Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Lien Jung Hung

Ping-Wei Wang

Kuo-Hsiu Hsu

Chih-Chuan Yang

Feng-Ming Chang

Kian-Long Lim

Shih-Hao Lin

Yu-Kuan Lin

Chia-Hao Pao

Hsin-Wen Su

Wen-Chun Keng

Ruey-Wen Chang

Keh-Jeng Chang

Yuh-Jier Mii

Sally Liu

Chih-Hsuan Chen

Yih-Yuh Doong

Victor Chih Yuan Chang

Chang-Yun Chang

Ming-Chang Wen

Hung-Kai Chen

Wan-Yao Wu

Jui-Wen Chang

Jyun-Yu Tian

Choh Fei Yeap

Chien-Yuan Chen

Chih-Wei Lee

Jui-Lin Chen

Yung-Hsiang Chan

Chao-Yuan Chang

Jo-Chun Hung

The present disclosure describes a method for memory cell placement. The method can include placing a memory cell region in a layout area and placing a well pick-up region and a first power supply routing region along a first side of the memory cell region. The method also includes placing a second power supply routing region and a bitline jumper routing region along a second side of the memory cell region, where the second side is on an opposite side to that of the first side. The method further includes placing a device region along the second side of the memory cell region, where the bitline jumper routing region is between the second power supply routing region and the device region.

Static random access memory layout

SRAM designs based on GAA transistors are disclosed that provide flexibility for increasing channel widths of transistors at scaled IC technology nodes and relax limits on SRAM performance optimization imposed by FinFET-based SRAMs. GAA-based SRAM cells described have active region layouts with active regions shared by pull-down GAA transistors and pass-gate GAA transistors. A width of shared active regions that correspond with the pull-down GAA transistors are enlarged with respect to widths of the shared active regions that correspond with the pass-gate GAA transistors. A ratio of the widths is tuned to obtain ratios of pull-down transistor effective channel width to pass-gate effective channel width greater than 1, increase an on-current of pull-down GAA transistors relative to an on-current of pass-gate GAA transistors, decrease a threshold voltage of pull-down GAA transistors relative to a threshold voltage of pass-gate GAA transistors, and/or increases a β ratio of an SRAM cell.

Memory active region layout for improving memory performance

A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes a first source/drain feature, a second source/drain feature, a third source/drain feature, a first dummy fin disposed between the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature along a direction to isolate the first source/drain feature from the second source/drain feature, and a second dummy fin disposed between the second source/drain feature and the third source/drain feature along the direction to isolate the second source/drain feature from the third source/drain feature. The first dummy fin includes an outer dielectric layer, an inner dielectric layer over the outer dielectric layer, and a first capping layer disposed over the outer dielectric layer and the inner dielectric layer. The second dummy fin includes a base portion and a second capping layer disposed over the base portion.

Source/drain feature separation structure

Methods and devices including a plurality of memory cells and a first bit line connected to a first column of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells, and a second bit line connected to the first column of cells. The first bit line is shared with a second column of memory cells adjacent to the first column of memory cells. The second bit line is shared with a third column of cells adjacent to the first column of cells opposite the second column of cells.

Shared bit lines for memory cells

SRAM structures are provided. An SRAM structure includes a substrate, a P-type well region over the substrate, an N-type well region over the substrate, a PMOS transistor in the N-type well region, an NMOS transistor in the P-type well region, an isolation region over the boundary between the P-type well region and the N-type well region, and a dielectric structure formed in the isolation region and extending from the isolation region to the boundary between the P-type well region and the N-type well region. The depth of the dielectric structure is greater than that of the isolation region. The PMOS transistor is separated from the NMOS transistor by the isolation region.

SRAM structure and method for forming the same

A semiconductor structure includes an SRAM cell that includes first and second pull-up (PU) transistors, first and second pull-down (PD) transistors, and first and second pass-gate (PG) transistors. A source, a drain, and a channel of the first PU transistor and a source, a drain, and a channel of the second PU transistor are collinear. A source, a drain, and a channel of the first PD transistor, a source, a drain, and a channel of the second PD transistor, a source, a drain, and a channel of the first PG transistor, and a source, a drain, and a channel of the second PG transistor are collinear.

