US5453640A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Semiconductor integrated circuit having MOS memory and bipolar peripherals
Assignee: NEC Electronics Corp
•
Filing: 1994-12-20
•
Granted: 1995-09-26
•
Expires: 2014-12-20
Abstract
Abstract In a semiconductor integrated circuit having a block of static memory cells using CMOS transistors and peripheral components using bipolar transistors, metal interconnections in a layer over the CMOS transistors on the substrate are simplified by using buried layers in the substrate as supply and ground lines for the CMOS transistors. This is accomplished by making buried contacts of a metal such as tungsten in each memory cell to make ohmic connection of the diffused layer of n-MOS transistors and the diffused layer of p-MOS transistors respectively to underlying buried layers of opposite conductivities and applying supply voltage or ground potential to each buried layer from the substrate surface by using additional buried contacts which are made at convenient locations outside the memory block. In the case of n-MOS memory cells using resistors or TFTs as load elements, ground potential is applied to the n-MOS transistors by the same method.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasushi Kinoshita
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 01:57
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/17; H10D62/351; H10D62/357; H10D62/364; H10D62/378; H10B; H10B10/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S257/00; Y10S257/903; Y10S257/904
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
In a semiconductor integrated circuit which has, on a semiconductor substrate, bipolar transistors and a static memory block consisting of a plurality of memory cells each of which has a pair of MOS transistors and a pair of load elements interconnected to constitute a flip-flop, the improvement comprising: a first buried contact of a metal which is buried in the substrate to make ohmic connection of a diffused layer which provides the source of said MOS transistors to a buried layer which lies in the substrate under said diffused layer and is opposite in the type of conductivity to said diffused layer, and a second buried contact of said metal which is buried in the substrate at a location outside said memory block to apply a ground potential to said buried layer from the substrate surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
In a semiconductor integrated circuit which has, on a semiconductor substrate, bipolar transistors and a static memory block consisting of a plurality of memory cells each of which has a pair of MOS transistors and a pair of load elements interconnected to constitute a flip-flop, the improvement comprising: a first buried contact of a metal which is buried in the substrate to make ohmic connection of a diffused layer which provides the source of said MOS transistors to a buried layer which lies in the substrate under said diffused layer and is opposite in the type of conductivity to said diffused layer, and a second buried contact of said metal which is buried in the substrate at a location outside said memory block to apply a ground potential to said buried layer from the substrate surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said metal is tungsten.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 2, wherein said semiconductor substrate is a silicon substrate, said first and second buried contacts further comprising a metal silicide layer at the interface between each buried contact and the silicon substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 3, wherein said first and second buried contacts further comprise a titanium nitride layer which is interposed between said tungsten and said metal silicide layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
122 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 1, wherein said load elements of each memory cell are a pair of MOS transistors, the integrated circuit further comprising a third buried contact of said metal which is buried in the substrate to make ohmic connection of a second diffused layer which provides the source of the MOS transistors used as the load elements to a second buried layer which lies in the substrate under said second diffused layer and is opposite in the type of conductivity to said second diffused layer, and a fourth buried contact of said metal which is formed at a location outside the memory cell to apply a supply voltage to said second buried layer from the substrate surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 5, wherein said metal is tungsten.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 6, wherein said semiconductor substrate is a silicon substrate, said first, second, third and fourth buried contacts further comprising a metal silicide layer at the interface between each buried contact and the silicon substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A semiconductor integrated circuit according to claim 7, wherein said first, second, third and fourth buried contacts further comprise a titanium nitride layer which is interposed between said tungsten and said metal silicide layer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4503451A
Cited
JPS63172459A
Cited
US4933739A
Cited
US5357132A
Cited
US4960726A
Cited
US5252845A
Cited
JPH0410565A
Cited
US5386131A
Cited
US5350934A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-09-25 | 1999-03-27 | 1999-09-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-09-25 | 2003-03-27 | 2003-09-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-09-25 | 2007-03-27 | 2007-09-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |