Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/673,362, filed on Sep. 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,067,880 which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/230,203, filed on Aug. 29, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,855 the subject matter of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to the field of integrated circuit fabrication, and more specifically to a fabrication process for use in creating transistor structures in a semiconductor substrate. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Currently, transistors, such as metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) are formed over a semiconductor substrate and are used in many integrated circuit devices. The MOSFET transistor utilizes a gate electrode to control an underlying surface channel joining a source and drain region. The substrate is doped oppositely to the source and drain regions. For example, the source and drain are of the same conductivity, e.g., N-type conductivity, whereas the channel has the conductivity of the semiconductor substrate, e.g., P-type conductivity. Typically, the gate electrode is separated from the semiconductor substrate by a thin insulating layer such as a gate oxide. The channel, source, and drain are located within the semiconductor substrate. 
   In a typical process forming the gate electrode of a MOSFET transistor, successive blanket depositions of various layers occur. First, an insulating layer for use as a gate oxide is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. Second, a conductive layer such as polysilicon is formed on top of the insulating layer. Third, a thin refractory metal layer is often deposited, such as tungsten, on top of the conductive layer which is used to form a silicide with the underlying polysilicon. An insulating layer may also be applied over the tungsten layer. This stack of layers is etched to define what ultimately becomes the gate stack for the transistor. 
   However, the presence of a refractory metal layer such as tungsten, can create problems during a gate stack etching process. Tungsten is a grainy and coarse metal. Accordingly, the etch front as it passes through the tungsten layer, becomes grainy and uneven resulting in a non-uniform etch which can cause undesired effects. For instance, the uneven etch front can result in undesired overetching into portions of the substrate surface. In addition, tungsten particles in the etch mixture can coat the sidewalls of the gate stack producing undesired shorts. The non-uniform etch front can also result in the polysilicon and oxide layers in the gate stack to be undesirably partially etched. If for example, the polysilicon layer is partially etched, it no longer properly functions as an effective self-aligned implant mask during source and drain implantation. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention addresses the noted problems and provides a method for forming MOSFET transistors, in which a refractory metal, such as tungsten, is not present during the gate stack etching process, but is subsequently added after gate stack etching occurs. 
   In the present invention, a transistor having a gate stack is produced by layering a gate oxide layer, a conducting layer, and a first insulating layer, over a semiconductor wafer; etching the respective layers to define a gate stack, implanting source and drain regions on opposite sides of the gate stack, providing an additional insulating layer over the implanted substrate and gate stack structure, forming an opening in the additional insulating layer over and down to the conducting layer, and then forming an unetched metal-containing layer, which is used to form a silicide layer over the conducting layer. In this way, a conductive layer which is used to form a silicide layer is not present during etching of the gate stack. 
   These and other advantages and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description which is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a substrate containing oxide, polysilicon and insulating layers prior to gate stack formation; 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration of a gate stack structure formed from the  FIG. 1  structure; 
       FIG. 3A  is an illustration of the  FIG. 2  structure after angled implants have been formed; 
       FIG. 3B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 2  structure after vertical implants have been formed; 
       FIG. 4A  is an illustration of the  FIG. 3A  structure after an oxide layer is deposited; 
       FIG. 4B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 4A  structure after sidewall spacers are formed; 
       FIG. 4C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 4B  structure after additional implants have been formed; 
       FIG. 5A  is an illustration of the  FIG. 4C  structure after a first insulating layer is deposited; 
       FIG. 5B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 5A  structure after a CMP process; 
       FIG. 5C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 5B  structure after removal of the first insulating layer and a channel implant is formed; 
       FIG. 6A  is an illustration of the  FIG. 5C  structure prior to alternative channel implant processes; 
       FIG. 6B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 6A  structure after a second insulating layer is deposited; 
       FIG. 6C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 6B  structure after insulating spacers are formed and a second channel implant is performed; 
       FIG. 7A  is an illustration of the present invention in one embodiment prior to performing a first channel implant; 
       FIG. 7B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8A  structure after at least a portion of the insulating layer is removed and a first channel implant is performed; 
       FIG. 7C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8B  structure after an additional insulating layer is deposited; 
       FIG. 7D  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8C  structure after insulating spacers offset to the gate stack structure are formed and a second channel implant is formed; 
       FIG. 8A  is an illustration of the present invention in one embodiment prior to performing a first channel implant; 
       FIG. 8B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8A  structure after at least a portion of the insulating layer is removed and a first channel implant is performed; 
       FIG. 8C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8B  structure after at least a portion of the spacers adjacent to the gate stack-structure are partially etched. 
