Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Jo-Chun Hung

Chih-Wei Lee

Chi On Chui

Chia-Wei Chen

Yung-Hsiang Chan

Kuo-Feng Yu

Shih-Hao Lin

Cheng-Lung Hung

Chih-Chuan Yang

Yu-Kuan Lin

Chung-Chiang Wu

Chien-Yuan Chen

Kian-Long Lim

Hui-Chi Chen

Chia-Hao Pao

Wei-Cheng Wang

Kuan-Ting Liu

Wen-Hung Huang

Shih-Hang Chiu

Hsin-Han Tsai

Yi-Lun Li

Ming-Hsi Yeh

Weng Chang

Kuo-Bin Huang

Jian-Hao Chen

Ying-Liang Chuang

Lien Jung Hung

Lien-Jung Hung

Wei-Cheng Hsu

Chih-Ming Sun

Yen-Ju Chen

Cheng-Chieh Tu

Yen-Ta Lin

Tefu Yeh

Hsiang-Ju Liao

Hao-Hsin Chen

Wen-Yao Yang

Te-Fu Yeh

Yun-chen Wu

Disclosed is a method of forming gate structures for n-type and p-type transistors. The method includes: forming an interfacial layer and high-K (HK) dielectric layer for the gate structures; forming an n-type metal layer over the HK dielectric layer; forming a hard capping layer over the n-type metal layer while simultaneously strengthening the HK dielectric layer by fluorine passivation; patterning photo resist (PR) material over the hard capping layer that exposes a portion of the hard capping layer over the p-type transistor; removing the n-type metal layer and the hard capping layer over the p-type transistor via wet etching operations using high selectivity chemicals that are highly selective to the hard capping layer and the n-type metal layer; removing the patterned PR material while insulating, by the hard capping layer, gate structures from aluminum oxidation; and forming a p-type metal layer over the hard capping layer and the p-type transistor.

Metal gate patterning

Ruthenium of a metal gate (MG) and/or a middle end of line (MEOL) structure is annealed to reduce, or even eliminate, seams after the ruthenium is deposited. Because the annealing reduces (or removes) seams in deposited ruthenium, electrical performance is increased because resistivity of the MG and/or the MEOL structure is decreased. Additionally, for MGs, the annealing generates a more even deposition profile, which results in a timed etching process producing a uniform gate height. As a result, more of the MGs will be functional after etching, which increases yield during production of the electronic device.

Techniques for semiconductor gate and contact formation to reduce seam formation

A method includes providing a structure having a first stack of nanostructures spaced vertically one from another and a second stack of nanostructures spaced vertically one from another, forming a dielectric layer wrapping around each of the nanostructures in the first and second stacks, depositing an n-type work function layer on the dielectric layer and a p-type work function layer on the n-type work function layer and over the first and second stacks. The n-type work function layer wraps around each of the nanostructures in the first stack. The p-type work function layer wraps around each of the nanostructures in the second stack. The method also includes forming an electrode layer on the p-type work function layer and over the first and second stacks.

Metal gates for multi-gate semiconductor devices and method thereof

A semiconductor device structure and a formation method are provided. The method includes forming a fin structure over a substrate, and the fin structure has multiple sacrificial layers and multiple semiconductor layers laid out alternately. The method also includes removing the sacrificial layers to release multiple semiconductor nanostructures made up of remaining portions of the semiconductor lavers. The method further includes forming a gate dielectric layer to wrap around the semiconductor nanostructures and forming a first metal-containing layer over the gate dielectric layer to wrap around the semiconductor nanostructures. In addition, the method includes introducing oxygen-containing plasma on the first metal-containing layer to transform an upper portion of the first metal-containing layer into a metal oxide layer. The method includes forming a second metal-containing layer over the metal oxide layer.

Formation of a semiconductor device with a gate containing a metal oxide layer using an oxidation process

A method for forming a semiconductor device structure includes forming first nanostructures and second nanostructures over a substrate. The method also includes forming a first metal gate layer surrounding the first nanostructures and over the first nanostructures and the second nanostructures. The method also includes etching back the first metal gate layer over the first nanostructures and the second nanostructures. The method also includes removing the first metal gate layer over the second nanostructures. The method also includes forming a second metal gate layer surrounding the second nanostructures and over the first nanostructures and the second nanostructures.

Semiconductor device structure and method for forming the semiconductor device structure

An n-type field effect transistor includes semiconductor channel members vertically stacked over a substrate, a gate dielectric layer wrapping around each of the semiconductor channel members, and a work function layer disposed over the gate dielectric layer. The work function layer wraps around each of the semiconductor channel members. The n-type field effect transistor also includes a WF isolation layer disposed over the WF layer and a gate metal fill layer disposed over the WF isolation layer. The WF isolation layer fills gaps between adjacent semiconductor channel members.

Metal gates for multi-gate devices and fabrication methods thereof

Semiconductor devices having improved gate electrode structures and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a gate structure over a semiconductor substrate, the gate structure including a high-k dielectric layer; an n-type work function layer over the high-k dielectric layer; an anti-reaction layer over the n-type work function layer, the anti-reaction layer including a dielectric material; a p-type work function layer over the anti-reaction layer, the p-type work function layer covering top surfaces of the anti-reaction layer; and a conductive cap layer over the p-type work function layer.

Semiconductor device and method

A method includes providing a substrate, a dummy fin, and a stack of semiconductor channel layers; forming an interfacial layer wrapping around each of the semiconductor channel layers; depositing a high-k dielectric layer, wherein a first portion of the high-k dielectric layer over the interfacial layer is spaced away from a second portion of the high-k dielectric layer on sidewalls of the dummy fin by a first distance; depositing a first dielectric layer over the dummy fin and over the semiconductor channel layers, wherein a merge-critical-dimension of the first dielectric layer is greater than the first distance thereby causing the first dielectric layer to be deposited in a space between the dummy fin and a topmost layer of the stack of semiconductor channel layers, thereby providing air gaps between adjacent layers of the stack of semiconductor channel layers and between the dummy fin and the stack of semiconductor channel layers.

Gate-all-around semiconductor device and method

Growing community of inventors

Taichung, Taiwan

Jo-Chun Hung