Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Chang Chun Plastics Co., Ltd.

Mong Song Liang

Harry Chuang

Kong-Beng Thei

Chung Long Cheng

Sheng-Chen Chung

Weng Chang

Jung-Hui Kao

Jing-Cheng Lin

Syun-Ming Jang Jang

Tze-Liang Lee

Shih-Chang Chen

Chii-Horng Li

Hun-Jan Tao

Ryan Chia-Jen Chen

Chien-Hao Chen

Pang-Yen Tsai

Chun-Feng Nieh

Da-Wen Lin

Kuo-Tai Huang

Chen-Nan Yeh

Yuan-Hung Chiu

Kuen-Yuan Hwang

An-Pang Tu

Zhen-Cheng Wu

Gwan Sin Chang

Chien-Liang Chen

Chao-Hsien Peng

Peng-Fu Hsu

Wen-Huei Guo

Yong-Tian Hou

Shun-Jang Liao

Keh-Chiang Ku

Hung-Chih Tsai

Hung Chun Tsai

Gary Shen

Ming Fang Wang

Wen-Chih Yang

Shwang-Ming Cheng

Chih-Tsung Yao

Ssu-Yi Li

Chun-Hsiung Kao

Chi-Yi Ju

Jen-Bin Hsu

Shih Chang Chen

Simon S H Lin

Shau Lin Shue

Sheng-Yen Wu

Fang-Shian Su

Liang Gi Yao

A strain-induced layer is formed atop a MOS device in order to increase carrier mobility in the channel region. The dimension of the strain-induced layer in preferred embodiments may lead to an optimized drive current increase and improved drive current uniformity in an NMOS and PMOS device. An advantage of the preferred embodiments is that improved device performance is obtained without adding complex processing steps. A further advantage of the preferred embodiments is that the added processing steps can be readily integrated into a known CMOS process flow. Moreover, the creation of the photo masks defining the tensile and compressive strain-induced layers does not require extra design work on an existed design database.

Strained transistor with optimized drive current and method of forming

A semiconductor structure includes a first MOS device including a first gate, and a second MOS device including a second gate. The first gate includes a first high-k dielectric over a semiconductor substrate; a second high-k dielectric over the first high-k dielectric; a first metal layer over the second high-k dielectric, wherein the first metal layer dominates a work-function of the first MOS device; and a second metal layer over the first metal layer. The second gate includes a third high-k dielectric over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first and the third high-k dielectrics are formed of same materials, and have substantially a same thickness; a third metal layer over the third high-k dielectric, wherein the third metal layer and the second metal layer are formed of same materials, and have substantially a same thickness; and a fourth metal layer over the third metal layer.

Hybrid process for forming metal gates of MOS devices

A device and a method for forming a metal silicide is presented. A device, which includes a gate region, a source region, and a drain region, is formed on a substrate. A metal is disposed on the substrate, followed by a first anneal, forming a metal silicide on at least one of the gate region, the source region, and the drain region. The unreacted metal is removed from the substrate. The metal silicide is implanted with atoms. The implant is followed by a super anneal of the substrate.

Implanted metal silicide for semiconductor device

An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate, and a first and a second MOS device. The first MOS device includes a first gate dielectric over the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first gate dielectric is planar; and a first gate electrode over the first gate dielectric. The second MOS device includes a second gate dielectric over the semiconductor substrate; and a second gate electrode over the second gate dielectric. The second gate electrode has a height greater than a height of the first gate electrode. The second gate dielectric includes a planar portion underlying the second gate electrode, and sidewall portions extending on sidewalls of the second gate electrode.

Integrating the formation of I/O and core MOS devices with MOS capacitors and resistors

A method for defining a layout of 3-D devices, such as a finFET, is provided. The method includes determining an area required by a desired 3-D device and designing a circuit using planar devices having an equivalent area. The planar device corresponding to the desired 3-D device is used to layout a circuit design, thereby allowing circuit and layout designers to work at a higher level without the need to specify each individual fin or 3-D structure. Thereafter, the planar design may be converted to a 3-D design by replacing planar active areas with 3-D devices occupying an equivalent area.

3-dimensional device design layout

A semiconductor structure includes an array of unit metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns is provided. Each of the unit MOS devices includes an active region laid out in a row direction and a gate electrode laid out in a column direction. The semiconductor structure further includes a first unit MOS device in the array and a second unit MOS device in the array, wherein active regions of the first and the second unit MOS devices have different conductivity types.

Layout methods of integrated circuits having unit MOS devices

A semiconductor structure and methods of forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a first inter-layer dielectric (ILD) over the semiconductor substrate; a contact extending from a top surface of the first ILD into the first ILD; a second ILD over the first ILD; a bottom inter-metal dielectric (IMD) over the second ILD; and a dual damascene structure comprising a metal line in the IMD and a via in the second ILD, wherein the via is connected to the contact.