       FIG. 8D  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8C  structure after an additional insulating layer is deposited; 
       FIG. 8E  is an illustration of the  FIG. 8D  structure after insulating spacers offset to the gate stack structure which cover at least a portion of the exposed conducting layer are formed and a second channel implant is formed within a first channel implant; 
       FIG. 9A  is an illustration of the  FIG. 7C  structure after depositing a metal containing layer; 
       FIG. 9B  is an illustration of the  FIG. 9A  structure after a CMP process; 
       FIG. 9C  is an illustration of the  FIG. 9B  structure after additional structures are formed. 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a system utilizing a gate stack structure in a transistor constructed in accordance with the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention will be understood from the following detailed discussion of the exemplary embodiments which is presented in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
   The present invention provides a method of forming a MOSFET transistor, and the resulting structure. In the following description, specific details such as layer thicknesses, process sequences, material compositions, are set forth to provide a complete understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the present invention can be employed with variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. 
   The term “substrate” used in the following description may include any supporting structure including, but not limited to, a semiconductor substrate that has an exposed substrate surface. Semiconductor substrates should be understood to include silicon, silicon-on-insulator (SOI), silicon-on-sapphire (SOS), doped and undoped semiconductors, epitaxial layers of silicon supported by a base semiconductor foundation, and other semiconductor structures. When reference is made to a substrate or wafer in the following description, previous process steps may have been utilized to form regions or junctions in or over the base semiconductor or foundation. In addition, the semiconductor need not be silicon-based, but could be based on silicon-germanium, silicon-on-insulator, silicon-on-saphire, germanium, or gallium arsenide, among others. 
   Initially, as shown in  FIG. 1 , a gate oxide layer  201  is grown to a desired thickness on a semiconductor substrate  200 , e.g. a silicon substrate. The substrate can be doped to a predetermined conductivity, or as described below, channel region implants may be formed in lieu of or in addition to the substrate doping. The gate oxide layer  201  can be for example, a SiO 2  (silicon dioxide) layer formed by thermal oxidation of the underlying silicon substrate region  200  or by any other conventional techniques well-known in the art. For purposes of a simplified description, silicon dioxide is employed as the gate oxide layer  201 ; however, other gate oxides well-known in the art can also be utilized. 
   Next, a polysilicon conducting layer  202  is formed by deposition on top of the gate oxide layer  201 . Then, a first insulating layer  203 , such as a nitride layer is deposited on top of the polysilicon conducting layer  202 . Typically, the nitride layer  203  is formed on the polysilicon layer  202  by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). However, other techniques well-known in the art can also be utilized, such as sputtering, ALD processes, and PECVD to name a few. In addition, alternative-materials besides silicon nitride, possessing the properties of a dielectric can also be utilized for layer  203 . 
   Although the gate insulator material is described herein is referred to as silicon nitride, it is to be understood that the present invention also applies to gates that also contain other nitrides, such as oxynitride gate dielectrics, or silicon dioxide, or are solely comprised of nitrides, or that include other possible gate insulator materials, such as, tantalum pentoxide for example. The methods of the present invention can also be employed when high-K (high dielectric constant) gate materials are used. 
