Globalfoundries Inc.

Jing Wan

Guillaume Bouche

Andy C Wei

Jin Ping Liu

Andy Chih-Hung Wei

Dae Geun Yang

Mariappan Hariharaputhiran

Cuiqin Xu

Shao-Ming Koh

Xiuyu Cai

Andre P Labonte

Huy Cao

Lun Zhao

Gabriel Padron Wells

Shao Ming Koh

Rama Kambhampati

Tien-Ying Luo

Lakshmanan H Vanamurthy

Churamani Gaire

Padmaja Nagaiah

Jer-Hueih(James) Chen

Sridhar Kuchibhatla

A method of forming self-aligned STI regions extending over portions of a Si substrate to enable the subsequent formation of epitaxially grown embedded S/D regions without using a lithography mask and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a STI etch mask with laterally separated openings over a Si substrate; forming shallow trenches into the Si substrate through the openings; forming first through fourth oxide spacers on opposite sidewalls of the shallow trenches and the openings; forming a deep STI trench between the first and second oxide spacers and between the third and fourth oxide spacers down into the Si substrate; forming a STI oxide layer over the first through fourth oxide spacers and a portion of the STI etch mask, the STI oxide layer filling the deep STI trenches; and planarizing the STI oxide layer down to the portion of the STI etch mask.

Preserving the seed layer on STI edge and improving the epitaxial growth

Provided are approaches for forming gate and source/drain (S/D) contacts. Specifically, a gate contact opening is formed over at least one of a set of gate structures, a set of S/D contact openings is formed over fins of the semiconductor device, and a metal material is deposited over the semiconductor device to form a gate contact within the gate contact opening and a set of S/D contacts within the set of S/D contact openings. In one approach, nitride remains between the gate contact and at least one of the S/D contacts. In another approach, the device includes merged gate and S/D contacts. This approach provides selective etching to partition areas where oxide will be further removed selectively to nitride to create cavities to metallize and create contact to the S/D, while isolation areas between contact areas are enclosed in nitride and do not get removed during the oxide etch.

Self-aligned gate contact formation

Embodiments of the present invention provide a metal gate structure and method of formation. In the replacement metal gate (RMG) process flow, the gate cut process is performed after the metal gate is formed. This allows for a reduced margin between the end of the gate and an adjacent fin. It enables a thinner sacrificial layer on top of the dummy gate, since the gate cut step is deferred. The thinner sacrificial layer improves device quality by reducing the adverse effect of shadowing during implantation. Furthermore, in this process flow, the work function metal layer is terminated along the semiconductor substrate by a capping layer, which reduces undesirable shifts in threshold voltage that occurred in prior methods and structures.

Metal gate structure and method of formation

A method of forming a nanowire device includes patterning a plurality of semiconductor material layers such that each layer has first and second exposed end surfaces. The method further includes forming doped extension regions in the first and second exposed end surfaces of the semiconductor material layers. The method further includes, after forming the doped extension regions, forming epi semiconductor material in source and drain regions of the device.

Methods of forming nanowire devices with doped extension regions and the resulting devices

A method of forming a nanowire device includes forming semiconductor material layers above a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate structure above the semiconductor material layers, forming a first sidewall spacer adjacent to the gate structure and forming a second sidewall spacer adjacent to the first sidewall spacer. The method further includes patterning the semiconductor material layers such that each layer has first and second exposed end surfaces. The gate structure, the first sidewall spacer, and the second sidewall spacer are used in combination as an etch mask during the patterning process. The method further includes removing the first and second sidewall spacers, thereby exposing at least a portion of the patterned semiconductor material layers. The method further includes forming doped extension regions in at least the exposed portions of the patterned semiconductor material layers after removing the first and second sidewall spacers.

Methods of forming nanowire devices with spacers and the resulting devices

An improved semiconductor structure and methods of fabrication that provide improved transistor contacts in a semiconductor structure are provided. A set of masks is formed over a portion of the semiconductor structure. Each mask in this set of masks covers at least one source/drain (s/d) contact location. An oxide layer is removed from remainder portions of the semiconductor structure that are not covered by the set of masks. Then an opposite-mask fill layer is formed in the remainder portions from which the oxide layer was removed. The oxide layer is then removed from the remainder of the semiconductor structure, i.e., the portion previously covered by the set of masks and contacts are formed to the at least s/d contact location in the recesses formed by the removal of the remainder of the oxide layer.

Opposite polarity borderless replacement metal contact scheme

Integrated circuits and methods for producing the same are provided. A method for producing an integrated circuit includes forming a layered fin overlying a substrate, where the layered fin includes an SiGe layer and an Si layer. The SiGe layer and the Si layer alternate along a height of the layered fin. A dummy gate is formed overlying the substrate and the layered fin, and a source and a drain area formed in contact with the layered fin. The dummy gate is removed to expose the SiGe layer and the Si layer, and the Si layer is removed to produce an SiGe nanowire. A high K dielectric layer that encases the SiGe nanowire between the source and the drain is formed, and a replacement metal gate is formed so that the replacement metal gate encases the high K dielectric layer and the SiGe nanowire between the source and drain.

Integrated circuits with nanowires and methods of manufacturing the same

Methods are presented for facilitating fabrication of a semiconductor device, such as a gate-all-around nanowire field-effect transistor. The methods include, for instance: providing at least one stack structure including at least one layer or bump extending above the substrate structure; selectively oxidizing at least a portion of the at least one stack structure to form at least one nanowire extending within the stack structure(s) surrounded by oxidized material of the stack structure(s); and removing the oxidized material from the stack structure(s), exposing the nanowire(s). This selectively oxidizing may include oxidizing an upper portion of the substrate structure, such as an upper portion of one or more fins supporting the stack structure(s) to facilitate full 360&#xb0; exposure of the nanowire(s). In one embodiment, the stack structure includes one or more diamond-shaped bumps or ridges.

Facilitating fabricating gate-all-around nanowire field-effect transistors

Devices and methods for forming semiconductor devices with FinFETs are provided. One method includes, for instance: obtaining an intermediate semiconductor device with a substrate and at least one shallow trench isolation region; depositing a hard mask layer over the intermediate semiconductor device; etching the hard mask layer to form at least one fin hard mask; and depositing at least one sacrificial gate structure over the at least one fin hard mask and at least a portion of the substrate. One intermediate semiconductor device includes, for instance: a substrate with at least one shallow trench isolation region; at least one fin hard mask over the substrate; at least one sacrificial gate structure over the at least one fin hard mask; at least one spacer disposed on the at least one sacrificial gate structure; and at least one pFET region and at least one nFET region grown into the substrate.

Devices and methods of forming finFETs with self aligned fin formation

A method includes providing a gate structure having a gate, a first spacer along at least one side of the gate and an interlayer dielectric on at least one of the gate and the first spacer. The interlayer dielectric is removed to reveal the first spacer. The first spacer is removed and a second spacer is deposited on at least one side of the gate. The second spacer is formed of material having a lower dielectric constant than the first spacer.

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Malta, NY, United States of America

Jing Wan