Abstract:
A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a first transistor element and a second transistor element. The first transistor element comprises at least one first amorphous region and the second transistor element comprises at least one second amorphous region. A stress-creating layer is formed over the first transistor element. The stress-creating layer does not cover the second transistor element. A first annealing process is performed. The first annealing process is adapted to re-crystallize the first amorphous region and the second amorphous region. After the first annealing process, a second annealing process is performed. The stress-creating layer remains on the semiconductor substrate during the second annealing process.
Abstract:
A semiconductor structure including an nFET (22) having a FUSI gate electrode (18) wherein a dual stress liner configuration is used to enhance the stress in the channel region is provided. The dual stress liner configuration includes a first stress liner (24) that has an upper surface that is planar with an upper surface of a FUSI gate electrode of the nFET. The first stress liner is not present atop the FUSI gate electrode. The first stress liner partially wraps around, the sides of, the nFET with the FUSI gate electrode. A second stress liner (26) is located on the upper surface of the first stress liner as well as atop the nFET that contains the FUSI gate electrode. The first stress liner is a tensile stress liner and the second stress liner is a compressive stress liner.
Abstract:
[PROBLEMS] To prevent increase of a dielectric constant of a low-k film. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] Provided is a semiconductor manufacturing method which includes a step of annealing a low dielectric constant film by irradiating the film with ultraviolet, and a step of performing modifying treatment to at least the low dielectric constant film without bringing the annealed dielectric constant film into contact with water. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for performing such semiconductor manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus provided with a semiconductor device manufactured by such semiconductor manufacturing method are also provided.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to methods of forming contact openings. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes forming a feature (20) above a semiconducting substrate (22), forming a layer stack comprised of a plurality of layers of material above the feature (22), the layer stack having an original height (32), reducing the original height (32) of the layer stack to thereby define a reduced height (32A) layer stack above the feature, forming an opening (38) in the reduced height layer (32A) stack for a conductive member (40) that will be electrically coupled to the feature (20) and forming the conductive member (40) in the opening (30) in the reduced height (32A) layer stack.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device (200). In one aspect, the method comprises forming a stress inducing layer (210) over a semiconductor substrate (110), subjecting the stress inducing layer to a first temperature anneal (215), and subjecting the semiconductor substrate to a second temperature anneal subsequent to the first temperature anneal, wherein the second temperature anneal is higher than the first temperature anneal.
Abstract:
A semiconductor fabrication process includes forming isolation structures (106) on either side of a transistor region, forming a gate structure (110) overlying the transistor region, removing source/drain regions (107) to form source/drain recesses (120), removing portions of the isolation structures to form recessed isolation structures (126), and filling the source/drain recesses with a source/drain stressor such as an epitaxially formed semiconductor. A lower surface of the source/drain recess is preferably deeper than an upper surface of the recessed isolation structure by approximately 10 to 30 nm. Filling the source/drain recesses may precede or follow forming the recessed isolation structures. An ILD stressor (140) is then deposited over the transistor region such that the ILD stressor is adjacent to sidewalls of the source/drain structure thereby coupling the ILD stressor to the source/drain stressor. The ILD stressor is preferably compressive or tensile silicon nitride and the source/drain structure is preferably silicon germanium or silicon carbon.
Abstract:
A semiconductor structure and a method of fabricating the same in which strain enhancement is achieved for both nFET and pFET devices is provided. In particular, the present invention provides at least one spacerless FET for stronger strain enhancement and defect reduction. The at least one spacerless FET can be a pFET, an nFET, or a combination thereof, with spacerless pFETs being particularly preferred since pFETs are generally fabricated to have a greater width than nFETs. The at least one spacerless FET allows to provide a stress inducing liner in closer proximity to the device channel than prior art structures including FETs having spacers. The spacerless FET is achieved without negatively affecting the resistance of the corresponding silicided source/drain diffusion contacts, which do not encroach underneath the spacerless FET.