U.S. patent application number 16/916736 was filed with the patent office on 2021-12-30 for transistor having stacked source/drain regions with formation assistance regions and multi-region wrap-around source/drain contacts.
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Kangguo Cheng, Juntao Li, Chanro Park, Reinaldo Vega, Ruilong Xie.
Application Number | 20210408233 16/916736 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006024470 |
Filed Date | 2021-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210408233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Xie; Ruilong ; et
al. |
December 30, 2021 |
TRANSISTOR HAVING STACKED SOURCE/DRAIN REGIONS WITH FORMATION
ASSISTANCE REGIONS AND MULTI-REGION WRAP-AROUND SOURCE/DRAIN
CONTACTS
Abstract
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of
performing fabrication operations to form a transistor, wherein the
fabrication operations include forming a source or drain (S/D)
region having stacked, spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers. The
fabrication operations further include forming a multi-region S/D
contact structure configured to contact a top surface, a bottom
surface, and sidewalls of each of the stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers.
Inventors: |
Xie; Ruilong; (Niskayuna,
NY) ; Vega; Reinaldo; (Mahopac, NY) ; Cheng;
Kangguo; (Schenectady, NY) ; Park; Chanro;
(CLIFTON PARK, NY) ; Li; Juntao; (Cohoes,
NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000006024470 |
Appl. No.: |
16/916736 |
Filed: |
June 30, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 21/823431 20130101;
H01L 21/823418 20130101; H01L 29/41791 20130101; H01L 29/6681
20130101; H01L 29/0665 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01L 29/06 20060101
H01L029/06; H01L 29/417 20060101 H01L029/417; H01L 29/66 20060101
H01L029/66; H01L 21/8234 20060101 H01L021/8234 |
Claims
1. A method of performing fabrication operations to form a
transistor, wherein the fabrication operations include: forming a
source or drain (S/D) region comprising stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers; and forming a multi-region S/D contact structure
configured to contact a top surface, a bottom surface, and
sidewalls of each of the stacked, spaced-apart, and doped S/D
layers; wherein the multi-region S/D contact structure comprises
stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact layers.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein: forming the multi-region S/D
contact structure comprises forming a sacrificial multi-region S/D
contact structure; and replacing the sacrificial multi-region S/D
contact structure with the multi-region S/D contact structure.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabrication operations
further include forming an S/D contact structure comprising an
upper S/D contact structure communicatively coupled to the
multi-region S/D contact structure.
4. (canceled)
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers and the stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact
layers form a stack.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the multi-region S/D contact
structure further comprises a high aspect-ratio leg region.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the high aspect-ratio leg region
is communicatively coupled to sidewall surfaces of the stacked and
spaced-apart S/D contact layers.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the high aspect-ratio leg region
is communicatively coupled to sidewall surfaces of the stacked,
spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein: forming the multi-region S/D
contact structure comprises forming the stack; and forming the
stack comprises forming a formation assistance region in a
substrate of the transistor.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein forming the stack further
comprises: epitaxially growing an initial portion of a sacrificial
multi-region S/D contact structure from the formation assistance
region; epitaxially growing an initial portion of the multi-region
S/D contact structure from the initial portion of the sacrificial
multi-region S/D contact structure; epitaxially growing subsequent
portions of the sacrificial multi-region S/D contact; and
epitaxially growing subsequent portions of the multi-region S/D
contact structure.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming the stack further
comprises replacing the sacrificial multi-region S/D contact
structure with the multi-region S/D contact structure.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the formation assistance region
is configured to provide electrical isolation of the stack from the
substrate.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the formation
assistance region comprises doping the formation assistance region
such that the formation assistance region provides electrical
isolation of the stack from the substrate.
14. A transistor device comprising: a source or drain (S/D) region
comprising stacked, spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers; and a
multi-region S/D contact structure configured to contact a top
surface, a bottom surface, and sidewalls of each of the stacked,
spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers; wherein the multi-region S/D
contact structure comprises stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact
layers.
