The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 01, 2025
Filed:
Jul. 23, 2022
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu, TW;
Yi-Ruei Jhan, New Taipei, TW;
Kuan-Ting Pan, Hsinchu County, TW;
Kuo-Cheng Chiang, Changhua County, TW;
Kuan-Lun Cheng, Hsinchu, TW;
Chih-Hao Wang, Hsinchu, TW;
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method for using a hard mask layer on a top surface of fin structures to form a fin-top mask layer. The fin-top mask layer can function as an etch stop for subsequent processes. Using the fin-top hard mask layer allows a thinner conformal dielectric layer to be used to protect semiconductor fins during the subsequent process, such as during etching of sacrificial gate electrode layer. Using a thinner conformal dielectric layer can reduce the pitch of fins, particularly for input/output devices.