extension depth. The second gate dielectric thickness is greater than the first gate dielectric thickness. The first transistor is used in a logic circuit. The third transistor is used in an I/O circuit. The second transistor is made without extra processing steps and is better than either the first or third transistor for coupling a power supply terminal to the logic circuit in a power-up mode and decoupling the power supply terminal from the logic circuit in a power-down mode.

Hybrid transistor based power gating switch circuit and method

A semiconductor device includes a memory array of static-random-access memory cells. The SRAM cells are formed using a process flow more closely associated with logic-type devices. The SRAM cells are formed using one semiconductor layer compared to at least three typically seen with SRAM cells. The SRAM cells include many features that allow its dimensions to be scaled to very small dimensions (less than 0.25 microns and possible down to 0.1 microns or even smaller). A unique process integration scheme allows formation of local interconnects ( and ), wherein each local interconnect ( ) cross couples the inverters of the SRAM and is formed within a single opening ( ). Also, interconnect portions ( ) of word lines are laterally offset from silicon portions ( ) of the same word line, so that the interconnect portions do not interfere with bit line connections.

Semiconductor device, memory cell, and processes for forming them

A semiconductor device and its method of fabrication are disclosed. The method includes forming a first well region in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate includes a first doped region below the first well region. The first well region and the first doped region are doped with a first type dopant and the first well region is electrically connected to the first doped region. An isolation region is formed between the first well region and the first doped region. The isolation region is electrically connected to a second well region. The isolation region and the second well region are doped with a second dopant type The second dopant type is opposite the first dopant type. In one embodiment, the first type dopant includes a p-type dopant, and the second type dopant includes an n-type dopant. The method may further include, forming a second doped region within the first well region and below the isolation region. A third doped region with the first type dopant may be formed over the isolation region. The method may further include forming a gate electrode over the semiconductor substrate, forming source/drain regions adjacent the gate electrode and forming a protective charge recombination region below the gate electrode and the source/drain regions.

Method of forming a semiconductor device with isolation and well regions

Electrical shorts and leakage paths are virtually eliminated by recessing conductive nodules (,) away from a conductor (,) or not forming the conductive nodules at all. In one embodiment, the refractory metal containing material (,) is recessed from the edge of the opening (,). When forming a nitride layer (,) within the opening (,), conductive nodules (,) are formed from a portion of the refractory metal containing material (,) such that the conductive nodules (,) lie within the recession (,). In another embodiment, an oxide layer (,) is formed adjacent to the refractory metal containing material (,) before forming a nitride layer (,).

Contact structure and process for formation

A semiconductor device includes a memory array of static-random-access memory cells. The SRAM cells are formed using a process flow more closely associated with logic-type devices. The SRAM cells are formed using one semiconductor layer compared to at least three typically seen with SRAM cells. The SRAM cells include many features that allow its dimensions to be scaled to very small dimensions (less than 0.25 microns and possible down to 0.1 microns or even smaller). A unique process integration scheme allows formation of local interconnects (,and,), wherein each local interconnect (,) cross couples the inverters of the SRAM and is formed within a single opening (,). Also, interconnect portions (,) of word lines are laterally offset from silicon portions (,) of the same word line, so that the interconnect portions do not interfere with bit line connections.

Process for forming a semiconductor device having an interconnect or conductive film electrically insulated from a conductive member or region

Electrical shorts and leakage paths are virtually eliminated by recessing conductive nodules (52) away from a conductor (72) or not forming the conductive nodules at all. In one embodiment, the refractory metal containing material (52) is recessed from the edge of the opening (32). When forming a nitride layer (54) within the opening (32), conductive nodules (52) are formed from a portion of the refractory metal containing material (20) such that the conductive modules (52) lie within the recession (42). In another embodiment, an oxide layer (82, 102) is formed adjacent to the refractory metal containing material (20) before forming a nitride layer (84, 112).

Method of making a contact structure

EPROM cells include T-shaped floating gates (61, 171) and control gates that surround virtually all of the floating gates (61, 171) except for the portion of the floating gates (61, 171) that lie on a gate dielectric layer (51, 151). The EPROM cells may include customized well regions (22, 122) to allow flash erasing or individual cell erasing for electrically erasable EPROMs. Many different configurations of the memory cells are possible. The configurations of the source regions, drain regions, and well regions (22, 122) may be determined by how a user of the memory cells wants to program or erase the memory cells.