15. The device of claim 14, wherein the S/D contact structure
comprises an upper S/D contact structure communicatively coupled to
the multi-region S/D contact structure.
16. (canceled)
17. The device of claim 14, wherein the stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers and the stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact
layers form a stack.
18. The device of claim 17, wherein the multi-region S/D contact
structure further comprises a high aspect-ratio leg region.
19. The device of claim 18, wherein the high aspect-ratio leg
region is communicatively coupled to sidewall surfaces of the
stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact layers.
20. The device 18 further comprising a formation assistance region
in a substrate of the transistor, wherein the formation assistance
region is configured to provide electrical isolation of the stack
from the substrate.
21. The device of claim 19, wherein the high aspect-ratio leg
region is communicatively coupled to sidewall surfaces of the
stacked, spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates in general to fabrication
methods and resulting structures for semiconductor devices. More
specifically, the present invention relates to fabrication methods
and resulting structures for transistors having stacked and
spaced-apart source or drain (S/D) regions with formation
assistance regions and multi-region wrap-around S/D contacts having
stacked and spaced-apart S/D contact layers formed therein.
[0002] In contemporary semiconductor device fabrication processes,
a large number of metal oxide semiconductor field effect
transistors (MOSFETs), such as n-type field effect transistors
(nFETs) and p-type field effect transistors (pFETs), are fabricated
on a single wafer. Non-planar MOSFET architectures (e.g., fin-type
FETs (FinFETs) and nanosheet FETs) can provide increased device
density and increased performance over planar MOSFETs. For example,
nanosheet FETs, in contrast to conventional planar MOSFETs, include
a gate stack that wraps around the full perimeter of multiple
stacked and spaced-apart nanosheet channel regions for a reduced
device footprint and improved control of channel current flow.
[0003] During the first portion of chip-making (i.e., the
front-end-of-line (FEOL) stage), the individual components
(transistors, capacitors, etc.) are fabricated on the wafer. The
middle-of-line (MOL) stage follows the FEOL stage and typically
includes process flows for forming the contacts and other
structures that communicatively couple to active regions (e.g.,
gate, source, and drain) of the device element. In the
back-end-of-line (BEOL) stage, these device elements are connected
to each other through a network of interconnect structures to
distribute signals, as well as power and ground.
SUMMARY
[0004] Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of
performing fabrication operations to form a transistor, wherein the
fabrication operations include forming a source or drain (S/D)
region having stacked, spaced-apart, and doped S/D layers. The
fabrication operations further include forming a multi-region S/D
contact structure configured to contact a top surface, a bottom
surface, and sidewalls of each of the stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers.
[0005] Embodiments of the invention are directed to a transistor
that includes an S/D region having stacked, spaced-apart, and doped
S/D layers. The transistor further includes a multi-region S/D
contact structure configured to contact a top surface, a bottom
surface, and sidewalls of each of the stacked, spaced-apart, and
doped S/D layers.
[0006] Additional features and advantages are realized through
techniques described herein. Other embodiments and aspects are
described in detail herein. For a better understanding, refer to
the description and to the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The subject matter which is regarded as embodiments is
particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at
the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other
features and advantages of the embodiments are apparent from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings in which:
[0008] FIGS. 1-16 depict multiple cross-sectional views of a
nanosheet-based structure after various fabrication operations for
forming a transistor having stacked and spaced-apart source or
drain (S/D) regions with formation assistance regions and
multi-region wrap-around S/D contacts, in which:
[0009] FIG. 1 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after initial fabrication operations in accordance with
aspects of the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 2 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 3 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 7 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 8 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention; and
[0017] FIG. 9 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 10 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after fabrication operations in accordance with aspects
of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 11 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 12 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 13 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 14 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 15 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after fabrication operations in accordance with aspects
of the present invention; and
[0024] FIG. 16 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure after additional fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Although this detailed description includes examples of how
aspects of the invention can be implemented to form a transistor
having stacked and spaced-apart source or drain (S/D) regions with
formation assistance regions and multi-region wrap-around S/D
contacts, implementation of the teachings recited herein are not
limited to a particular type of FET structure or combination of
materials. Rather, embodiments of the present invention are capable
of being implemented in conjunction with any other type of
transistor device (planar, non-planar, p-FET, n-FET, fin-type FET)
or material (e.g., Si or SiGe), now known or later developed,
wherein it is desirable to provide stacked and spaced-apart S/D
regions with formation assistance regions and multi-region
wrap-around S/D contacts.
