Abstract:
An atomic layer deposition method includes positioning a semiconductor substrate within an atomic layer deposition chamber. A first precursor gas is flowed to the substrate within the atomic layer deposition chamber effective to form a first monolayer on the substrate. The first precursor gas flowing comprises a plurality of first precursor gas pulses. The plurality of first precursor gas pulses comprises at least one total period of time between two immediately adjacent first precursor gas pulses when no gas is fed to the chamber. After forming the first monolayer on the substrate, a second precursor gas different in composition from the first is flowed to the substrate within the deposition chamber effective to form a second monolayer on the first monolayer. Other aspects and implementations are contemplated.
Abstract:
One-transistor memory devices facilitate nonvolatile data storage through the manipulation of oxygen vacancies within a trapping layer of a field-effect transistor (FET), thereby providing control and variation of threshold voltages of the transistor. Various threshold voltages may be assigned a data value, providing the ability to store one or more bits of data in a single memory cell. To control the threshold voltage, the oxygen vacancies may be manipulated by trapping electrons within the vacancies, freeing trapped electrons from the vacancies, moving the vacancies within the trapping layer and annihilating the vacancies.
Abstract:
The invention includes a method for selective deposition of semiconductor material. A substrate is placed within a reaction chamber. The substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface. The first and second surfaces are exposed to a semiconductor material precursor under conditions in which growth of semiconductor material from the precursor comprises a lag phase prior to a growth phase, and under which it takes longer for the growth phase to initiate on the second surface than on the first surface. The exposure of the first and second surfaces is conducted for a time sufficient for the growth phase to occur on the first surface, but not long enough for the growth phase to occur on the second surface.
Abstract:
A method for depositing a rough polysilicon film on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes introducing the reactant gases argon and silane into a deposition chamber and enabling and disabling a plasma at various times during the deposition process.
Abstract:
A capacitor fabrication method may include atomic layer depositing a conductive barrier layer to oxygen diffusion over the first electrode. A method may instead include chemisorbing a layer of a first precursor at least one monolayer thick over the first electrode and chemisorbing a layer of a second precursor at least one monolayer thick on the first precursor layer, a chemisorption product of the first and second precursor layers being comprised by a layer of a conductive barrier material. The barrier layer may be sufficiently thick and dense to reduce oxidation of the first electrode by oxygen diffusion from over the barrier layer. An alternative method may include forming a first capacitor electrode over a substrate, the first electrode having an inner surface area per unit area and an outer surface area per unit area that are both greater than an outer surface area per unit area of the substrate. A capacitor dielectric layer and a second capacitor electrode may be formed over the dielectric layer. The method may further include forming rugged polysilicon over the substrate, the first electrode being over the rugged polysilicon. Accordingly, the outer surface area of the first electrode can be at least 30% greater than the outer surface area of the substrate without the first electrode including polysilicon.
Abstract:
In one aspect, the invention includes a semiconductor processing method comprising exposing silicon, nitrogen and oxygen in gaseous form to a high density plasma during deposition of a silicon, nitrogen and oxygen containing solid layer over a substrate.In another aspect, the invention includes a gate stack forming method, comprising: a) forming a polysilicon layer over a substrate; b) forming a metal silicide layer over the polysilicon layer; c) depositing an antireflective material layer over the metal silicide utilizing a high density plasma; d) forming a layer of photoresist over the antireflective material layer; e) photolithographically patterning the layer of photoresist to form a patterned masking layer from the layer of photoresist; and f) transferring a pattern from the patterned masking layer to the antireflective material layer, metal silicide layer and is polysilicon layer to pattern the antireflective material layer, metal silicide layer and polysilicon layer into a gate stack.
Abstract:
A first precursor gas is flowed to the substrate within the chamber effective to form a first monolayer on the substrate. A second precursor gas different in composition from the first precursor gas is flowed to the first monolayer within the chamber under surface microwave plasma conditions within the chamber effective to react with the first monolayer and form a second monolayer on the substrate which is different in composition from the first monolayer. The second monolayer includes components of the first monolayer and the second precursor. In one implementation, the first and second precursor flowings are successively repeated effective to form a mass of material on the substrate of the second monolayer composition. Additional and other implementations are contemplated.
Abstract:
A process for PECVD of selected material films on a substrate comprising the steps of placing a substrate in a PECVD chamber and maintaining the chamber under vacuum pressure while introducing a precursor gas, a reactant gas, and an ionization enhancer agent into the chamber. A plasma is generated from the gases within the chamber. The energy generating the plasma causes the formation of charged species. The resulting charged species of the ionization enhancer agent assists in the formation of chemically reactive species of at least the precursor.
Abstract:
A cap layer that enables a photopatternable, spin-on material to be used in the formation of semiconductor device structures at wavelengths that were previously unusable. The photopatternable, spin-on material is applied as a layer to a semiconductor substrate. The cap layer and a photoresist layer are each formed over the photopatternable layer. The cap layer absorbs or reflects radiation and protects the photopatternable layer from a first wavelength of radiation used in patterning the photoresist layer. The photopatternable, spin-on material is convertible to a silicon dioxide-based material upon exposure to a second wavelength of radiation.
Abstract:
A capacitor fabrication method may include forming a first capacitor electrode over a substrate and atomic layer depositing an insulative barrier layer to oxygen diffusion over the first electrode. A capacitor dielectric layer may be formed over the first electrode and a second capacitor electrode may be formed over the dielectric layer. The barrier layer may include Al2O3. A capacitor fabrication method may also include forming a first capacitor electrode over a substrate, chemisorbing a layer of a first precursor at least one monolayer thick over the first electrode, and chemisorbing a layer of a second precursor at least one monolayer thick on the first precursor layer. A chemisorption product of the first and second precursors may be comprised by a layer of an insulative barrier material. The first precursor may include H2O and the second precursor may include trimethyl aluminum.