Intel Corporation

Tahoe Research, Ltd.

Subhash M Joshi

Tahir Ghani

Mark T Bohr

Joseph M Steigerwald

Jack Hwang

Jason W Klaus

Ryan Mackiewicz

Michael L Hattendorf

Nadia M Rahhal-Orabi

Madhav Datta

Dave Emory

Doowon Suh

Anand S Murthy

Glenn A Glass

Sameer S Pradhan

Jeffrey S Leib

Jin-Sung Chun

Susanne Menezes

Daniel Bourne Aubertine

Willy Rachmady

Christopher P Auth

Kevin J Lee

Byron Ho

Jun He

Michael Harper

Michael J Jackson

Heidi M Meyer

Ahmet Tura

Nadia M Rahhal-orabi

Nadia M Rahhai-Orabi

Simon Yang

Thomas N Marieb

Zhiyong Ma

Tzeun-luh Huang

Binny Arcot

Christine A King

Michael Mckeag

Daniel B Aubertine

Brian McIntrye

Brian McIntyre

Tom P Leavy

A transistor comprises a substrate, a pair of spacers on the substrate, a gate dielectric layer on the substrate and between the pair of spacers, a gate electrode layer on the gate dielectric layer and between the pair of spacers, an insulating cap layer on the gate electrode layer and between the pair of spacers, and a pair of diffusion regions adjacent to the pair of spacers. The insulating cap layer forms an etch stop structure that is self aligned to the gate and prevents the contact etch from exposing the gate electrode, thereby preventing a short between the gate and contact. The insulator-cap layer enables self-aligned contacts, allowing initial patterning of wider contacts that are more robust to patterning limitations.

Self-aligned contacts

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin. A gate dielectric layer is over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. A gate electrode is over the gate dielectric layer over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. First and second semiconductor source or drain regions are adjacent the first and second sides of the gate electrode, respectively. First and second trench contact structures are over the first and second semiconductor source or drain regions, respectively, the first and second trench contact structures both comprising a U-shaped metal layer and a T-shaped metal layer on and over the entirety of the U-shaped metal layer.

Trench contact structures for advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin. An insulating structure is directly adjacent sidewalls of the lower fin portion of the fin. A first gate electrode is over the upper fin portion and over a first portion of the insulating structure. A second gate electrode is over the upper fin portion and over a second portion of the insulating structure. A first dielectric spacer is along a sidewall of the first gate electrode. A second dielectric spacer is along a sidewall of the second gate electrode, the second dielectric spacer continuous with the first dielectric spacer over a third portion of the insulating structure between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode.

Continuous gate and fin spacer for advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin comprising silicon, the fin having a lower fin portion and an upper fin portion. A gate electrode is over the upper fin portion of the fin, the gate electrode having a first side opposite a second side. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is embedded in the fin at the first side of the gate electrode. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is embedded in the fin at the second side of the gate electrode, the first and second epitaxial source or drain structures comprising silicon and germanium and having a match-stick profile.

Epitaxial source or drain structures for advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication

The present description relates to the field of fabricating microelectronic devices having non-planar transistors. Embodiments of the present description relate to the formation of source/drain contacts within non-planar transistors, wherein a titanium-containing contact interface may be used in the formation of the source/drain contact with a discreet titanium silicide formed between the titanium-containing interface and a silicon-containing source/drain structure.

Source/drain contacts for non-planar transistors

Techniques are disclosed for sculpting and cladding the channel region of fins on a semiconductor substrate during a replacement gate process (e.g., for transistor channel applications). The sculpting and cladding can be performed when the channel region of the fins are re-exposed after the dummy gate used in the replacement gate process is removed. The sculpting includes performing a trim etch on the re-exposed channel region of the fins to narrow a width of the fins (e.g., by 2-6 nm). A cladding layer, which may include germanium (Ge) or silicon germanium (SiGe), can then be deposited on the trimmed fins, leaving the source/drain regions of the fins unaffected. The sculpting and cladding may be performed in-situ or without air break to increase the quality of the trimmed fins (e.g., as compared to an ex-situ process).

Fin sculpting and cladding during replacement gate process for transistor channel applications

Growing community of inventors

Beaverton, OR, United States of America

Subhash M Joshi