Static information storage and retrieval – Systems using particular element – Flip-flop
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-19
2003-03-04
Phan, Trong (Department: 2818)
Static information storage and retrieval
Systems using particular element
Flip-flop
C365S156000, C438S382000, C438S385000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529403
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates generally to integrated circuits and more particularly to an integrated resistor having a contact that is aligned with the resistor body and a method for forming the resistor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As their customers continue to demand new versions of integrated circuits (ICs) that are smaller and more functional than prior versions, IC manufacturers try to include more integrated components such as resistors, transistors, and capacitors per unit area of an IC die. One technique for achieving this result is to minimize the layout area that an integrated component occupies.
FIG. 4(
c
) of U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,857 entitled RESISTOR STRUCTURE AND PROCESS discloses an integrated resistor
10
having a resistor body
14
and resistor heads
16
, which are low-resistance contacts for coupling the body
14
to other integrated components.
One problem with the integrated resistor
10
is that it occupies more than its optimal layout area, and thus may hinder a manufacturer's efforts to decrease the size of an IC that incorporates the resistor
10
. Specifically, the optimal layout area of the resistor
10
is the area occupied by the heads
16
and the body
14
where the edges of the heads and body are aligned. To allow for potential misalignment during the manufacturing process, however, the manufacturer makes the body
14
significantly wider than the heads
16
. Unfortunately, this widening of the body
14
increases the area of the resistor
10
beyond its optimal area. In addition, this widening tends to decrease the resistance of the resistor
10
. Therefore, so that the resistor
10
has the desired resistance, the IC manufacture proportionally lengthens the body
14
. Lengthening the body
14
tends to increase the resistance of the resistor
10
, and thus counteracts the resistance decrease caused by the widening of the body
14
. Unfortunately, this lengthening of the body
14
further increases the area of body
14
, and thus further increases the area of the resistor
10
beyond its optimal area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An integrated resistor includes a layer of semiconductor material having a first edge. A first region having a first conductivity is disposed in the layer contiguous with the first edge. A second region having a second conductivity is also disposed in the layer contiguous with both the first edge and with the first region, and the second conductivity is different than the first conductivity.
Because such a resistor can include an aligned body and contact, the resistor often occupies a smaller area than a prior integrated resistor having a similar resistance.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4560419 (1985-12-01), Bourassa et al.
patent: 4950620 (1990-08-01), Harrington, III
patent: 5037766 (1991-08-01), Wang
patent: 5126279 (1992-06-01), Roberts
patent: 5185285 (1993-02-01), Hasaka
patent: 5212108 (1993-05-01), Liu et al.
patent: 5236857 (1993-08-01), Eklund et al.
patent: 5976943 (1999-11-01), Manley et al.
patent: 6127217 (2000-10-01), Madurawe et al.
patent: 6130462 (2000-10-01), Yang et al.
patent: 6133084 (2000-10-01), Chang et al.
patent: 6391734 (2002-05-01), Rolfson et al.
Maimon Jonathan
Polavarapu Murty S.
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
Graybeal Jackson Haley LLP
Long Daniel
Phan Trong
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