[0026] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to
semiconductor device and integrated circuit (IC) fabrication may or
may not be described in detail herein. Moreover, the various tasks
and process steps described herein can be incorporated into a more
comprehensive procedure or process having additional steps or
functionality not described in detail herein. In particular,
various steps in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and
semiconductor-based ICs are well known and so, in the interest of
brevity, many conventional steps will only be mentioned briefly
herein or will be omitted entirely without providing the well-known
process details.
[0027] Turning now to a description of technologies that are more
specifically relevant to aspects of the present invention,
semiconductor devices (e.g., FETs) are formed using active regions
of a wafer. The active regions are defined by isolation regions
used to separate and electrically isolate adjacent semiconductor
devices. For example, in an IC having a plurality of MOSFETs, each
MOSFET has a source and a drain that are formed in an active region
of a semiconductor layer by implanting n-type or p-type impurities
in the layer of semiconductor material. Disposed between the source
and the drain is a channel (or body) region. Disposed above the
body region is a gate electrode. The gate electrode and the body
are spaced apart by a gate dielectric layer.
[0028] MOSFET-based ICs are fabricated using so-called
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) fabrication
technologies. In general, CMOS is a technology that uses
complementary and symmetrical pairs of p-type and n-type MOSFETs to
implement logic functions. The channel region connects the source
and the drain, and electrical current flows through the channel
region from the source to the drain. The electrical current flow is
induced in the channel region by a voltage applied at the gate
electrode.
[0029] The wafer footprint of an FET is related to the electrical
conductivity of the channel material. If the channel material has a
relatively high conductivity, the FET can be made with a
correspondingly smaller wafer footprint. A known method of
increasing channel conductivity and decreasing FET size is to form
the channel as a nanostructure. For example, a so-called
gate-all-around (GAA) nanosheet FET is a known architecture for
providing a relatively small FET footprint by forming the channel
region as a series of thin nanosheets (e.g., about 3 nm to about 8
nm thick). In a known GAA configuration, a nanosheet-based FET
includes a source region, a drain region and stacked nanosheet
channels between the source and drain regions. A gate surrounds the
stacked nanosheet channels and regulates electron flow through the
nanosheet channels between the source and drain regions.
[0030] GAA nanosheet FETs are fabricated by forming alternating
layers of non-sacrificial nanosheets and sacrificial nanosheets.
The sacrificial nanosheets are released from the non-sacrificial
nanosheets before the FET device is finalized. For n-type FETs, the
non-sacrificial nanosheets are typically silicon (Si) and the
sacrificial nanosheets are typically silicon germanium (SiGe). For
p-type FETs, the non-sacrificial nanosheets can be SiGe and the
sacrificial nanosheets can be Si. In some implementations, the
non-sacrificial nanosheet of a p-type FET can be SiGe or Si, and
the sacrificial nanosheets can be Si or SiGe. Forming the GAA
nanosheets from alternating layers of non-sacrificial nanosheets
formed from a first type of semiconductor material (e.g., Si for
n-type FETs, and SiGe for p-type FETs) and sacrificial nanosheets
formed from a second type of semiconductor material (e.g., SiGe for
n-type FETs, and Si for p-type FETs) provides superior
non-sacrificial electrostatics control, which is necessary for
continuously scaling gate lengths down to seven (7) nanometer CMOS
technology and below. The use of multiple layered SiGe/Si
sacrificial/non-sacrificial nanosheets (or Si/SiGe
sacrificial/non-sacrificial nanosheets) to form the channel regions
in GAA FET semiconductor devices provides desirable device
characteristics, including the introduction of strain at the
interface between SiGe and Si.
