Claims
- 1. A method of forming a spacer about edges of a protruding structure, which is part of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
a) coating the device with a layer of photosensitive material; and b) exposing the photosensitive material and developing it in a controlled manner such that self aligned photosensitive material spacers are formed about the edges of the structure.
- 2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of modifying the semiconductor device, except under the spacers.
- 3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising the step of removing the spacers.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein wet chemicals are used to remove the spacers.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the height of the photosensitive material layer is greater than the height of the structure prior to exposing the photosensitive material.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the times of exposure and development are sufficient to remove photosensitive material from flat surfaces of the device, but not long enough to remove the photosensitive material from the edges of the structure.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the exposure step is comprised of irradiating the structure with ultraviolet light, wherein the wavelength of the light is between approximately 157 to 436 nanometers.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of exposing the photosensitive material is comprised of using at least one of the following techniques:
flooding the material with ultraviolet irradiation, using a contact printer, and using a stepper, and wherein the exposure source for the technique is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, ions, electrons, and ultraviolet radiation.
- 9. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the step of baking the device following the exposure and development of the photosensitive material.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is a gate of a transistor.
- 11. A method for forming a LDD structure on a semiconductor wafer, utilizing disposable photosensitive material spacers, comprising the steps of:
a) forming at least one gate on the semiconductor wafer, over a defined active device area; b) forming at least one photosensitive material spacer alongside the gate; c) implanting a first dose of ions into the active device areas; d) removing the photosensitive material spacers; and e) implanting a second dose of ions into the active device areas.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the gate has a gate height and the photosensitive material is deposited onto the wafer to a photosensitive material height when forming the spacer, such that the photosensitive material height is at least 0.5 microns greater than the gate height.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the spacer is formed by coating the wafer with photosensitive material, exposing the photosensitive material, and developing the photosensitive material.
- 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of exposing the photosensitive material is comprised of using at least one of the following techniques:
flooding the material with ultraviolet irradiation, using a contact printer, and using a stepper, and wherein the exposure source for the technique is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, ions, electrons, and ultraviolet radiation.
- 15. The method of claim 11, wherein the photosensitive material spacers are removed by an oxygen plasma etch, followed by application of a wet sulfuric and hydrogen peroxide mixture at approximately 120 degrees Celsius.
- 16. A method for forming a transistor having salicided source/drain regions on a semiconductor wafer, comprising the steps of:
a) forming at least one gate on the semiconductor wafer, over a defined active area; b) doping the source/drain regions; c) forming at least one photosensitive material spacer alongside the gate; d) forming silicide on the source/drain regions; and e) depositing an insulator layer onto the semiconductor wafer.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the gate has a gate height and the photosensitive material is deposited onto the wafer to a photosensitive material height when forming the photosensitive material spacer, such that the photosensitive material height is at least approximately 0.5 microns greater than the gate height.
- 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the spacer is formed by coating the wafer with polyimide material, exposing the polyimide material, and developing the polyimide material.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of exposing the photosensitive material is comprised of using at least one of the following techniques:
flooding the material with ultraviolet irradiation, using a contact printer, and using a stepper, and wherein the exposure source for the technique is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, ions, electrons, and ultraviolet radiation.
- 20. A method for forming an offset from a structure on a semiconductor wafer, utilizing disposable spacers, comprising the steps of:
a) forming at least one structure on the semiconductor wafer; b) forming at least one photosensitive material spacer alongside the structure; c) removing material from the wafer, which is not covered by the structure, or the spacer, and d) removing the spacer.
- 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the photosensitive material spacer is formed by coating the wafer with photosensitive material, exposing the photosensitive material, and developing the photosensitive material.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of exposing the photosensitive material is comprised of using at least one of the following techniques:
flooding the material with ultraviolet irradiation, using a contact printer, and using a stepper, and wherein the exposure source for the technique is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, ions, electrons, and ultraviolet radiation.
- 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the spacers are removed by an oxygen plasma etch, followed by application of a wet sulfuric and hydrogen peroxide mixture at approximately 120 degrees Celsius.
- 24. A method for forming a LDD structure on a semiconductor wafer, utilizing disposable photosensitive material spacers, comprising the steps of:
a) forming at least one gate on the semiconductor wafer, over a defined active device area; b) implanting a first dose of ions into the active device areas; c) forming at least one photosensitive material spacer alongside the gate; d) implanting a second dose of ions into the active device areas; and e) removing the spacer.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the gate has a gate height and the photosensitive material is deposited onto the wafer to a photosensitive material height when forming the spacer, such that the photosensitive material height is at least 0.5 microns greater than the gate height.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the photosensitive material spacer is formed by coating the wafer with photosensitive material, exposing the photosensitive material, and developing the photosensitive material.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of exposing the photosensitive material is comprised of using at least one of the following techniques:
flooding the material with ultraviolet irradiation, using a contact printer, and using a stepper, and wherein the exposure source for the technique is selected from the group consisting of x-rays, ions, electrons, and ultraviolet radiation.
- 28. The method of claim 24, wherein the LDD structure is formed on a NMOS device, and the first dose of ions comprises phosphorus at a dose of between approximately 1×1013 phosphorus atoms/cm2 and 2×1013 phosphorus atoms/cm2 and the second dose of ions comprises arsenic at a dose of approximately 1×1015 arsenic atoms/cm2.
- 29. The method of claim 24, wherein the LDD structure is formed on a PMOS device, and the first dose of ions comprises boron at a dose of between approximately 1×1013 boron atoms/cm2 and 2×1013 boron atoms/cm2 and the second dose of ions comprises boron at a dose of approximately 1×1015 boron atoms/cm2.
- 30. The method of claim 24, wherein the photosensitive material spacers are removed by an oxygen plasma etch, followed by application of a wet sulfuric and hydrogen peroxide mixture at approximately 120 degrees Celsius.
Government Interests
[0001] This invention was made with government support under Contract No. MDA972-92-C-0054, awarded by Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09661795 |
Sep 2000 |
US |
Child |
09133587 |
Aug 1998 |
US |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09133587 |
Aug 1998 |
US |
Child |
09817728 |
Mar 2001 |
US |