Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

United Microelectronics Corp.

Tsinghua University

Yu-Hsien Lin

Yimin Huang

Wei-Han Fan

Tzu-Wen Pan

Li-Wei Yin

Yun Jing Lin

Ming-Ching Chang

Ryan Chia-Jen Chen

Yi-Chun Chen

Wen-Fang Lee

Cheng-Chung Chang

Shao-Hua Hsu

Hung-Chang Hsieh

Ming-Feng Shieh

Po-Chun Liu

Wei-Lun Hsu

Han-Wei Wu

Ryan Chia-jen Chen

Jin-Dah Chen

Stan Chen

Wen-Kuang Hsu

Hsin-Fu Kuo

Hsiang-Ku Shen

Jyh-Huei Chen

Tzu-Chung Wang

Ming-Jhih Kuo

Jhun Hua Chen

Te-Jen Pan

Chiung-Wen Tang

Feng-Jia Shiu

Chun-Yi Lee

Ming-Chia Tai

Shun-Hui Yang

Chao-Hsuan Chen

Ching-Chung Pai

Chieh-Lien Lu

Yao-Cheng Lai

Jung-Tzu Hsu

Chang-Ching Yeh

Hsueh-Chang Sung

Yih-Ann Lin

Ming-Huan Tsai

Chun-Fai Cheng

Chun-Hung Huang

Ming-Yi Lin

Chia Ming Liang

Ming-Yen Liu

Inez Fu

Po-Sheng Lee

Jih-Sheng Yang

Chia-Jung Hu

Shen-Yi Lu

Ya-Huang Huang

Yu-Kang Shen

Chung-Ping Chao

Shih-Chieh Chao

Y L Cheng

Provided are structures and methods for forming structures with sloping surfaces of a desired profile. An exemplary method includes performing a first etch process to differentially etch a gate material to a recessed surface, wherein the recessed surface includes a first horn at a first edge, a second horn at a second edge, and a valley located between the first horn and the second horn; depositing an etch-retarding layer over the recessed surface, wherein the etch-retarding layer has a central region over the valley and has edge regions over the horns, and wherein the central region of the etch-retarding layer is thicker than the edge regions of the etch-retarding layer; and performing a second etch process to recess the horns to establish the gate material with a desired profile.

Tunable structure profile

Methods for fabricating semiconductor structures are provided. An exemplary method includes forming a first transistor structure and a second transistor structure over a substrate, wherein each transistor structure includes at least one nanosheet. The method further includes depositing a metal over each transistor structure and around each nanosheet; depositing a coating over the metal; depositing a mask over the coating; and patterning the mask to define a patterned mask, wherein the patterned mask lies over a masked portion of the coating and the second transistor structure, and wherein the patterned mask does not lie over an unmasked portion of the coating and the first transistor structure. The method further includes etching the unmasked portion of the coating and the metal over the first transistor structure using a dry etching process with a process pressure of from 30 to 60 (mTorr).

Multipatterning gate processing

A method includes fabricating a semiconductor device, wherein the method includes depositing a coating layer on a first region and a second region under a loading condition such that a height of the coating layer in the first region is greater than a height of the coating layer in the second region. The method also includes applying processing gas to the coating layer to remove an upper portion of the coating layer such that a height of the coating layer in the first region is a same as a height of the coating layer in the second region.

Fin field-effect transistor and method of forming the same

Methods of cutting gate structures and fins, and structures formed thereby, are described. In an embodiment, a substrate includes first and second fins and an isolation region. The first and second fins extend longitudinally parallel, with the isolation region disposed therebetween. A gate structure includes a conformal gate dielectric over the first fin and a gate electrode over the conformal gate dielectric. A first insulating fill structure abuts the gate structure and extends vertically from a level of an upper surface of the gate structure to at least a surface of the isolation region. No portion of the conformal gate dielectric extends vertically between the first insulating fill structure and the gate electrode. A second insulating fill structure abuts the first insulating fill structure and an end sidewall of the second fin. The first insulating fill structure is disposed laterally between the gate structure and the second insulating fill structure.