   In general, the nitride layer  203  acts as an etch stop for later chemical mechanical planarization processes (CMP) or any other processes well-known in the art. The gate oxide layer  201 , polysilicon layer  202 , and nitride layer  203  are used to form a gate stack. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a gate stack  205  is formed by masking and etching layers  201 ,  202 , and  203 . 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3A-3B , self-aligned source/drain implants can then be fabricated. Depending on the type of source/drain implants ultimately desired, the source/drain implants can be angled, as shown in  FIG. 3A , to produce angled implant regions  206   a ,  206   b , which at this stage, can be of the type that produces LDD implants in the final transistor structure. Thus, the doping can partially extend beneath the gate stack  205 , as in  FIG. 3A , or can be vertical  207   a ,  207   b , as shown in  FIG. 3B , in which case source/drain regions  207   a ,  207   b  do not significantly extend beneath the gate stack  205 . For instance, source/drain regions  207   a  and  207   b  can be self-aligned to the gate stack structure  205 . Other well-known LDD implant techniques can also be used in accordance with desired operating characteristics of the transistor under fabrication. Alternatively, implanting can also be omitted at this stage if LDD implants are not desired (not illustrated). 
   Next, as shown in  FIG. 4A , an insulating layer, e.g., an oxide layer  208  is deposited, for example, by CVD techniques. However, other techniques well-known in the art can also be used to deposit oxide layer  208  (e.g., a spacer-forming layer). For instance, sputtering, ALD processes, or PECVD to name only a few. For instance, oxide layer  208  is deposited conformally over the surface of the silicon substrate  200  and gate stack structure  205 . Although the present invention utilizes an oxide layer  208 , alternative materials such as tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), a high density plasma (HDP) oxide, borosilicate glass (BPG), phosphosilicate glass (PSG), borophosphosilicate glass (BPSG), or other materials suitable for constructing sidewall spacers adjacent to the gate stack structure  205  can be used in lieu of or in combination with oxide layer  208 . Oxide layer  208  (e.g., a spacer-forming layer) is then anisotropically etched, resulting in two oxide sidewall spacers  209   a ,  209   b  located adjacent to the sidewalls of the gate stack structure  205  as illustrated in  FIG. 4B . 
   After the formation of sidewall spacers  209   a ,  209   b , conventional source/drain implants  250   a ,  250   b  can be formed as illustrated in  FIG. 4B  if previous implants were not formed. As noted previously, if earlier LDD implants were formed, as in  FIG. 3A , the source/drain regions  251   a ,  251   b , are LDD regions as shown in  FIG. 4C . For purposes of a simplified description, the illustrated structures show source/drain regions  250   a , and  250   b ; however, it should be understood that the invention has equal applicability to transistors having LDD source/drain regions. 
   A second insulating layer  211  is next blanket deposited over the substrate  200 , and gate stack  205  having spacers  209   a ,  209   b , as shown in  FIG. 5A . The second insulating layer  211  can also be formed from the group consisting of HDP, BPG, PSG, BPSG, TEOS, and other alternative materials that are well-known in the art which may be used in lieu of or in combination to form the second insulating layer  211 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 5B , the second insulating layer  211  undergoes a chemical mechanical planarization process (CMP) down to the first insulating layer  203 , e.g., nitride layer  203 . As a result, the surface of the second insulating layer  211  becomes substantially planar with the surface of the exposed nitride layer  203 . Again, other techniques that are well-known in the art can be used to form the surface of the second insulating layer  211  so that it becomes smooth and substantially planar with the surface of the exposed nitride layer  203 . 
   Next, as shown in  FIG. 5C , the nitride layer  203  (e.g., first insulating layer) is etched away using a wet nitride etch, e.g., H 3 PO 5  (hot phosphoric), with a good selectivity to oxide. Other techniques that are well-known in the art can also be used to etch away the first insulating layer so that the conducting layer  202  is exposed. As a result, the nitride layer  203  is completely etched away exposing the surface of the conducting layer  202  as  FIG. 5C  illustrates. After this processing step, if channel implants are desired (and have not been performed previously), they can now be formed. Thus, optional channel implant region  301  can be formed by implanting dopant through the polysilicon layer  202  and the gate oxide layer  201  of the gate stack structure  205 . The optional channel implant region  301  is formed beneath and is self-aligning to the gate stack  205 . Spacers  209   a  and  209   b  at least in part, define optional channel implant region  301 . It is to be appreciated, that additional channel implant regions can be fabricated if desired. Fabrication of additional channel implant regions utilizing the methods of the present invention are described below. 
