Globalfoundries Inc.

Infineon Technologies Ag

Qimonda Ag

Flexenable Limited

Ricardo Pablo Mikalo

Stefan Flachowsky

Joachim Deppe

Jens-Uwe Sachse

Uwe Dersch

Christoph Ludwig

Christoph Kleint

Mark Isler

Jan-Malte Schley

Jan Hoentschel

Frank Wirbeleit

Matthias Kessler

Thilo Scheiper

Stephan Kronholz

Hans-Peter Moll

Ralf Illgen

Andreas Kurz

Martin Gerhardt

Dominik Olligs

Alexandru Romanescu

Thomas Merbeth

Eike Ruttkowski

Mathias Krause

Günther Wein

Jens Dienelt

Erwin Schroer

Ralf Richter

An integrated circuit (IC) structure is disclosed. The structure can include: a first heat dissipative element disposed between a pair of shallow trench isolations (STIs) in a substrate, and a first polysilicon resistor in a polysilicon layer positioned over the substrate and the pair of STIs, the first polysilicon resistor in thermal communication with the first heat dissipative element. The structure can also include a second polysilicon resistor in the polysilicon layer, the second polysilicon resistor laterally separated from the first polysilicon resistor, and the first heat dissipative element in thermal communication with the first polysilicon resistor and the second polysilicon element. The structure can also include a second heat dissipative element, the second heat dissipative element in a different directional orientation than the first heat dissipative element.

Heat dissipative element for polysilicon resistor bank

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) chips, which includes forming routing structure(s) that facilitate process limiting yield (PLY) testing of test devices. A routing structure includes an array of link-up regions and a set of metal pads surrounding that array. Each link-up region includes two sections, each having two nodes electrically connected to the terminals of a corresponding two-terminal test device. During PLY testing with a probe card, electrical connections between the test devices and the metal pads through the link-up regions allow each test device to be tested individually. Optionally, additional routing structures with the same footprint are formed down the line and stacked one above the other. These additional routing structures are used for PLY testing with the same probe card. Optionally, dummy pads are formed between stacked routing structures to improve robustness. Also disclosed is a semiconductor structure formed according to this method.

Method and structure for process limiting yield testing

A semiconductor test structure is provided for detecting raised source/drain regions-gate electrode shorts, including a semiconductor substrate, FETs formed on the semiconductor substrate, raised source/drain regions of the FETs formed on the semiconductor substrate, a gate electrode structure comprising multiple gate electrodes of the FETs arranged in parallel to each other, and a first electrical terminal electrically connected to the gate electrode structure, and wherein no electrical contacts to the raised source/drain regions are present between the multiple gate electrodes of the gate electrode structure.

Detection of gate-to-source/drain shorts

A semiconductor structure includes a bulk semiconductor substrate, an electrically insulating layer over the substrate, an active layer of semiconductor material over the electrically insulating layer and a transistor. The transistor includes an active region, a gate electrode region and an isolation junction region. The active region is provided in the active layer of semiconductor material and includes a source region, a channel region and a drain region. The gate electrode region is provided in the bulk semiconductor substrate and has a first type of doping. The isolation junction region is formed in the bulk semiconductor substrate and has a second type of doping opposite the first type of doping. The isolation junction region separates the gate electrode region from a portion of the bulk semiconductor substrate other than the gate electrode region that has the first type of doping.

Semiconductor structure including a transistor including a gate electrode region provided in a substrate and method for the formation thereof

A test configuration for testing a leakage current of a device under test (DUT) of an integrated circuit is provided including a logarithmic transducer electrically connected to the DUT and a voltmeter electrically connected to the logarithmic transducer.

Leakage testing of integrated circuits using a logarithmic transducer and a voltmeter

A semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate with an active region provided therein, a gate structure, a dummy gate structure and two contact regions provided in the active region for forming source and drain regions. The gate structure and the dummy gate structure are formed on the semiconductor substrate so as to partially overlie the active region, and one of the contact regions is located at one side of the dummy gate structure. The semiconductor device structure includes a contact structure contacting one of the contact regions and the dummy gate for connecting this contact region and the dummy gate to one of a Vdd rail and a Vss rail. The active region has an extension portion protruding laterally away from the active region relative to the other contact region, where the contact structure is located over the extension portion.

Semiconductor device structure including active region having an extension portion

A method, comprising: generating a vapor of a material from a source of said material comprising a plurality of separate solid pieces of said material supported on a surface of a base in a configuration in which said plurality of solid pieces of said target material are arranged at two or more levels to cover the whole of said surface of said base while providing a gap between adjacent pieces at the same level; and depositing said material from said vapor onto a substrate.