[0031] Although nanosheet channel FET architectures provide
increased device density over planar FET architectures, there are
still challenges when attempting to fabricate nanosheet channel
FETs that provide the performance characteristics required for a
particular application. For example, as the size of MOSFETs and
other devices decreases, the dimensions of S/D regions, channel
regions, and gate electrodes also decrease. Accordingly, with
device size reductions, the contribution of middle-of-line (MOL)
contact resistance to the total parasitic resistance is increasing
in advanced CMOS devices. Thus, resistance at the interface between
the S/D contacts and the S/D regions can be a major contributor to
the total external parasitic resistance.
[0032] Turning now to an overview of aspects of the invention,
embodiments of the invention address the above-described
shortcomings in known S/D region fabrication processes by providing
fabrication methods and resulting structures for forming
transistors having stacked and spaced-apart S/D regions with
formation assistance regions and multi-region wrap-around S/D
contacts. In embodiments of the invention, each of the multi-region
wrap-around S/D contacts includes stacked and spaced-apart S/D
contact layers. A fabrication methodology in accordance with
embodiments of the invention includes forming alternating layers of
non-sacrificial nanosheets and sacrificial nanosheets then etching
them into adjacent nanosheet stacks. End regions of the sacrificial
nanosheets in the adjacent nanosheet stacks are replaced with inner
spacers formed from dielectric material. The space between adjacent
nanosheet stacks defines sidewall portions of an S/D trench in
which an S/D region will be formed. In accordance with aspects of
the invention, a formation assistance (or nucleation) region is
formed in a portion of the transistor's substrate, and an exposed
surface of the formation assistance region defines a bottom surface
of the S/D trench.
[0033] In embodiments of the invention, a first sacrificial S/D
contact layer is grown from a top surface of the formation
assistance region, and a cyclic etch-back process is used to, in
effect, suppress growth of the first sacrificial S/D contact layer
from sidewalls of the non-sacrificial nanosheets. In embodiments of
the invention, the cyclic etch-back process leverages different
epitaxial growth rates that result from different crystal
orientations in the semiconductor crystals that form the
transistor. In general, the wafers in/on which transistors are
formed are grown on crystals that have a regular crystal
structures. When wafers are sliced from the crystal, the surface is
aligned in one of several relative directions, known as the
orientation or the growth plane of the crystalline silicon. The
orientations of silicon wafers are classified using Miller indices.
These indices include such descriptions as <100>,
<111>, and <110>. In embodiments of the invention, the
crystal orientations of the top surface of the formation assistance
region and the sidewalls of the non-sacrificial nanosheets are
configured such that a semiconductor growth process from the top
surface of the formation assistance region is faster than the
semiconductor growth process from the sidewalls of the
non-sacrificial nanosheets. In some embodiments of the invention,
the top surface of the formation assistance region has a
<100> crystal orientation, and the sidewalls of the
non-sacrificial nanosheets have a <110> crystal orientation,
which results in the first sacrificial S/D contact layer growing
significantly faster from the top surface of the formation
assistance region than from the sidewalls of the non-sacrificial
nanosheets. In embodiments of the invention, the first sacrificial
S/D contact layer can be epitaxially grown from gaseous or liquid
precursors using, for example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE),
molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other
suitable process.