Semiconductor structure cutting process and structures formed thereby

Methods of cutting fins, and structures formed thereby, are described. In an embodiment, a structure includes a first fin and a second fin on a substrate, and a fin cut-fill structure disposed between the first fin and the second fin. The first fin and the second fin are longitudinally aligned. The fin cut-fill structure includes a liner on a first sidewall of the first fin, and an insulating fill material on a sidewall of the liner and on a second sidewall of the first fin. The liner is further on a surface of the first fin between the first sidewall of the first fin and the second sidewall of the first fin.

Semiconductor structure having dielectric structure extending into second cavity of semiconductor Fin

A method includes forming a fin structure over a substrate; forming a gate structure over the substrate and crossing the fin structure, wherein the gate structures comprises a gate electrode and a hard mask layer over the gate electrode; forming gate spacers on opposite sidewalls of the gate structure; performing an ion implantation process to form doped regions in the hard mask layers of the gate structure and in the gate spacers, wherein the ion implantation process is performed at a tilt angle; etching portions of the fin structure exposed by the gate structure and the gate spacers to form recesses in the fin structure; and forming source/drain epitaxial structures in the recesses.

Integrated circuit structure and fabrication thereof

An integrated circuit device includes a gate stack disposed over a substrate. A first L-shaped spacer is disposed along a first sidewall of the gate stack and a second L-shaped spacer is disposed along a second sidewall of the gate stack. The first L-shaped spacer and the second L-shaped spacer include silicon and carbon. A first source/drain epitaxy region and a second source/drain epitaxy region are disposed over the substrate. The gate stack is disposed between the first source/drain epitaxy region and the second source/drain epitaxy region. An interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer disposed over the substrate. The ILD layer is disposed between the first source/drain epitaxy region and a portion of the first L-shaped spacer disposed along the first sidewall of the gate stack and between the second source/drain epitaxy region and a portion of the second L-shaped spacer disposed along the second sidewall of the gate stack.

Semiconductor device including an epitaxy region

A method includes forming a fin structure extending above a substrate; forming dummy gate structures extending across the fin structure, each of the dummy gate structures including a dummy gate electrode layer and a hard mask layer over the dummy gate electrode layer; performing an ion implantation process to dope the hard mask layers of the dummy gate structures; after performing the ion implantation process to dope the hard mask layers of the dummy gate structures, performing a first etching process to etch a source/drain region of the fin structure between the dummy gate structures to form a recess in the source/drain region of the fin structure; forming an epitaxial structure in the recess; and replacing the dummy gate structures with metal gate structures.

First, second, and third trenches are formed in a layer over a substrate. The third trench is substantially wider than the first and second trenches. The first, second, and third trenches are partially filled with a first conductive material. A first anti-reflective material is coated over the first, second, and third trenches. The first anti-reflective material has a first surface topography variation. A first etch-back process is performed to partially remove the first anti-reflective material. Thereafter, a second anti-reflective material is coated over the first anti-reflective material. The second anti-reflective material has a second surface topography variation that is smaller than the first surface topography variation. A second etch-back process is performed to at least partially remove the second anti-reflective material in the first and second trenches. Thereafter, the first conductive material is partially removed in the first and second trenches.

Loading effect reduction through multiple coat-etch processes

Methods are disclosed herein for fabricating semiconductor devices having shared source/drain contacts. An exemplary semiconductor device includes a high-k/metal gate stack disposed over a substrate. The high-k/metal gate stack is disposed between a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature. A first spacer set is disposed along sidewalls of the high-k/metal gate stack. A first interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer is disposed over the substrate. Upper portions of the first spacer set that extend above the first ILD layer have a tapered width. A second spacer set is disposed on the upper portions of the first spacer set and over the first ILD layer. A second ILD layer is disposed over the first ILD layer. A contact feature extends through the second ILD layer to the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature. The contact feature spans uninterrupted between the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature.

Method of forming source/drain contact

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Yu-Hsien Lin