   Many channel implant variations are possible for channel implant regions in addition to optional channel implant region  301  illustrated in  FIG. 5C . For example, another exemplary embodiment is illustrated in  FIGS. 6A-6C . A first implant can be conducted, as illustrated in  FIG. 6A , to form a first channel implant region  301  (similar to methods described in  FIGS. 5A-5C ). Then, a nitride layer  271  (e.g., a third insulating layer) can be blanket deposited as shown in  FIG. 6B , and subsequently etched and planarized as shown in  FIG. 6C , to produce nitride spacers  212   a ,  212   b  adjacent to the sides of the insulating layer  211  and covering at least a portion of the exposed conducting layer  202 . 
   Although the present invention utilizes a nitride layer  271 , other materials well-known in the art that are suitable for constructing spacers adjacent to the sides of the insulating layer  211  and covering at least a portion of the exposed conducting layer  202 , can be used in lieu of or in combination with the nitride layer  271 . A second optional channel implant can then be conducted to produce a channel implant region  303  smaller in size (e.g., smaller in width compared to the gate stack&#39;s  205  width and optional channel implant region  301 &#39;s width) than channel implant region  301 , as depicted in  FIG. 6C . 
   Nitride spacers  212   a  and  212   b , at least in part, define optional channel implant region  303 . If nitride spacers  212   a  and  212   b  cover a greater portion of the conducting layer  202  (e.g., less surface area of the conducting layer  202  is exposed), the optional channel implant region  303  will be accordingly smaller in width. If nitride spacers  212   a  and  212   b  cover a smaller portion of the conducting layer  202  (e.g., more surface area of the conducting layer is exposed), the optional channel implant region  303  will be accordingly wider. Further, channel implant region  303  can possess a higher or smaller dopant concentration than channel implant region  301 , depending upon the characteristics of the desired fabricated device. As a result, the construction of nitride spacers  212   a  and  212   b  can define the width of channel implant region  303  depending upon the desired device&#39;s operating characteristics. 
   Alternatively, in another embodiment of the present invention, the processing sequences forming optional channel implant region  301 , shown in  FIG. 6A , can be omitted in which case only channel implant region  303  is formed (not illustrated). The optional channel implant region  303  is narrower than the gate stack  205  due to the presence of the optional nitride spacers  212   a ,  212   b , as shown in  FIG. 6C , and is self-aligning to the gate stack structure  205 . As described previously, channel implant region  303  is at least in part defined by nitride spacers  212   a  and  212   b . As can be appreciated from the various embodiments, optional spacers  212   a ,  212   b  (comprised of nitride or other materials well-known in the art) can be fabricated to any desired size above the conducting layer  202  to create different sizes for channel implant region  303 . 
   Even more additional channel implant variations are depicted in  FIGS. 7A-7D . Referring now to  FIG. 7A , and as discussed previously in  FIG. 5C , the nitride layer  203  (e.g., first insulating layer) is etched away using a wet nitride etch, e.g., H 3 PO 5  (hot phosphoric), with a good selectivity to oxide. Then, portions of the second insulating layer  211  adjacent to the gate stack  205 , are selectively etched to produce the structure in  FIG. 7B , which possesses a wider channel implant region  305  than the width of the gate stack  205 . As a result, a first channel implant region  305  can then be implanted as shown in  FIG. 7B . As illustrated in  FIG. 7B , channel implant region  305  is wider than the width of the gate stack structure  205 . Thus, the degree of etching of the insulating layer  211  defines at least in part, the width of channel implant region  305 . Additionally, if desired, formation of channel implant region  305  can be omitted. 