Vapour deposition

A method of forming a group of probe pads or sets of probe pads and DUTs in a staggered pattern within a portion of a pad row and the resulting device are disclosed. Embodiments include forming a first group of probe pads or sets of probe pads and DUTs in a pad row on a wafer; and forming a second group of probe pads and DUTs in the pad row on the wafer, wherein the probe pads or sets of probe pads of the first group are staggered along the pad row, and each DUT of the first group is aligned with a probe pad perpendicular to the pad row.

Staggered electrical frame structures for frame area reduction

Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate doped with a first conductivity-determining impurity. The semiconductor substrate has formed therein a first well doped with a second conductivity-determining impurity that is different from the first conductivity-determining impurity, a second well, formed within the first well, and doped with the first conductivity-determining impurity, and a third well spaced apart from the first and second wells and doped with the first conductivity-determining impurity. The integrated circuit further includes a floating gate structure formed over the semiconductor substrate. The floating gate structure includes a first gate element disposed over the second well and being separated from the second well with a dielectric layer, a second gate element disposed over the third well and being separated from the third well with the dielectric layer, and a conductive connector.

Integrated circuits and methods for operating integrated circuits with non-volatile memory

Integrated circuits including electronic fuse structures are disclosed. In some examples, the electronic fuse structure includes a fuse part and first and second pre-heating lines positioned generally parallel to and co-planar with the fuse part, and electrically connected with the fuse part. The electronic fuse structure also includes a cathode physically and electrically connected to the first pre-heating line and an anode physically and electrically connected to the second pre-heating line.

Integrated circuits with electronic fuse structures

Integrated circuits that include bi-directional protection diode structures are disclosed. In one example, an integrated circuit includes a test circuit portion for testing the functionality of the integrated circuit during or after fabrication of the integrated circuit. The test circuit portion includes first, second, and third diode structures and a resistor structure. The first and third diode structures are in parallel with one another and in series with the resistor, and the resistor and the first and third diode structures are in series with the second diode structure. The first and third diode structures are configured for current flow in a first direction and the second diode structure is configured for current flow in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

Integrated circuits with test structures including bi-directional protection diodes

In one example, a method disclosed herein includes the steps of forming a gate structure for a first transistor and a second transistor above a semiconducting substrate, forming a liner layer above the gate structures and performing a plurality of extension ion implant processes through the liner layer to form extension implant regions in the substrate for the first transistor and the second transistor. The method further includes forming a first sidewall spacer proximate the gate structure for the first transistor and a patterned hard mask layer positioned above the second transistor, performing at least one etching process to remove the first sidewall spacer, the patterned hard mask layer and the liner layer, forming a second sidewall spacer proximate both of the gate structures and performing a plurality of source/drain ion implant processes to form deep source/drain implant regions in the substrate for the first transistor and the second transistor.

Methods of forming semiconductor devices with embedded semiconductor material as source/drain regions using a reduced number of spacers

Integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate doped with a first conductivity-determining impurity. The semiconductor substrate has formed therein a first well doped with a second conductivity-determining impurity that is different from the first conductivity-determining impurity, a second well, formed within the first well, and doped with the first conductivity-determining impurity, and a third well spaced apart from the first and second wells and doped with the second conductivity-determining impurity. The integrated circuit further includes a floating gate structure formed over the semiconductor substrate. The floating gate structure includes a first gate element disposed over the second well and being separated from the second well with a dielectric layer, a second gate element disposed over the third well and being separated from the third well with the dielectric layer, and a conductive connector.

Disclosed herein are various methods of reducing gate leakage in semiconductor devices such as transistors. In one example, a method disclosed herein includes performing an etching process to define a gate insulation layer of a transistor, wherein the gate insulation layer has an etched edge, performing an angled ion implantation process to implant ions into the gate insulation layer proximate the etched edge of the gate insulation layer and, after performing the angled ion implantation process, performing an anneal process.

Methods of reducing gate leakage

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device structure begins by forming a layer of oxide material overlying a first gate structure having a first silicon nitride cap and overlying a second gate structure having a second silicon nitride cap. The first gate structure corresponds to a p-type transistor to be fabricated, and the second gate structure corresponds to an n-type transistor to be fabricated. The method continues by performing a tilted ion implantation procedure to implant ions of an impurity species in a channel region of semiconductor material underlying the first gate structure, during which an ion implantation mask protects the second gate structure. Thereafter, the ion implantation mask and the layer of oxide material are removed, and regions of epitaxial semiconductor material are formed corresponding to source and drain regions for the first gate structure. Thereafter, the first silicon nitride cap and the second silicon nitride cap are removed.

Growing community of inventors

Heideblick, Germany

Ricardo Pablo Mikalo