Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Hong-Jie Yang

Chia-Ying Lee

Ming-Hsi Yeh

Kuo-Bin Huang

Chun-Neng Lin

Po-Nan Yeh

U-Ting Chiu

Huan-Just Lin

Meng-Chun Chang

Yu-Shih Wang

Meng Jhe Tsai

Hao Chiang

Chuan Chang

Yu Shih Wang

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a metal gate structure over a fin that protrudes above a substrate, the metal gate structure being surrounded by an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer; recessing the metal gate structure below an upper surface of the ILD layer distal from the substrate; after the recessing, forming a first dielectric layer over the recessed metal gate structure; forming an etch stop layer (ESL) over the first dielectric layer and the ILD layer; forming a second dielectric layer over the ESL; performing a first dry etch process to form an opening that extends through the second dielectric layer, through the ESL, and into the first dielectric layer; after the first dry etch process, performing a wet etch process to clean the opening; and after the wet etch process, performing a second dry etch process to extend the opening through the first dielectric layer.

Fin field-effect transistor device and method

A photo resist layer is used to protect a dielectric layer and conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer when patterning an etch stop layer underlying the dielectric layer. The photo resist layer may further be used to etch another dielectric layer underlying the etch stop layer, where etching the next dielectric layer exposes a contact, such as a gate contact. The bottom layer can be used to protect the conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer from a wet etchant used to etch the etch stop layer.

Method of breaking through etch stop layer

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Hong-Jie Yang