   Assuming channel implant region  305  is provided, following this, a nitride layer  273 , e.g., an optional third insulating layer, can be blanket deposited as shown in  FIG. 7C , and selectively etched to produce nitride spacers  275   a ,  275   b  as illustrated in  FIG. 7D . Although the present invention utilizes a nitride layer  273  as the insulating layer, other materials well-known in the art that are suitable for constructing spacers adjacent to the sides and covering at least a part of the second insulating layer  211 , and covering at least a-part of the exposed conducting layer  202 , can be used in lieu of or in combination with the nitride layer  273 . A second optional channel implant region  307  can then be formed as shown in  FIG. 7D  that is self-aligning to the gate stack  205 . The second channel implant region  307  is at least in part defined by spacers  275   a  and  275   b.    
   As a result, the width of the optional channel implant region  307 , illustrated in  FIG. 7D , can be substantially controlled, and it can have a different concentration of dopant when compared to optional channel implant region  305 . The width of the optional channel implant region  307  is controlled by the manner in which the nitride layer  273  (e.g., third insulating layer) is selectively etched. Selective etching of the nitride layer  273 , as shown in  FIG. 7C , can result in nitride spacers  275   a ,  275   b , shown in  FIG. 7D , which can form an optional channel implant region  307  that is substantially smaller than the width of the gate stack  205 , and can also be self-aligning to the gate stack  205  depending upon the desired device&#39;s operating characteristics. The width of the channel implant region  307 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7D , can be narrower or wider than illustrated. Furthermore, the dopant concentration of channel implant region  307  can be greater or less than the dopant concentration found in channel implant region  305 . 
   As can be appreciated from the various embodiments, nitride spacers  275   a ,  275   b  can be fabricated to any desired size located above the conducting layer  202  or layer  211 , to create different optional channel implant regions  305  and  307  that can be different in width and dopant concentration than depicted in  FIG. 7B . In addition, the step of forming channel implant region  305 , as illustrated in  FIG. 7B , can be omitted if desired. As a result, only channel implant region  307  is formed utilizing nitride spacers  275   a  and  275   b.    
     FIGS. 7A-7D  illustrate only a small number of different possibilities that can be achieved when utilizing the methods of the present invention. Many different embodiments and variations are possible by creating additional spacers such as  275   a  and  275   b . Additional spacers can also be used and created in conjunction or in lieu of spacers  275   a ,  275   b  to create even more different channel implant regions than is illustrated in  FIGS. 7A-7D . For example, an additional insulating could be provided over spacers  275   a ,  275   b  and subsequently selectively etched to form additional spacers (not illustrated). The additional spacers could again define, at least in part, a third channel implant region within channel implant region  307 , assuming that it was previously formed. For instance, a third channel implant region can be formed within channel implant region  307  if desired (not illustrated) that possesses a greater or lesser dopant concentration than channel implant implant region  307 . Further, even more additional channel implant regions (e.g., a plurality of channel implant regions) are possible with the construction of additional spacers which at least in part, would define the width of the plurality of channel implant regions. 
   Another variation of channel implants which can be produced is described below with reference to  FIGS. 8A-8E . In this variant, after removal of the first insulating layer  203 , portions of the second insulating layer  211  adjacent to the gate stack  205 , are selectively etched to produce the structure in  FIG. 8B , which possesses a wider implant area  305  than the width of the gate stack  205  (similar to the structure disclosed in  FIG. 7B ). In this exemplary embodiment, a clean is conducted after formation of channel implant region  305 . If channel implant region  305  is not formed, a clean is conducted after selectively etching portions of the second insulating layer  211 . An additional optional etch is next conducted on sidewall spacers  209   a  and  209   b  as shown in  FIG. 8C , recessing them to a pre-determined depth (e.g., selectively etching them to a predetermined height). The depth of the etch should not extend to the gate oxide layer  201 . 
