Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an opening through a dielectric layer. The method comprises treating a polished dielectric layer with a wet etch selectively enchancing composition, such as buffered HF, prior to the formation of a patterned photoresist to improve the lateral-to-vertical wet etch ratio.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device including an oxide-nitride-oxide (ONO) structure having a multi-layer charge storing layer and methods of forming the same are provided. Generally, the method involves: (i) forming a first oxide layer of the ONO structure; (ii) forming a multi-layer charge storing layer comprising nitride on a surface of the first oxide layer; and (iii) forming a second oxide layer of the ONO structure on a surface of the multi-layer charge storing layer. Preferably, the charge storing layer comprises at least two silicon oxynitride layers having differing stoichiometric compositions of Oxygen, Nitrogen and/or Silicon. More preferably, the ONO structure is part of a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) structure and the semiconductor device is a SONOS memory transistor. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A semiconductor structure and method to form the same. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate having a non-volatile charge trap memory device disposed on a first region and a logic device disposed on a second region. A charge trap dielectric stack may be formed subsequent to forming wells and channels of the logic device. HF pre-cleans and SC1 cleans may be avoided to improve the quality of a blocking layer of the non-volatile charge trap memory device. The blocking layer may be thermally reoxidized or nitridized during a thermal oxidation or nitridation of a logic MOS gate insulator layer to densify the blocking layer. A multi-layered liner may be utilized to first offset a source and drain implant in a high voltage logic device and also block silicidation of the nonvolatile charge trap memory device.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method of forming, in semiconductor substrates, contact openings having low contact resistance. The method involves, in particular, the introduction of a “soft etch” cleaning step that is used to clean the bottom of the contact openings. The “soft etch” cleaning step uses fluorocarbon chemistry. It is shown that the resulting resistance of the contact openings is reduced.
Abstract:
A method of forming edge metal lines to interconnect features in a semiconductor device. One embodiment comprises the steps of: patterning a first insulating layer to form a first feature having a first sidewall; depositing a metal layer over the first feature; and etching the metal layer so that a first edge metal line is formed adjacent to the first sidewall. The edge metal line may be substantially anisotropically etched to form the edge metal line. The edge metal line may comprise a plurality of metal layers. The edge metal line may also interconnect features in a semiconductor device (e.g., contacts). The method may further comprise the step of forming a protective coating over a portion of the metal layer such that the etching step may form a metal interconnect line and the edge metal line from the same metal layer. The metal interconnect line may comprise a bus that may have more current carrying capacity than the edge metal line.