Vertical contact structure

Claim 2

An improvement contact structure for providing an electrical connection between first and second regions vertically separated by a dielectric region comprising: a first region comprising a metal conductor; a dielectric region having a vertical dielectric edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion extending vertically above said first region; a second region of a second conducting or semiconducting material, said second region being vertically separated from said first region by said dielectric region; said second region having a first vertical edge portion and a top surface; a vertical contact of a conducting or semiconducting material in physical contact with said first vertical edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion and said first region; said vertical contact being physcially separated from said top surface of said second region; and wherein said vertical contact does not extend vertically above said top surface of said second region; and wherein said vertical contact has a width of less than 20,000 Angstroms.

Claim 3

An improved contact structure for providing an electrical connection between first and second regions vertically separated by a dielectric region comprising: a first region comprising a silicide; a dielectric region having a vertical dielectric edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion extending vertically above said first region; a second region of a second conducting or semiconducting material, said second region being vertically separated from said first region by said dielectric region; said second region having a first vertical edge portion and a top surface; a vertical contact of a conducting or semiconducting material in physical contact with said first vertical edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion and said first region; said vertical contact being physically separated from said top surface of said second region; wherein said vertical contact does not extend vertically above said top surface of said second region; and wherein said vertical contact has a width of less than 20,000 Angstroms.

Claim 4

An improved contact structure for providing an electrical connection between first and second regions vertically separated by a dielectric region comprising: a first region comprising a silicide; a dielectric region having a vertical dielectric edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion extending vertically above said first region; a second region of a second conducting or semiconducting material, said second region being vertically separated from said first region by said dielectric region; said second region having a first vertical edge portion and a top surface; a vertical contact of a conducting or semiconducting material in physical contact with said first vertical edge portion, said vertical dielectric edge portion and said first region; said vertical contact being physically separated from said top surface of said second region; wherein said vertical contact does not extend vertically above said top surface of said second region; and wherein said vertical contact has a width of less than 20,000 Angstroms.

Claim 5

A structure having first and second silicon device regions and providing improved electrical contact to said first silicon device region comprising: a sidewall isolated silicon wafer having semiconductor regions laterally separated by sidewall isolation regions, a gate oxide over at least a portion of said sidewall isolating region and over a channel region between said first and second silicon device regions; a polycrystalline silicon gate region over said gate oxide between said first and second silicon device regions, said gate region having a first side and a second side; a polycrystalline silicon conductor over said gate oxide over at least a portion of said sidewall isolating regions; an oxide gate spacer laterally adjacent said first side of said polycrystalline silicon gate region; a silicide vertical contact directly on and electrically contacting said first silicon device region, bridging said gate oxide over said portion of said sidewall isolating region, and overlying and directly on said polycrystalline silicon conductor; said silicide vertical contact abutting, but not bridging said oxide gate spacer.

Claim 6

A structure having first and second silicon device regions and providing improved electrical contact to said first silicon device region comprising: a sidewall isolated silicon wafer having semiconductor regions laterally separated by sidewall isolation regions, a gate oxide over at least a portion of said sidewall isolating region and over a channel region between said first and second silicon device regions; a polycrystalline silicon gate region over said gate oxide between said first and second silicon device regions, said gate region having a first side and a second side; a polycrystalline silicon conductor over said gate oxide over at least a portion of said sidewall isolating regions; an oxide gate spacer laterally adjacent said first side of said polycrystalline silicon gate region; a silicide vertical contact directly on and electrically contacting said first silicon device region, bridging said gate oxide over said portion of said sidewall isolating region, and overlying and directly on said polycrystalline silicon conductor; said silicide vertical contact abutting, but not bridging said oxide gate spacer.

Claim 7

An improved structure for insuring an electrical connection from a single crystalline substrate to a polycrystalline layer over said substrate and separated from said substrate by a dielectric layer comprising: a silicon substrate covered by a thin dielectric; an opening in said thin dielectric exposing a device region; a polycrystalline silicon region on said dielectric, said polycrystalline silicon region having a lateral edge portion substantially aligned with a portion of an edge of said opening in said thin dielectric; a dielectric spacer on said silicon substrate in said opening in said thin dielectric and abutting both said lateral edge portion of said polycrystalline silicon region and said portion of said edge of said opening in said thin dielectric, a silicide layer over said spacer and contacting both said device region and said polycrystalline silicon region.

Claim 8

An improved structure for insuring an electrical connection from a single crystalline substrate to a polycrystalline layer over said substrate and separated from said substrate by a dielectric layer comprising: a silicon substrate covered by a thin dielectric; an opening in said thin dielectric exposing a device region; a polycrystalline silicon region on said dielectric, said polycrystalline silicon region having a lateral edge portion substantially aligned with a portion of an edge of said opening in said thin dielectric; a dielectric spacer on said silicon substrate in said opening in said thin dielectric and abutting both said lateral edge portion of said polycrystalline silicon region and said portion of said edge of said opening in said thin dielectric, a silicide layer over said spacer and contacting both said device region and said polycrystalline silicon region.

Claim 9

A structure providing improved electrical contact between first and second conductive or semiconductive regions comprising: a first layer of conductive or semiconductive material including a first region; a dielectric layer on said first layer; said dielectric layer not completely covering said first region; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer; a third region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer, said third region having a vertical edge and a dielectric spacer contiguous with said vertical edge, but exclusive of a top surface of said third region; a silicide layer contacting said second region, bridging said dielectric layer and ohmically contacting said first region, but not bringing said dielectric spacer; and wherein said dielectric spacer is of sufficient horizontal width to separate the location of contact of said silicide layer to said first region from said vertical edge of said third semiconductor region.