   After the clean and etch, a nitride layer  273  (e.g., third insulating layer as described in reference to  FIGS. 7A-7D ) can be blanket deposited as shown in  FIG. 8D , and selectively etched to produce nitride spacers  275   a ,  275   b  of  FIG. 8E . A second channel implant region  307  can then be formed as shown in  FIG. 8E  that is self-aligning to the gate stack  205  at least in part defined by spacers  275   a ,  275   b . As discussed previously with respect to  FIGS. 7A-7D , the width of the channel implant region  307  can be narrower or wider than illustrated and possess a higher or smaller dopant concentration than channel implant region  305 . Further, a third channel implant region can be formed within channel implant region  307  if desired. Still further, a plurality of channel implant regions can be formed within each previously formed channel implant region utilizing the methods of the present invention, at least in part defined by additionally formed spacers. 
   The purpose of conducting an optional etch on sidewall spacers  209   a ,  209   b , is to allow a second set of spacers, such as  275   a  and  275   b , to protect the edges of the conducting layer  202  from shorts, as illustrated in  FIG. 8E . Spacers  275   a  and  275   b  can also provide further enhancement for future SAC (self-aligned contact) etching processes. This exemplary embodiment finds particular utility in fabricating DRAM devices. As described above, additional channel implant regions can also be formed within channel implant region  307  is desired (not illustrated). These additional channel implant regions can also possess a different dopant concentration and have different widths than optional channel implant regions  305  and  307 . 
   After the optional channel implants are fabricated, spacers  212   a ,  212   b  as depicted in  FIG. 6C , or  275   a ,  275   b  as depicted in  FIG. 7D  and  FIG. 8E , are present over or adjacent to the gate stack  205 . Referring now to  FIGS. 9A-9B  which illustrates spacers  212   a ,  212   b  following the methods of  FIGS. 6A-6C  implantation steps, a thin layer of tungsten nitride (WN x )  216   a  is first blanket deposited followed next by a layer of tungsten(W)  216   b . These metal layers  216   a  and  216   b , e.g. refractory metal layers, are planarized using CMP as shown in  FIG. 9B . Other techniques that are well-known in the art can also be utilized to create a substantially planar surface for the metal layers  216   a  and  216   b.    
   In addition, other conductive layers that are well-known in the art can be used in lieu of the W/WN x  layer combination. For example, a W/TiN combination can be deposited in place of the W/WN x  layer combination. Still further, only one conductive layer can deposited if desired rather than a combination of metal layers. After the metal deposition steps, a silicide process is conducted to form a metallic silicide on the polysilicon  202  region of the gate stack  205 . For purposes of a simplified description, the silicide process is not described. The formation of a metallic silicide is well-known in the art. The process described above of layering in W/WN x  or W/TiN with reference to  FIGS. 9A and 9B , can also be applied with equal success to the structures described in reference to  FIGS. 7A-7D  or  FIGS. 8A-8E  (or any other variants which are not illustrated), to form a silicide from the refractory metal in layers  216   a ,  216   b  and the polysilicon layer  202 . The addition of the refractory metal layers after implantation allows fabrication of a structure that does not etch the metal layers. As described previously, the presence of metal layers during device fabrication can have deleterious effects. Since the metal layers are deposited after implantation and etching are completed, the deleterious effects are avoided. Accordingly, the methods of the present invention find particular utility anytime a structure is fabricated and one wishes to avoid etching the last formed layers during the fabrication process. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 9C , additional insulating layers and other structures can be fabricated over the thus formed transistor. For example, an insulating layer  281 , e.g., BPSG, can be deposited over the  FIG. 9B  structure and openings  291  etched through layers  281  and  211  to the source/drain regions, which are filled with a conductor  293 , e.g., polysilicon, to provide contacts to source/drain regions  250   a ,  250   b . An opening in insulator  281 , can also be etched to conductive layer  216   b  which is filled with a conductor to provide contact to the transistor gate. 
