METHODS FOR FABRICATING HIGH-DENSITY INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICES
First Claim
1. An article of manufacture comprising:
- a machine readable data storage medium storing in a non-transitory manner a design entry for an integrated circuit device, the design entry including;
a mask layer specifying a mask element having a single edge for fabricating an entire plurality of lines of a second material to be grown epitaxially on a first material layer within trenches at locations defined by successive formation against the single edge of first sidewall spacers alternating with second sidewall spacers and removal of the first sidewall spacers; and
a layout comprising the plurality of lines of the second material.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated circuit device having a plurality of lines is described in which the widths of the lines, and the spacing between adjacent lines, vary within a small range which is independent of variations due to photolithographic processes, or other patterning processes, involved in manufacturing the device. A sequential sidewall spacer formation process is described for forming an etch mask for the lines, which results in first and second sets of sidewall spacers arranged in an alternating fashion. As a result of this sequential sidewall spacer process, the variation in the widths of the lines across the plurality of lines, and the spacing between adjacent lines, depends on the variations in the dimensions of the sidewall spacers. These variations are independent of, and can be controlled over a distribution much less than, the variation in the size of the intermediate mask element caused by the patterning process.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An article of manufacture comprising:
a machine readable data storage medium storing in a non-transitory manner a design entry for an integrated circuit device, the design entry including; a mask layer specifying a mask element having a single edge for fabricating an entire plurality of lines of a second material to be grown epitaxially on a first material layer within trenches at locations defined by successive formation against the single edge of first sidewall spacers alternating with second sidewall spacers and removal of the first sidewall spacers; and a layout comprising the plurality of lines of the second material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Specification