Claim 10

A structure providing improved electrical contact between first and second conductive or semiconductive regions comprising: a first layer of conductive or semiconductive material including a first region; a dielectric layer on said first layer; said dielectric layer not completely covering said first region; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer; a third region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer, said third region having a vertical edge and a dielectric spacer contiguous with said vertical edge, but exclusive of a top surface of said third region; a silicide layer contacting said second region, bridging said dielectric layer and ohmically contacting said first region, but not bringing said dielectric spacer; and wherein said dielectric spacer is of sufficient horizontal width to separate the location of contact of said silicide layer to said first region from said vertical edge of said third semiconductor region.

Claim 11

a vertical contact structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein said dielectric spacer is formed of silicon oxide and wherein said first layer comprises of silicon.

Claim 12

A structure having a foundation layer of a conductive or semiconductive material, including a first region and including a contact structure for providing improved electrical contact to said first region of said foundation layer comprising; a dielectric layer over a portion of said foundation layer; said dielectric layer not completely covering said first region; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer; a third region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer, said third region having a vertical edge and a dielectric spacer on said vertical edge, but exclusive of a top surface of said third region; a silicide layer contacting said second region, contiguously bridging said dielectric layer and ohmically contacting said first region, but not bridging said dielectric spacer.

Claim 13

A structure having a foundation layer of a conductive or semiconductive material, including a first region and including a contact structure for providing improved electrical contact to said first region of said foundation layer comprising; a dielectric layer over a portion of said foundation layer; said dielectric layer not completely covering said first region; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer; a third region of conductive or semiconductive material on said dielectric layer, said third region having a vertical edge and a dielectric spacer on said vertical edge, but exclusive of a top surface of said third region; a silicide layer contacting said second region, contiguously bridging said dielectric layer and ohmically contacting said first region, but not bridging said dielectric spacer.

Claim 14

A structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said dielectric spacer comprises silicon dioxide.

Claim 15

A structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said dielectric spacer conmprises silicon nitride.

Claim 16

A structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said dielectric spacer comprises oxynitride.

Claim 17

A silicide vertical contact structure comprising: a silicon foundation layer having a first boundary between first and second regions of said foundation layer; a dielectric layer having a vertical dielectric edge substantially aligned with a first portion of said first boundary, said dielectric layer directly on a portion of said first region of said foundation layer; a first polycrystalline silicon layer over said dielectic layer having a vertical silicon edge substantially aligned with said vertical dielectric edge; an epitaxial silicon layer directly on a portion of said second region and abutting said vertical dielectric edge; a silicide vertical contact contacting said second region, briding said epitaxial silicon layer and directly contacting said vertical silicon edge.

Claim 18

A silicide vertical contact structure comprising: a silicon foundation layer having a first boundary between first and second regions of said foundation layer; a dielectric layer having a vertical dielectric edge substantially aligned with a first portion of said first boundary, said dielectric layer directly on a portion of said first region of said foundation layer; a first polycrystalline silicon layer over said dielectic layer having a vertical silicon edge substantially aligned with said vertical dielectric edge; an epitaxial silicon layer directly on a portion of said second region and abutting said vertical dielectric edge; a silicide vertical contact contacting said second region, briding said epitaxial silicon layer and directly contacting said vertical silicon edge.

Claim 19

A silicide vertical contact as claimed in claim 11, wherein said silicide vertical contact directly contacts said second region of said foundation layer.

Claim 20

A silicide vertical contact as claimed in claim 11, wherein said foundation layer is a single crystalline silicon substrate.

Claim 21

A silicide vertical contact as claimed in claim 11 further comprising: a dielectric spacer adjacent a vertical silicon edge of a second polycrystalline solution layer, wherein said epitaxial silicon layer abuts but does not bridge said dielectric spacer, and said silicide vertical contact abuts but does not bridge said dielectric spacer.

Claim 22

A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate having a first region of conductive or semiconductive material formed at a first surface portion thereof; a first dielectric layer disposed at a second surface portion of said substrate and having a first vertical side surface extending to said first surface portion of said substrate; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material, separated from said first region by being formed on a top surface of said dielectric layer, and having a second vertical side surface which extends to the first vertical side surface of said first dielectric layer; a dielectric spacer contiguous with said first region, the first vertical side surface of said first dielectric layer and a first portion of the second vertical side surface of said second region, but exclusive of the top surface of said second region; and a vertical contact of a conductive or semiconductive material contiguous with a second portion of the second vertical side surface of said second region, said dielectric spacer and said first region, and wherein a first portion of said vertical contact comprises a silicide and a second portion of said vertical contact comprises polycrystalline silicon.

Claim 23

A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate having a first region of conductive or semiconductive material formed at a first surface portion thereof; a first dielectric layer disposed at a second surface portion of said substrate and having a first vertical side surface extending to said first surface portion of said substrate; a second region of conductive or semiconductive material, separated from said first region by being formed on a top surface of said dielectric layer, and having a second vertical side surface which extends to the first vertical side surface of said first dielectric layer; a dielectric spacer contiguous with said first region, the first vertical side surface of said first dielectric layer and a first portion of the second vertical side surface of said second region, but exclusive of the top surface of said second region; and a vertical contact of a conductive or semiconductive material contiguous with a second portion of the second vertical side surface of said second region, said dielectric spacer and said first region, and wherein a first portion of said vertical contact comprises a silicide and a second portion of said vertical contact comprises polycrystalline silicon.