     FIG. 10  is a block diagram of a processor system:having many electronic components which may be fabricated as an integrated circuit chip having a transistor structure produced as described above. The processor system  900  includes one or more processors  901  coupled to a local bus  904 . A memory controller  902  and a primary bus bridge  903  are also coupled the local bus  904 . The processor system  900  may include multiple memory controllers  902  and/or multiple primary bus bridges  903 . The memory controller  902  and the primary bus bridge  903  may be integrated as a single device  906 . 
   The memory controller  902  is also coupled to one or more memory buses  907 . Each memory bus accepts memory components  908  which include at least one memory device  100 . The memory components  908  may be a memory card or a memory module. Examples of memory modules include single inline memory modules (SIMMs) and dual inline memory modules (DIMMs). The memory components  908  may include one or more additional devices  909 . For example, in a SIMM or DIMM, the additional device  909  might be a configuration memory, such as a serial presence detect (SPD) memory. The memory controller  902  may also be coupled to a cache memory  905 . The cache memory  905  may be the only cache memory in the processing system. Alternatively, other devices, for example, processors  901  may also include cache memories, which may form a cache hierarchy with cache memory  905 . If the processor system  900  include peripherals or controllers which are bus masters or which support direct memory access (DMA), the memory controller  902  may implement a cache coherency protocol. If the memory controller  902  is coupled to a plurality of memory buses  907 , each memory bus  907  may be operated in parallel, or different address ranges may be mapped to different memory buses  907 . 
   The primary bus bridge  903  is coupled to at least one peripheral bus  910 . Various devices, such as peripherals or additional bus bridges may be coupled to the peripheral bus  910 . These devices may include a storage controller  911 , an miscellaneous I/O device  914 , a secondary bus bridge  915 , a multimedia processor  918 , and an legacy device interface  920 . The primary bus bridge  903  may also coupled to one or more special purpose high speed ports  922 . In a personal computer, for example, the special purpose port might be the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP), used to couple a high performance video card to the processor system  900 . 
   The storage controller  911  couples one or more storage devices  913 , via a storage bus  912 , to the peripheral bus  910 . For example, the storage controller  911  may be a SCSI controller and storage devices  913  may be SCSI discs. The I/O device  914  may be any sort of peripheral. For example, the I/O device  914  may be an local area network interface, such as an Ethernet card. The secondary bus bridge may be used to interface additional devices via another bus to the processor system. For example, the secondary bus bridge may be an universal serial port (USB) controller used to couple USB devices  917  via to the processor system  900 . The multimedia processor  918  may be a sound card, a video capture card, or any other type of media interface, which may also be coupled to one additional devices such as speakers  919 . The legacy device interface  920  is used to couple legacy devices, for example, older styled keyboards and mice, to the processor system  900 . 
   Any or all of the electronic and storage devices depicted in  FIG. 10  may employ a transistor constructed in accordance with the invention. For example, the processors  901  and/or memory devices  100  may contain transistors fabricated in accordance with the invention. The processor system  900  illustrated in  FIG. 10  is only an exemplary processing system with which the invention may be used. While  FIG. 10  illustrates a processing architecture especially suitable for a general purpose computer, such as a personal computer or a workstation, it should be recognized that well-known modifications can be made to configure the processor system  900  to become more suitable for use in a variety of applications. For example, many electronic devices which require processing may be implemented using a simpler architecture which relies on a CPU  901  coupled to memory components  908  and/or memory devices  100 . 
   These electronic devices may include, but are not limited to audio/video processors and recorders, gaming consoles, digital television sets, wired or wireless telephones, navigation devices (including system based on the global positioning system (GPS) and/or inertial navigation), and digital cameras and/or recorders, as well as other electronic devices. The modifications may include, for example, elimination of unnecessary components, addition of specialized devices or circuits, and/or integration of a plurality of devices. 
   Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated herein, many modifications, even substitutions of materials, can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, the above description and accompanying drawings are only illustrative of exemplary embodiments that can achieve the features and advantages of the present invention. It is not intended that the invention be limited to the embodiments shown and described in detail herein. The invention is limited only by the scope of the following claims.

Technology Category: h