Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of making a FET, comprising the steps of: forming a mask over a substrate, the mask having an opening exposing the surface of the substrate, the mask opening having walls; providing a layer of spacer material over the mask and within the opening in the mask; etching the layer of spacer material to form spacers along the walls of the mask opening; forming a gate insulator on the surface of the substrate between the spacers; forming a gate electrode between the spacers in contact with the gate insulator; and removing the spacers and implanting impurities of a first conductivity type to form localized halo regions within the substrate adjacent edges of the gate electrode.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of making a FET, comprising the steps of: forming a mask over a substrate, the mask having an opening exposing the surface of the substrate, the mask opening having walls; providing a layer of spacer material over the mask and within the opening in the mask; etching the layer of spacer material to form spacers along the walls of the mask opening; forming a gate insulator on the surface of the substrate between the spacers; forming a gate electrode between the spacers in contact with the gate insulator; and removing the spacers and implanting impurities of a first conductivity type to form localized halo regions within the substrate adjacent edges of the gate electrode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the mask comprises conductive material doped with impurities of a second conductivity type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of heating to diffuse impurities of a second conductivity type from the mask into the substrate to form at least parts of source/drain regions adjacent the walls of the mask opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
80 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: implanting impurities of a second conductivity type through the opening in the mask before providing the layer of spacer material over the mask; and implanting impurities of the first conductivity type into the opening in the mask after the spacers are formed and before the gate electrode is formed, thereby forming a pair of first portions of source/drain regions within the substrate aligned with opposite edges of the gate electrode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 4, wherein the mask comprises polysilicon, the method further comprising the step of diffusing impurities from the mask into the substrate to form a pair of second portions of the source/drain regions in contact with the first portions of the source/drain regions, the second portions having a higher impurity concentration than the first portions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 4, further including an annealing step in which the impurities of the halo regions diffuse deeper into the substrate than the impurities of the first portions.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of making a FET, comprising the steps of: forming a first layer of polysilicon over a substrate and etching an opening in the first layer of polysilicon; implanting first impurities into the substrate through the opening in the first layer of polysilicon; depositing a layer of spacer material over the first layer of polysilicon and over the first impurities in the substrate; etching back the layer of spacer material to form spacers along sidewalls of the opening in the first layer of polysilicon; implanting second impurities into the substrate between the spacers; providing a layer of gate dielectric on the substrate at least between the spacers; depositing a second layer of polysilicon over the first layer of polysilicon, over the spacers and on the gate dielectric; and defining a gate electrode from the second layer of polysilicon.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of making a FET, comprising the steps of: forming a first layer of polysilicon over a substrate and etching an opening in the first layer of polysilicon; implanting first impurities into the substrate through the opening in the first layer of polysilicon; depositing a layer of spacer material over the first layer of polysilicon and over the first impurities in the substrate; etching back the layer of spacer material to form spacers along sidewalls of the opening in the first layer of polysilicon; implanting second impurities into the substrate between the spacers; providing a layer of gate dielectric on the substrate at least between the spacers; depositing a second layer of polysilicon over the first layer of polysilicon, over the spacers and on the gate dielectric; and defining a gate electrode from the second layer of polysilicon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 7, wherein the first impurities under the spacers form a pair of first portions of source/drain regions within the substrate aligned with opposite edges of the gate electrode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the second impurities define the lateral extent of the first portions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing an etch/polish stop layer over the first layer of polysilicon, wherein the step of defining the gate electrode comprises removing portions of the second layer of polysilicon to expose the etch/polish stop layer over the first layer of polysilicon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 10, wherein the step of defining the gate electrode comprises removing the second layer of polysilicon in a process that stops on the etch/polish stop layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the etch/polish stop layer is formed on the first layer of polysilicon before the step of etching an opening in the first layer of polysilicon.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 12, wherein the etch/polish stop layer is silicon oxide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 13, wherein the spacers material is silicon nitride.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of implanting impurities into the first layer of polysilicon.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the etch/polish stop layer is deposited on the first layer of polysilicon at a temperature below 400° C. after the step of implanting impurities into the first layer of polysilicon.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of implanting impurities into the first layer of polysilicon and annealing the first layer of polysilicon to cause impurities to diffuse into the substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 15, wherein outer portions of the source/drain regions are formed at least partially in the substrate in the step of annealing the first layer of polysilicon.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 18, wherein inner portions of the source/drain regions are defined by the step of implanting second impurities.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 18, wherein the outer portions of the source/drain regions are formed at least partially in portions of the first layer of polysilicon which are left on the substrate in the completed FET.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
28 words
The method of 19, further comprising the steps of removing the spacers after the step of forming the gate electrode to leave spacer openings adjacent the gate electrode.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
28 words
The method of 19, further comprising the steps of removing the spacers after the step of forming the gate electrode to leave spacer openings adjacent the gate electrode.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of implanting third impurities of a conductivity type opposite to a conductivity type of the first impurities through the spacer openings.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 22, wherein the step of implanting third impurities forms halo implanted regions adjacent the inner portions of the source/drain regions.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 23, wherein the step of removing the spacers includes a wet etch.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 24, wherein the spacers comprise silicon nitride and the wet etch is performed with a solution including phosphoric acid.