Four-poly-pitch SRAM cell with backside metal tracks

A memory device includes a memory array having a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes a substrate having a front side and a back side with a transistor of the memory cell being formed on the front side and the back side being opposite of the front side, a first interconnect layer on the front side to provide a bit line of the memory cell, a second interconnect layer on the front side to provide a word line of the memory cell, a third interconnect layer on the back side to provide a supply voltage to the memory cell and a fourth interconnect layer on the back side to provide a ground voltage to the memory cell, widths of the bit line and the word line being chosen to reduce current-resistance drop.

Optimized static random access memory

A semiconductor device including nanosheet field-effect transistors (NSFETs) in a first region and fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) in a second region and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, a device includes a first memory cell, the first memory cell including a first transistor including a first channel region, the first channel region including a first plurality of semiconductor nanostructures; and a second transistor including a second channel region, the second channel region including a semiconductor fin.

Semiconductor device and method

A method of forming an integrated circuit, including forming a n-type doped well (N-well) and a p-type doped well (P-well) disposed side by side on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first fin active region extruded from the N-well and a second fin active region extruded from the P-well, forming a first isolation feature inserted between and vertically extending through the N-well and the P-well, and forming a second isolation feature over the N-well and the P-well and laterally contacting the first and the second fin active regions.

Structure and process of integrated circuit having latch-up suppression

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate including a circuit region and a well strap region, forming a mandrel extending from the circuit region to the well strap region, depositing mandrel spacers on sidewalls of the mandrel, removing the mandrel in the circuit region, while the mandrel in the well strap region remains intact, patterning the substrate with the mandrel spacers in the circuit region and the mandrel in the well strap region as an etch mask, thereby forming at least a first fin in the circuit region and a second fin in the well strap region, and epitaxially growing a first epitaxial feature over the first fin in the circuit region and a second epitaxial feature over the second fin in the well strap region. A width of the second fin is larger than a width of the first fin.

Fin-based well straps for improving memory macro performance

Gate structures having neutral zones to minimize metal gate boundary effects and methods of fabricating thereof are disclosed herein. An exemplary metal gate includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion. The second portion is disposed between the first portion and the third portion. The first portion includes a first gate dielectric layer, a first p-type work function layer, and a first n-type work function layer. The second portion includes a second gate dielectric layer and a second p-type work function layer. The third portion includes a third gate dielectric layer, a third p-type work function, and a second n-type work function layer. The second p-type work function layer separates the first n-type work function layer from the second n-type work function layer, such that the first n-type work function layer does not share an interface with the second n-type work function layer.

Gate structures having neutral zones to minimize metal gate boundary effects and methods of fabricating thereof

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip (IC) having a device section and a pick-up section. The IC includes a semiconductor substrate. A first fin of the semiconductor substrate is disposed in the device section. A second fin of the semiconductor substrate is disposed in the pick-up section and laterally spaced from the first fin in a first direction. A gate structure is disposed in the device section and laterally spaced from the second fin in the first direction. The gate structure extends laterally over the semiconductor substrate and the first fin in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A pick-up region is disposed on the second fin. The pick-up region continuously extends from a first sidewall of the second fin to a second sidewall of the second fin. The first sidewall is laterally spaced from the second sidewall in the first direction.

Integrated chip with improved latch-up immunity

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

An integrated circuit device includes a FinFET disposed over a doped region of a first type dopant, wherein the FinFET includes a first fin structure and first source/drain (S/D) features, the first fin structure having a first width; and a fin-based well strap disposed over the doped region of the first type dopant, wherein the fin-based well strap includes a second fin structure and second S/D features, the second fin structure having a second width that is larger than the first width, wherein the fin-based well strap connects the doped region to a voltage.

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Taipei, Taiwan

Lien Jung Hung