Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Steven Huang

Chun-Jung Huang

Yung-Lin Hsu

Kuang Huan Hsu

Jeff Chen

Yueh-Lun Yang

Yei-Hsiung Lin

In an embodiment, a system, includes: a first pressurized load port interfaced with a workstation body; a second pressurized load port interfaced with the workstation body; the workstation body maintained at a set pressure level, wherein the workstation body comprises an internal material handling system configured to move a semiconductor workpiece within the workstation body between the first and second pressurized load ports at the set pressure level; a first modular tool interfaced with the first pressurized load port, wherein the first modular tool is configured to process the semiconductor workpiece; and a second modular tool interfaced with the second pressurized load port, wherein the second modular tool is configured to inspect the semiconductor workpiece processed by the first modular tool.

Modular pressurized workstation

A method of forming self-aligned silicides is described and applied to a substrate having an isolation area, which divides the substrate into a first area and a second area. A resist protective oxide layer is formed on the substrate, and subsequently a mask layer is formed on the resist protective oxide layer. Further, the mask layer includes an opening on the first area and another opening on a contact hole of the second area. When a resist protective oxide process is performed, the mask layer protects the resist protective oxide layer underlying the same from being removed, whereas the resist protective oxide layer under the openings are removed. Therefore, silicides are controlled to form on the first area and the contact hole of the second area in a subsequent self-aligned silicidation process.

Method of forming self-aligned silicides

Growing community of inventors

Miaoli County, Taiwan

Steven Huang