Globalfoundries Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Seowoo Nam

Hyun-Jin Cho

Ming He

Ruilong Xie

Xiuyu Cai

Xunyuan Zhang

Lei Sun

Ryan Ryoung-Han Kim

Wenhui Wang

Linus Jang

Craig Child

Jason Cantone

Theodorus E Standaert

Yann Mignot

Jim E Kelly

Raghuveer Patlotta

Process of using a dummy gate as an interconnection and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. Embodiments include forming on a semiconductor substrate dummy gate structures at cell boundaries, each dummy gate structure including a set of sidewall spacers and a cap disposed between the sidewall spacers; removing a first sidewall spacer or at least a portion of a first cap on a first side of a first dummy gate structure and forming a first gate contact trench over the first dummy gate structure; and filling the first gate contact trench with a metal to form a first gate contact.

Dummy gate used as interconnection and method of making the same

Integrated circuits that include a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for a magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. In one example, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a lower electrode on a metal interconnect. The metal interconnect is disposed above a semiconductor substrate and is aligned with a normal axis that is substantially perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate. The lower electrode includes a conductive metal plug. A MTJ stack is formed on the lower electrode aligned with the normal axis.

Integrated circuits including magnetic tunnel junctions for magnetoresistive random-access memory and methods for fabricating the same

A method of forming a self-aligned MTJ without using a photolithography mask and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a first electrode over a metal layer, the metal layer recessed in a low-k dielectric layer; forming a MTJ layer over the first electrode; forming a second electrode over the MTJ layer; removing portions of the second electrode, the MTJ layer, and the first electrode down to the low-k dielectric layer; forming a silicon nitride-based layer over the second electrode and the low-k dielectric layer; and planarizing the silicon nitride-based layer down to the second electrode.

Topological method to build self-aligned MTJ without a mask

Integrated circuits and methods for producing the same are provided. A method for producing an integrated circuit includes forming an interconnect in a first interlayer dielectric. A first cap is formed overlying the first interlayer dielectric adjacent to the interconnect, and a second interlayer dielectric is formed overlying the first interlayer dielectric, the interconnect, and the cap. A contact is formed through the second interlayer dielectric, where the contact includes an overlap region and a connection region. The overlap region directly overlies the first interlayer dielectric adjacent to the interconnect, and the connection region directly contacts the interconnect. The first cap is positioned between the overlap region and the first interlayer dielectric.

Integrated circuits with self aligned contacts and methods of manufacturing the same

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit includes forming a mask overlying a material to be etched by forming first hard mask segments overlying the material to be etched, forming sacrificial mandrels overlying the material to be etched and around each hard mask segment, forming second hard mask segments overlying the semiconductor substrate and adjacent each sacrificial mandrel, and removing the sacrificial mandrels to form first gaps surrounding each first hard mask segment, wherein each first gap is bounded by a respective first hard mask segment and an adjacent second hard mask segment. The method includes etching the material to be etched through the mask.

Methods for fabricating integrated circuits using improved masks

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Delmar, NY, United States of America

Seowoo Nam