[0034] In embodiments of the invention, a doped S/D layer is grown
from a top surface of the first sacrificial S/D contact layer, and
the previously-described cyclic etch-back process is used to, in
effect, suppress growth of the doped S/D layer from sidewalls of
the non-sacrificial nanosheets. In embodiments of the invention,
the doped S/D layer can be epitaxially grown from gaseous or liquid
precursors using, for example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE),
molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other
suitable process. The above-described growth processes are
continued in an alternating pattern until the desired number of
alternating sacrificial S/D contact layers and doped S/D layers are
formed in a stack. At this fabrication stage, the resulting stack
includes spaced-apart sacrificial S/D contact layers and
spaced-apart doped S/D layers. In embodiments of the invention, the
spaced-apart sacrificial S/D contact layers in the stack are
physically coupled one to another by forming high aspect ratio
sacrificial S/D contact layers physically coupled at end region
sidewalls of the spaced-apart S/D contact layers in the stack.
[0035] In embodiments of the invention, a dielectric is formed
around the above-described stack of alternating sacrificial S/D
contact layers and doped S/D layers, and an upper S/D contact
trench is formed in the dielectric to expose a portion of the top
surface of the sacrificial S/D contact layer at the top of the
stack. In embodiments of the invention, the sacrificial S/D contact
layers (including the high aspect ratio S/D layers) are selectively
removed to form a multi-region bottom S/D contact cavity having the
shape and position of the removed sacrificial S/D contact layers. A
multi-region bottom S/D contact is formed by depositing conductive
material in the multi-region bottom S/D contact cavity, and an
upper S/D contact is formed by depositing conductive material in
the upper S/D contact trench. In accordance with aspects of the
invention, the upper S/D contact is communicatively coupled to the
multi-region bottom S/D contact to form a single wrap-around
contact configured and arranged to wrap completely around each of
the spaced-apart and stacked S/D layers that form the S/D region of
the transistor. Because the multi-region bottom S/D contact wraps
completely around each of the spaced-apart and stacked S/D layers
that form the S/D region of the transistor, the contact area
between the multi-region bottom S/D contact and each of the
spaced-apart and stacked S/D layers is maximized without
significantly introducing parasitic capacitance.
[0036] Turning now to a more detailed description of fabrication
operations and resulting structures according to aspects of the
invention, FIGS. 1-16 depict a nanosheet-based structure 100 after
various fabrication operations for forming nanosheet FETs having
stacked and spaced-apart S/D regions with formation assistance
regions and multi-region wrap-around S/D contacts. For ease of
illustration, the fabrication operations depicted in FIGS. 1-16
will be described in the context of forming one (1) nanosheet stack
130 (shown in FIG. 1) that is etched into three (3) nanosheet
stacks 130 (shown in FIGS. 3-16). It is intended, however, that
fabrication operations described herein apply equally to the
fabrication of any number of the nanosheet stacks 130.
[0037] Although the cross-sectional diagrams depicted in FIGS. 1-16
are two-dimensional, it is understood that the diagrams depicted in
FIGS. 1-16 represent three-dimensional structures. To assist with
visualizing the three-dimensional features, the top-down reference
diagram 101 shown in FIG. 1 provides a reference point for the
various cross-sectional views (X-view, Y1-view, and Y2-view) shown
in FIGS. 1-16. The X-view is a side view taken across the three
gates, the Y1-view is an end view taken through the active gate,
and the Y2-view is an end view taken through a portion of the
nanosheet (NS) stack where one of the S/D regions is (or will be)
formed.
[0038] FIG. 1 depicts cross-sectional views of the nanosheet-based
structure 100 after initial fabrication operations in accordance
with aspects of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the
nanosheet stack 130 is formed over the substrate 102. The nanosheet
stack 130 includes an alternating series of SiGe sacrificial
nanosheet layers 120, 122, 124, 126 and Si nanosheet layers 114,
116, 118. In accordance with aspects of the invention, the
alternating nanosheet layers 120, 122, 114, 124, 116, 126, 118 of
the nanosheet stack 130 are formed by epitaxially growing one
nanosheet layer then the next until the desired number and desired
thicknesses of the nanosheet layers are achieved. A hard mask layer
(not shown) is deposited over the alternating nanosheet layers 120,
122, 114, 124, 116, 126, 118, and the hard mask layer and the
alternating nanosheet layers 120, 122, 114, 124, 116, 126, 118 are
etched to define the hard mask (HM) 128, the nanosheet stack 130,
and the sub-fin 102A of the substrate 102. The hard mask layer and
the resulting HM 128 can be any suitable dielectric, including but
not limited to SiN.