Electrically programmable read-only memory cell

Process for forming an electrically programmable read-only memory cell

A method for making a vertical profile contact opening (18) uses an etch stop layer (14), interposed between a conductor layer (10) and a dielectric layer (16), to eliminate resputtering of the underlying conductor material which prevents tapering of the etched opening (18). This contact opening formation is accomplished using different etchant chemistries, etching one film selective to the other. The use of the etch stop material in conjunction with conventional interconnect structures allows multiple stacking of contact features or multilevel interconnects to be achieved independent of underlying topography without increasing overall contact/via resistance. The method allows the fabrication of an unlanded via structure (30) having substantially vertical sidewall profile.

Straight sidewall profile contact opening to underlying interconnect and

An interconnect structure is formed having a substrate (10). A conductive layer (14) is formed overlying the substrate (10). A conductive layer (18) is formed overlying the conductive layer (14). An opening (19) is etched through the conductive layer (18), exposing a top portion of conductive layer (14), and forming a sidewall of the conductive layer (18). An selective isotropic etch procedure is used to laterally recess the sidewall of the conductive layer (18). A sidewall spacer (22) is formed adjacent the sidewall of the conductive layer (18). A conductive layer (24) is formed within opening (19) and adjacent the spacer (22) to form an interconnection between conductive layers (24 and 14). The interconnection is self-aligned, and conductive layer (18) is reliably isolated from the interconnect due to the lateral recessed sidewall of the conductive layer (18).

Interconnection structure for conductive layers

A metal silicide interconnect (48, 92, 124) is formed in an integrated circuit using a sacrificial layer (30, 78, 108). In one embodiment a sacrificial layer of titanium nitride (30) is formed overlying a semiconductor substrate (12) and a polysilicon conductive member (20). The sacrificial titanium nitride layer (30) is then patterned and an underlying portion (40) of the semiconductor substrate (12), and a sidewall portion (42) of the polysilicon conductive member (20) are subsequently exposed. A metal layer (46) is deposited and then reacted with the exposed portion 40 of the semiconductor substrate (12) and the exposed sidewall (42) of the polysilicon conductive member (20) to form a metal silicide interconnect (48). The remaining portion of the sacrificial titanium nitride layer (38) is then removed after the metal silicide interconnect (48) has been formed without substantially altering the metal silicide interconnect (48).

Method for forming a metal silicide interconnect in an integrated circuit

A contact between a heavily-doped region in the substrate and metal is made via a hole in a thick oxide layer and a polysilicon layer. The polysilicon layer is first etched to form a hole for establishing a mask for the eventual contact hole. Prior to forming the contact hole, a sidewall spacer of polysilicon is formed in the hole in the polysilicon layer. A thin oxide layer over the polysilicon layer is used for convenient end point detection during the formation of the polysilicon sidewall spacers. The sidewall spacer reduces the bore dimension of the hole in the polysilicon used for the mask for forming the contact hole. A hole is then etched in the thick oxide which is sloped and which has a bore dimension determined by the hole in the polysilicon which is reduced due to the sidewall spacer. The heavily-doped region, the contact hole, and the remaining polysilicon are coated with a barrier. The contact hole is then filled with a conductive material which also coats the barrier. The resulting conductive material, barrier, and polysilicon, are conveniently selectively etched in a single process step. The contact adheres well because polysilicon is in contact with the thick oxide in the locations where there is going to applied any physical stress, such as a bonding pad.

Small geometry contact

Method of making a small geometry contact using sidewall spacers

Method for forming an interconnection structure for conductive layers

A semiconductor device and process wherein an ITLDD device (60) is formed having an inverse-T (IT) transistor gate with a variable work function (.PHI.) across the gate. The variable work function is attained by depositing a work function adjusting layer onto the thin gate extensions of the IT-gate. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor substrate (10) of a first conductivity type is provided having a gate dielectric layer (12) formed thereon. First and second lightly doped regions (36, 37) of a second conductivity type are formed in the substrate which are spaced apart by a channel region (38). An IT-gate electrode (48) is formed on the gate dielectric layer overlying the first and second lightly doped regions and the channel region. The IT-gate has a relatively thick central section (32) and relatively thin lateral extensions (50) projecting from the central portion along the gate dielectric layer. A work function adjusting layer (46) overlies and is in intimate contact with at least the lateral extensions of the IT-gate. The presence of the work function adjusting layer changes the electrical characteristics of the extensions relative to the central section of the IT-gate. Heavily doped source and drain regions (52, 53) of the second conductivity type are formed in the substrate adjacent to the first and second lightly doped regions and aligned to the edge of the gate extensions.

ITLDD transistor having a variable work function

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Michael P Woo