Contact scheme for MOSFETs

A semiconductor device having a core device with a high-k gate dielectric and an I/O device with a silicon dioxide or other non-high-k gate dielectric, and a method of fabricating such a device. A core well and an I/O well are created in a semiconductor substrate and separated by an isolation structure. An I/O device is formed over the I/O well and has a silicon dioxide or a low-k gate dielectric. A resistor may be formed on an isolation structure adjacent to the core well. A core-well device such as a transistor is formed over the core well, and has a high-k gate dielectric. In some embodiments, a p-type I/O well and an n-type I/O well are created. In a preferred embodiment, the I/O device or devices are formed prior to forming the core device and protected with a sacrificial layer until the core device is fabricated.

Semiconductor device with both I/O and core components and method of fabricating same

A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate, forming a first device region on the substrate, forming a stressor layer overlying the first device region, and super annealing the stressor layer in the first device region, preferably by exposing the substrate to a high-energy radiance source, so that the stressor layer is super annealed for a substantially short duration. Preferably, the method further includes masking a second device region on the substrate while the first device region is super annealed. Alternatively, after the stressor layer in the first region is annealed, the stressor layer in the second device region is super annealed. A semiconductor structure formed using the method has different strains in the first and second device regions.

Super anneal for process induced strain modulation

A method for fabricating a dual-gate semiconductor device. A preferred embodiment comprises forming a gate stack having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion including a different composition of layers, forming photoresist structures on the gate stack to protect the material to be used for the gate structures, etching away a portion of the unprotected material, forming recesses adjacent to at least one of the gate structures in the substrate upon which the gate structures are disposed, and forming a source region and the drained region in the respective recesses. The remaining portions of the gate stack layers that are not a part of a gate structure are then removed. In a particularly preferred embodiment, an oxide is formed on the vertical sides of the gate structures prior to etching to create the source and drain regions.

Method for fabricating dual-gate semiconductor device

A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, a gate dielectric over the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode over the gate dielectric, a source/drain region having at least a portion in the semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface wherein the first surface of the dielectric layer adjoins the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a contact plug in the dielectric layer, wherein the contact plug extends from a bottom side of the source/drain region to the second surface of the dielectric layer.

Backside contacts for MOS devices

A SiOC layer and/or a SiC layer of an etch stop layer may be improved by altering the process used to form them. In a bi-layer structure, a SiOC layer and/or a SiC layer may be improved to provide better reliability. A silicon carbide (SiC) layer may be used to form a single-layer etch stop layer, while also acting as a glue layer to improve interface adhesion. Preferably, the SiC layer is formed in a reaction chamber having a flow of substantially pure trimetholsilane (3MS) streamed into and through the reaction chamber under a pressure of less than about 2 torr therein. Preferably, the reaction chamber is energized with high frequency RF power of about 100 watts or more. Preferably, the SiOC layer is formed in a reaction chamber having a flow of 3MS and CO, and is energized with low frequency RF power of about 100 watts or more.

Etch stop layer

A process for improving the adhesion between an underlying copper structure, and overlying materials and structures, has been developed. The process features formation of a tantalum nitride layer on a copper structure, wherein the copper structure is located in a damascene type opening. To obtain the maximum adhesion benefit the tantalum nitride layer is formed via an atomic deposition layer procedure, performed at specific deposition conditions. The adhesion between the underlying copper structure and overlying materials such as a silicon nitride etch stop layer, as well the adhesion between the lower level copper structure and overlying upper level metal interconnect structures, is improved as a result of the presence of the atomic layer deposited tantalum nitride layer.

Atomic layer deposition tantalum nitride layer to improve adhesion between a copper structure and overlying materials

In the preferred embodiment, a gate dielectric and an electrode are formed on a substrate. A pair of spacers is formed along opposite sidewalls of the gate electrode and the gate dielectric. Spacers are preferably formed of SiCO based material or SiCN based material. The source and drain are then formed. A contact etch stop (CES) layer is formed on the source/drain regions and the spacers. The CES layer is preferably formed of SiCO based material or SiCN based material. An Inter-Level Dielectric (ILD) is then formed on the CES layer.

Silicon oxycarbide and silicon carbonitride based materials for MOS devices

Disclosed is a halogen-free resin composition comprising: (A) one or more phosphorus-containing epoxy resins; (B) a hardener; (C) a hardening accelerator; (D) a polyphenylene oxide resin; and (E) a filling material, wherein the hardener of component B has the structure represented by the following formula (I):wherein each symbol is as defined above. The halogen-free resin composition of the present invention without adding halogen has excellent heat resistance and flame retardant property, and excellent dielectric property. The halogen-free resin composition of the present invention is particularly useful in the application of bonding sheets, composite materials, laminated plates, printed circuit boards, copper foil adhesives, inks used for build-up process, semiconductor packaging materials and the like.

Halogen-free resin composition

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Mong Song Liang