[0039] In embodiments of the invention, each of the nanosheet
layers 120, 122, 114, 124, 116, 126, 118 can have a vertical
direction thickness in the range from about 5 nm to about 20 nm, in
the range from about 10 nm to about 15 nm, or about 10 nm. Other
vertical direction thicknesses are contemplated. Although seven (7)
alternating layers 120, 122, 114, 124, 116, 126, 118 are depicted
in the figures, any number of alternating layers can be
provided.
[0040] Epitaxial materials can be grown from gaseous or liquid
precursors using, for example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE),
molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other
suitable process. Epitaxial silicon, silicon germanium, and/or
carbon doped silicon (Si:C) silicon can be doped during deposition
(in-situ doped) by adding dopants, n-type dopants (e.g., phosphorus
or arsenic) or p-type dopants (e.g., boron or gallium), depending
on the type of transistor.
[0041] The terms "epitaxial growth and/or deposition" and
"epitaxially formed and/or grown" mean the growth of a
semiconductor material (crystalline material) on a deposition
surface of another semiconductor material (crystalline material),
in which the semiconductor material being grown (crystalline
overlayer) has substantially the same crystalline characteristics
as the semiconductor material of the deposition surface (seed
material). In an epitaxial deposition process, the chemical
reactants provided by the source gases are controlled and the
system parameters are set so that the depositing atoms arrive at
the deposition surface of the semiconductor substrate with
sufficient energy to move about on the surface such that the
depositing atoms orient themselves to the crystal arrangement of
the atoms of the deposition surface. Therefore, an epitaxially
grown semiconductor material has substantially the same crystalline
characteristics as the deposition surface on which the epitaxially
grown material is formed. For example, an epitaxially grown
semiconductor material deposited on a {100} orientated crystalline
surface will take on a {100} orientation. In some embodiments of
the invention, epitaxial growth and/or deposition processes are
selective to forming on semiconductor surfaces, and generally do
not deposit material on non-crystalline surfaces such as silicon
dioxide or silicon nitride.
[0042] In some embodiments of the invention, the gas source for the
deposition of epitaxial semiconductor material include a silicon
containing gas source, a germanium containing gas source, or a
combination thereof. For example, an epitaxial Si layer can be
deposited from a silicon gas source that is selected from the group
consisting of silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane,
hexachlorodisilane, tetrachlorosilane, dichlorosilane,
trichlorosilane, methylsilane, dimethylsilane, ethylsilane,
methyldisilane, dimethyldisilane, hexamethyldisilane and
combinations thereof. An epitaxial germanium layer can be deposited
from a germanium gas source that is selected from the group
consisting of germane, digermane, halogermane, dichlorogermane,
trichlorogermane, tetrachlorogermane and combinations thereof.
While an epitaxial silicon germanium alloy layer can be formed
utilizing a combination of such gas sources. Carrier gases like
hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and argon can be used.
[0043] In some embodiments of the invention, the SiGe sacrificial
nanosheet layers 122, 124, 126 can be about SiGe 20%. The notation
"SiGe 20%" is used to indicate that 20% of the SiGe material is Ge
and 80% of the SiGe material is Si. In some embodiments of the
invention, the Ge percentage in the SiGe sacrificial nanosheet
layers 122, 124, 126 can be any value, including, for example a
value within the range from about 20% to about 45%.
