Globalfoundries Inc.

Sanggil Bae

Ki Young Lee

Tony Joung

Xintuo Dai

Dongyue Yang

Cung D Tran

Ravi Prakash Srivastava

Rui Chen

Minghao Tang

Bradley Morgenfeld

Md Motasim Bellah

Pavan Kumar Chinthamanipeta Sripadarao

Jae Ho Joung

Huaxiang Li

Christian J Ayala

Kripa Nidhan Chauhan

Cheuk Wun Wong

In an exemplary method, a first layer is formed on a substrate. First overlay marks are formed in a first zone of the first layer. A non-transparent layer is formed on top of the first layer. At least a portion of the non-transparent layer is removed from an area above the first zone of the first layer. This provides optical access to the first overlay marks. A second layer is formed on top of the non-transparent layer. Second overlay marks are formed in a second zone of the second layer. Position information is obtained from each of the first overlay marks and the second overlay marks.

Structure and method to improve overlay performance in semiconductor devices

Structures for detecting and correcting an overlay inaccuracy and methods of detecting and correcting an overlay inaccuracy. An overlay target includes a first plurality of features arranged along a first longitudinal axis in a first line-space pattern having a first line width, and a second plurality of features arranged along a second longitudinal axis in a second line-space pattern having a second line width that is less than the first line width. The second longitudinal axis is aligned substantially parallel to the first longitudinal axis.

Overlay control with corrections for lens aberrations

Capacitor and contact structures are provided, as well as methods for forming the capacitor and contact structures. The methods include, for instance, providing a layer of conductive material above a conductive structure and above a lower electrode of a capacitor; etching the layer of conductive material to define a conductive material hard mask and an upper electrode of the capacitor, the conductive material hard mask being disposed at least partially above the conductive structure; and forming a first conductive contact structure and a second conductive contact structure, the first conductive contact structure extending through an opening in the conductive material hard mask and conductively contacting the conductive structure, and the second conductive contact structure conductively contacting one of the lower electrode of the capacitor, or the upper electrode of the capacitor.

Capacitor and contact structures, and formation processes thereof

Integrated circuits with MIM capacitors and methods for producing them with metal and oxide hard masks are provided. Embodiments include disposing a dielectric layer over an ILD, the ILD including a contact therethrough in a first region; forming a capacitor trench in the dielectric layer in a second region; forming a MIM hard mask by: disposing a first metal hard mask in the first region and in the capacitor trench in the second region; disposing an oxide hard mask over the first metal hard mask; and disposing a second metal hard mask over the oxide hard mask; forming a metal line trench through the MIM hard mask in the first region, including over the contact, while masking the second region; and removing portions of the MIM hard mask in the capacitor trench, wherein a remaining portion of the first metal hard mask comprises a bottom plate of an MIM capacitor.

Integrated circuits with capacitors and methods of producing the same

Integrated circuits and methods for producing the same are provided. A method for producing an integrated circuit includes forming a capacitor trench through a dielectric layer, and forming a base layer overlying the dielectric layer and within the capacitor trench. A base layer via gap is formed in the base layer, where the base layer via gap is positioned overlying the dielectric layer and the first contact. A base plate and a shield are formed from the base layer, where the base plate is within the capacitor trench. A capacitor insulating layer is formed overlying the base plate, the base layer, and within the base layer via gap, and a via is formed through the base layer via gap. A second contact and a top plate are simultaneously formed, where the second contact is formed in the via and the top plate is formed in the capacitor trench.

Methods of forming a capacitor and contact structures are provided. The methods include, for instance, providing a layer of conductive material above a conductive structure and above a lower electrode of a capacitor; etching the layer of conductive material to define a conductive material hard mask and an upper electrode of the capacitor, the conductive material hard mask being disposed at least partially above the conductive structure; and forming a first conductive contact structure and a second conductive contact structure, the first conductive contact structure extending through an opening in the conductive material hard mask and conductively contacting the conductive structure, and the second conductive contact structure conductively contacting one of the lower electrode of the capacitor, or the upper electrode of the capacitor.

Methods of forming a capacitor and contact structures

A serial capacitor comprised of a bottom electrode, a top electrode that is conductively coupled the bottom electrode, a middle electrode positioned between the bottom and top electrode, a lower dielectric layer positioned between the bottom and middle electrodes, and an upper dielectric layer positioned between the middle and the electrodes. A method includes forming the bottom electrode in a first layer of insulating material, forming the lower dielectric layer and the middle electrode above the bottom electrode, wherein the middle electrode is positioned in a second layer of insulating material, forming the upper dielectric layer above the middle electrode, forming an opening that exposes a portion of the bottom electrode, and forming the top electrode above the upper dielectric layer, wherein a portion of the top electrode extends through the opening and contacts the bottom electrode.

High density serial capacitor device and methods of making such a capacitor device

A self-polarized mask is provided including a transparent substrate, first and second layers of polarization material consecutively provided on the transparent substrate and polarized in a first and a second direction, respectively. A first region is provided that extends in the first direction and contains only the first layer and no second layer, a second region is provided that extends in the second direction and contains only the second layer and no first layer. Embodiments include exposing a photoresist to light through the mask such that light polarized in the first direction passes through the mask in the first region to expose a first-directional region of the photoresist layer used to form a first-directional semiconductor device structure, and light polarized in the second direction passes through the mask in the second region to expose a second-directional region of the photoresist layer used to form a second-directional semiconductor device structure.

Self-polarized mask and self-polarized mask application

Disclosed herein are various methods of forming semiconductor devices that have capacitor and via contacts. In one example, the method includes forming a first conductive structure and a bottom electrode of a capacitor in a layer of insulating material, forming a layer of conductive material above the first conductive structure and the bottom electrode and performing an etching process on the layer of conductive material to define a conductive material hard mask and a top electrode for the capacitor, wherein the conductive material hard mask is positioned above at least a portion of the first conductive structure. This illustrative method includes the further steps of forming an opening in the conductive material hard mask and forming a second conductive structure that extends through the opening in the conductive material hard mask and conductively contacts the first conductive structure.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Sanggil Bae