Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Xusheng Wu

Chang-Miao Liu

Huiling Shang

Bwo-Ning Chen

Youbo Lin

Shih-Hao Lin

Ying-Keung Leung

Wei-Lun Min

Pin-Ju Liang

Chien-Tai Chan

Yin-Pin Wang

Yuh-Sheng Jean

A method includes performing a first etching process on a backside of a substrate to expose a dummy contact structure, performing a first deposition process to deposit a first portion of an oxide layer around the dummy contact structure, performing a second etching process to at least partially remove the first portion of oxide layer, forming a spacer layer around the dummy contact structure, performing a second deposition process to form a second portion of the oxide layer around the spacer layer, removing the spacer layer and the dummy contract structure to leave an opening, and filling the opening with a conductive material to form a conductive plug.

Enlarged backside contact

A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, an oxide layer disposed over the substrate, a stack of semiconductor layers disposed over the oxide layer, and an epitaxial source/drain (S/D) feature disposed adjacent to the stack of semiconductor layers. A portion of the epitaxial S/D feature is horizontally surrounded by the oxide layer.

Isolation structures in multi-gate semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same

Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor stack including semiconductor layers over a substrate, wherein the semiconductor layers are separated from each other and are stacked up along a direction substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate; an isolation structure around a bottom portion of the semiconductor stack and separating active regions; a metal gate structure over a channel region of the semiconductor stack and wrapping each of the semiconductor layers; a gate spacer over a source/drain (S/D) region of the semiconductor stack and along sidewalls of a top portion of the metal gate structure; and an inner spacer over the S/D region of the semiconductor stack and along sidewalls of lower portions of the metal gate structure and wrapping edge portions of each of the semiconductor layers.

Methods of forming a semiconductor device with corner isolation protection

Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises first semiconductor stack over a substrate, wherein the first semiconductor stack includes first semiconductor layers separated from each other and stacked up along a direction substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate; second semiconductor stack over the substrate, wherein the second semiconductor stack includes second semiconductor layers separated from each other and stacked up along the direction substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate; inner spacers between edge portions of the first semiconductor layers and between edge portions of the second semiconductor layers; and a bulk source/drain (S/D) feature between the first semiconductor stack and the second semiconductor stack, wherein the bulk S/D feature is separated from the substrate by a first air gap, and the bulk S/D feature is separated from the inner spacers by second air gaps.

Semiconductor device with S/D bottom isolation and methods of forming the same

A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate and a gate stack over the substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the gate stack. The spacer element is doped with a dopant, and the dopant reduces a dielectric constant of the spacer element. The spacer element has a first atomic concentration of the dopant near an inner surface of the spacer element adjacent to the gate stack. The spacer element has a second atomic concentration of the dopant near an outer surface of the spacer element. The first atomic concentration of the dopant is different than the second atomic concentration of the dopant.

Semiconductor device structure with metal gate stack

A method includes forming a silicon liner over a semiconductor device, which includes a dummy gate structure disposed over a substrate and S/D features disposed adjacent to the dummy gate structure, where the dummy gate structure traverses a channel region between the S/D features. The method further includes forming an ILD layer over the silicon liner, which includes elemental silicon, introducing a dopant species to the ILD layer, and subsequently removing the dummy gate structure to form a gate trench. Thereafter, the method proceeds to performing a thermal treatment to the doped ILD layer, thereby oxidizing the silicon liner, and forming a metal gate stack in the gate trench and over the oxidized silicon liner.

Stress-inducing silicon liner in semiconductor devices

Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed herein. An exemplary semiconductor device comprises a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin formed over a substrate, wherein lower portions of the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin are separated by an isolation structure; a first gate stack formed over the first semiconductor fin and a second gate stack formed over the second semiconductor fin; and a separation feature separating the first gate stack and the second gate stack, wherein the separation feature includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer with an air gap defined therebetween, and a bottom portion of the separation feature being inserted into the isolation structure.

Semiconductor device with air gaps between metal gates and method of forming the same

Interconnects that facilitate reduced capacitance and/or resistance and corresponding techniques for forming the interconnects are disclosed herein. An exemplary interconnect is disposed in an insulating layer. The interconnect has a metal contact, a contact isolation layer surrounding sidewalls of the metal contact, and an air gap disposed between the contact isolation layer and the insulating layer. An air gap seal for the air gap has a first portion disposed over a top surface of the contact isolation layer, but not disposed on a top surface of the insulating layer, and a second portion disposed between the contact isolation layer and the insulating layer, such that the second portion surrounds a top portion of sidewalls of the metal contact. The air gap seal may include amorphous silicon and/or silicon oxide. The contact isolation layer may include silicon nitride. The insulating layer may include silicon oxide.

Air gap seal for interconnect air gap and method of fabricating thereof

A method includes forming a semiconductor substrate having an oxide layer embedded therein, forming a multi-layer (ML) stack including alternating channel layers and non-channel layers over the semiconductor substrate, forming a dummy gate stack over the ML, forming an S/D recess in the ML to expose the oxide layer, forming an epitaxial S/D feature in the S/D recess, removing the non-channel layers from the ML to form openings between the channel layers, where the openings are formed adjacent to the epitaxial S/D feature, and forming a high-k metal gate stack (HKMG) in the openings between the channel layers and in place of the dummy gate stack.

A semiconductor device structure includes a fin structure formed over a substrate. The structure also includes nanostructures formed over the fin structure. The structure also includes a gate structure wrapped around the nanostructures. The structure also includes a first inner spacer formed beside the gate structure. The structure also includes a second inner spacer formed beside the first inner spacer. The structure also includes spacer layers formed over opposite sides of the gate structure above the nanostructures. The structure also includes source/drain epitaxial structures formed over opposite sides of the fin structure. The second inner spacer is partially embedded in the source/drain epitaxial structures.

Semiconductor device structure and method for forming the same

Semiconductor device with corner isolation protection and methods of forming the same

A method including providing a device including a gate structure and a source/drain feature adjacent to the gate structure. An insulating layer (e.g., CESL, ILD) is formed over the source/drain feature. A trench is etched in the insulating layer to expose a surface of the source/drain feature. A semiconductor material is then formed in the etched trench on the surface of the source/drain feature. The semiconductor material is converted to a silicide.

Semiconductor device having contact feature and method of fabricating the same

A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. A semiconductor device of the present disclosure includes a first fin including a first source/drain region, a second fin including a second source/drain region, a first isolation layer disposed between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, and a second isolation layer disposed over the first isolation layer. A first portion of the first isolation layer is disposed on sidewalls of the first source/drain region and a second portion of the first isolation layer is disposed on sidewalls of the second source/drain region. A portion of the second isolation layer is disposed between the first portion and second portion of the first isolation layer.

Devices with strained isolation features

A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate and a metal gate stack over the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes a spacer element over a sidewall of the metal gate stack. The spacer element is doped with a dopant, and the dopant reduces a dielectric constant of the spacer element. An atomic concentration of the dopant decreases along a direction from an inner surface of the spacer element adjacent to the metal gate stack towards an outer surface of the spacer element.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Xusheng Wu