Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a soft metal conductor where hardness on an uppermost surface without abrasion is improved after the surface is polished by a chemical mechanical polishing process. SOLUTION: The soft metal conductor 78 has an uppermost layer composed of particles having sufficiently large particle sizes so that the surface without abrasion is obtained after polishing in the chemical mechanical polishing step and the conductor is used for a semiconductor device. Metallic particles having the particle sizes of 200nm or above are bonded to the uppermost layer in a conductive soft metal structure. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and method for mitigating a leakage current of a semiconductor device before catastrophic leakage current runaway occurs.SOLUTION: A leakage current shift monitor unit 20 is electrically connected to an output node of a leakage current target unit 10 and collects leakage currents from a selected target semiconductor device for two consecutive predefined temporal periods and measures the difference between the collected leakage currents. A comparator 40 receives and compares the outputs of the current shift monitor unit 20 and a reference voltage generator 30. The comparator 40 propagates an alert signal to the leakage current target unit 10 when the leakage voltage output from the leakage current shift monitor unit 20 exceeds the reference voltage, that is, a condition that indicates that the leakage current is about to approach catastrophic runaway levels. This alert signal attains leak mitigation also including a repair voltage to be applied to a gate of the target semiconductor device.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a soft metal conductor in which hardness in a surface of an uppermost part is improved so that a substantially scratch-free surface is obtained after polishing in chemical mechanical polishing process. SOLUTION: The soft metal conductor is a soft metal conductor 78 for use in a semiconductor device which has an uppermost layer consisting of grains having grain sizes sufficiently large so as to obtain a substantially scratch-free surface after polishing in a subsequent chemical mechanical polishing step. Metal grains having grain sizes of approximately 20% or more of the thickness of a conductive soft metal structure is deposited on the uppermost layer of the soft metal structure. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a level shifter for boosting a wordline voltage and memory cell performance without making a circuit defective in operation or without causing excessive leakage. SOLUTION: A circuit and a method include a first circuit powered by a first supply voltage and second a circuit powered by a second supply voltage. A level shifter is coupled between the first circuit and the second circuit. The level shifter is configured so that a supply voltage output for a circuit including one of the first supply voltage and the second supply voltage is selected according to an input signal which depends on at least one of an operation to be performed and a component performing the operation. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a soft metal conductor whose uppermost surface hardness is so improved as to obtain a conductor surface substantially without an abrasion trace after polishing using a chemical-mechanical polishing process. SOLUTION: The soft metal conductor 78 used for a semiconductor element has an uppermost layer composed of particles with sufficiently large particle sizes in order to obtain the conductor surface substantially without the abrasion trace after polishing in the chemical-mechanical polishing step. On an uppermost layer of the electrically conductive soft metal structure, the metal particles with particle sizes of 200 nm or larger are adhered. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT
Abstract:
Metal, such as tungsten, contact regions for an integrated circuit are deposited on exposed portions of a silicon substrate having an apertured silicon dioxide layer thereon by the steps of: …… (1) disposing the substrate in a deposition chamber; … (2) introducing a gaseous compound of a metal into the chamber, which compound reacts with silicon so that metal from the compound substitutes for silicon in the surface of the substrate to form a deposited metal layer in the apertures in the silicon dioxide layer; and … (3) introducing hydrogen into the chamber in addition to the gaseous compound whereby the hydrogen reacts with the gaseous compound to form a further deposition of the metal, the metal being deposited during said further deposition on the surface of both the previously deposited metal layer and the silicon dioxide layer. …… During step (3) an etching gas (e.g nitrogen trifluoride) which etches the metal when activated, is introduced into the chamber and a plasma struck to activate the etching gas. By controlling the amount of the etching gas introduced into the chamber and the electrical power coupled into the plasma, the silicon surface portions of the substrate are kept substantially free of the metal and a further deposit of the metal is produced on the previously deposited metal layer.
Abstract:
A wafer structure suitable for the formation of semiconductor devices thereon and having a buried interconnect structure for interconnection of desired ones of the semiconductor devices according to a predetermined interconnection pattern and a method of making the same is disclosed. The wafer structure comprises a primary substrate having a first thickness appropriate for the formation of the desired semiconductor devices. The primary substrate further comprises a) conductive interconnection pads of a second thickness formed on a bottom surface of the primary substrate according to the predetermined interconnection pattern, b) first isolation pads of a third thickness formed on the bottom surface of the primary substrate between the conductive interconnection pads, and c) interconnection pad caps of a fourth thickness formed upon the surface of the interconnection pads opposite from the primary substrate, wherein the interconnection pad caps comprise a material suitable for wafer bonding, and further wherein the total thickness of the second thickness and the fourth thickness equals the third thickness. The structure further comprises a secondary substrate having an oxide layer thereon bonded to the interconnection pad caps and the first isolation pads of the primary wafer.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating a structure, which includes a layer (2) containing a refractory metal and a substrate (3) to which the refractory metal-containing layer does not strongly adhere, there being a thin bonding layer (5) between the substrate (3) and the refractory metal-containing layer (2) for providing good adherence between the refractory metal-containing layer and the substrate. The bonding layer (5) is an oxide, nitride or mixed osy-nitride layer initially prepared to be Si-rich in a surface region thereof. Inclusions (7) of the refractory metal are produced in the bonding layer (5) by substituting the refractory metal for excess free silicon (6) therein. These inclusions become nucleation and bonding sites for refractory metal deposition, ensuring good adhesion.
Abstract:
A structure and method for fabricating circuits which use field effect transistors (FETs), bipolar transistors, or BiCMOS (combined Bipolar/Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon structures), uses low temperature germanium gas flow to affect metals and alloys deposited in high aspect ratio structures including lines and vias. By using a germanium gas flow, germanium (Ge) will be introduced in a surface reaction which prevents voids and side seams and which also provides a passivating layer of CuGe. If a hard cap is needed for surface passivation or a wear-resistance application, the GeH4 gas followed by WF6 can be used to produce an in-situ hard cap of WxGey. Further, high aspect ratio vias/lines (aspect ratio of 3 or more) can be filled by utilizing low pressures and high temperatures (i.e., below 450 DEG C) without degrading the underlying metals.