Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ching-Che Tsai

Cheng-Cheng Kuo

Bao-Ru Young

Ming Zhu

Hua-Tai Lin

Hak-Lay Chuang

Tzu-Chun Lo

Kuei-Shun Chen

Chia-Chu Liu

Jeng-Shiun Ho

Min-Hung Cheng

Hsiao-Wei Su

Chih-Wei Hsu

Hsin-Chang Lee

Tsai-Sheng Gau

Wen-Chun Huang

Harry Hak-Lay Chuang

Kuei Shun Chen

Chih-Shiang Chou

A mask set and method for forming FinFET semiconductor devices provides a complementary set of fin-cut masks that are used in DPT (double patterning technology) to remove fins from non-active areas of a semiconductor device, after the fins are formed. Adjacent fins, or adjacent groups of fins, are removed using pattern features from different ones of the multiple fin-cut masks.

Method for removing semiconductor fins using alternating masks

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor device. A first active region is formed in a substrate. The first active region is elongated in a first direction in a top view. A first gate is formed over the substrate. The first gate is elongated in a second direction in the top view. A portion of the first gate is located over the first active region. A second gate is formed over the substrate. The second gate is elongated in the second direction in the top view. A portion of the second gate is located over the first active region. The second gate is shorter than the first gate in the second direction.

N/P boundary effect reduction for metal gate transistors

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. A first layout design for a semiconductor device is received. The first layout design includes a plurality of gate lines and an active region that overlaps with the gate lines. The active region includes at least one angular corner that is disposed adjacent to at least one of the gate lines. The first layout design for the semiconductor device is revised via an optical proximity correction (OPC) process, thereby generating a second layout design that includes a revised active region with a revised corner that protrudes outward. Thereafter, the semiconductor device is fabricated based on the second layout design.

Revising layout design through OPC to reduce corner rounding effect

The present disclosure provides a device having a doped active region disposed in a substrate. The doped active region having an elongate shape and extends in a first direction. The device also includes a plurality of first metal gates disposed over the active region such that the first metal gates each extend in a second direction different from the first direction. The plurality of first metal gates includes an outer-most first metal gate having a greater dimension measured in the second direction than the rest of the first metal gates. The device further includes a plurality of second metal gates disposed over the substrate but not over the doped active region. The second metal gates contain different materials than the first metal gates. The second metal gates each extend in the second direction and form a plurality of respective N/P boundaries with the first metal gates.

The present disclosure provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes forming a plurality of dummy gates over a substrate. The dummy gates extend along a first axis. The method includes forming a masking layer over the dummy gates. The masking layer defines an elongate opening extending along a second axis different from the first axis. The opening exposes first portions of the dummy gates and protects second portions of the dummy gates. A tip portion of the opening has a width greater than a width of a non-tip portion of the opening. The masking layer is formed using an optical proximity correction (OPC) process. The method includes replacing the first portions of the dummy gates with a plurality of first metal gates. The method includes replacing the second portions of the dummy gates with a plurality of second metal gates different from the first metal gates.

A method of optical proximity correction (OPC) convergence control that includes providing a lithography system having a photomask and an illuminator. The method further includes performing an exposure by the illuminator on the photomask. Also, the method includes optimizing an optical illuminator setting for the lithography system with a defined gate pitch in a first direction in a first template. Additionally, the method includes determining OPC correctors to converge the OPC results with a target edge placement error (EPE) to produce a first OPC setting for the first template. The first OPC setting targets a relatively small EPE and mask error enhancement factor (MEEF)of the defined gate pitch in the first template. In addition, the method includes checking the first OPC setting for a relatively small EPE, MEEF and DOM consistency with the first template of the defined gate pitch in a second, adjacent template.

Optical proximity correction convergence control

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Zhubei, Taiwan

Ching-Che Tsai