[0044] In embodiments of the invention, the SiGe sacrificial
nanosheet layer 120 has a Ge percentage that is sufficiently
greater than the Ge percentage in the SiGe sacrificial nanosheet
layers 122, 124, 126 to provide etch selectivity between the
sacrificial nanosheet layer 120 and the sacrificial nanosheet
layers 122, 124, 126. In some aspects of the invention, the Ge
percentage in the SiGe sacrificial nanosheet layer 120 is above
about 55%. In some aspects of the invention, the sacrificial
nanosheet layers 122, 124, 126 can be SiGe 25%, and the sacrificial
nanosheet layer 120 can be at or above about SiGe 55%.
[0045] In FIG. 2, known fabrication operations have been used to,
prior to formation of dummy gates 204, deposit a thin layer of gate
oxide (not shown separately) over the nanosheet stack 130. In FIG.
2, the dummy gate 204 represents the combination of the thin layer
of gate oxide (e.g., SiO.sub.2) and a material (e.g., amorphous
silicon (a-Si)) from which the dummy gates 204 are formed.
[0046] Referring still to FIG. 2, known fabrication operations
(e.g., an RIE) have been used to form dummy gates 204. In
embodiments of the invention, the dummy gates 204 can be formed by
depositing and planarizing a layer of dummy gate material (not
shown) over the gate oxide (not shown separately from the topmost
nanosheet 118). In some embodiments of the invention, the dummy
gate material can be polycrystalline Si. In some embodiments of the
invention, the dummy gate material can be amorphous Si (a-Si).
After being deposited, the dummy gate material is planarized (e.g.,
by CMP) to a desired level. Known semiconductor fabrication
operations are used to form patterned/etched hard masks 206 on a
top surface of the planarized dummy gate material. In embodiments
of the invention, the hard masks 206 can be formed by depositing a
layer of hard mask material and patterning then etching the
deposited hard mask layer to form the hard masks 206. The pattern
used to form the hard masks 206 defines the footprints of the dummy
gates 204 and the gate oxide. In embodiments of the invention, the
hard masks 206 can be formed from oxide and/or nitride materials.
The dummy gate material is selectively etched such that portions of
the dummy gate material that are not under the hard masks 206 are
selectively removed, thereby forming the dummy gates 204 over the
gate oxide and the nanosheet stack 130.
[0047] Referring still to FIG. 2, known fabrication operations have
been used to selectively remove the portions of the gate oxide that
are not under the dummy gates 204, and a DHF cleaning has been
performed to ensure that all of the gate oxide that is not under
the dummy gates 204 has been removed.
[0048] Referring still to FIG. 2, known fabrication operations have
been used to selectively remove the bottommost SiGe sacrificial
nanosheet layer 120 (shown in FIG. 1) followed by depositing
dielectric material used to form offset gate spacers 208 on
sidewalls of the dummy gates 204. The deposited dielectric material
also fills in the space that was occupied by the removed
sacrificial nanosheet layer 120, thereby forming the bottom
isolation region 202, which will isolate the substrate 102 from the
to-be-formed S/D regions (e.g., S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C shown
in FIG. 10). In embodiments of the invention, the offset gate
spacers 208 can be formed by depositing the dielectric material
over the nanosheet-base structure 100 then directionally etching
(e.g., using an RIE) the dielectric material to form the gate
spacers 208. In embodiments of the invention, the offset gate
spacers 208 and the bottom isolation 202 can be formed from any
suitable dielectric material including, for example, silicon oxide,
silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, SiBCN, SiOCN, SiOC, or any
suitable combination of those materials. In some embodiments of the
invention, the offset gate spacers 208 and/or the bottom isolation
region 202 can be a low-k dielectric material.
[0049] Referring still to FIG. 2, as best shown in the Y2-view, a
shallow trench isolation (STI) region 204 has been formed adjacent
the sub-fin 102a. In embodiments of the invention, the STI region
204 can be formed as an oxide. An example process to form the STI
region 204 includes depositing an STI dielectric material (e.g., an
oxide) (not shown) adjacent the sub-fin 102a followed by a CMP
planarization and a recess of the STI dielectric material to form
the STI region 204.
[0050] In FIG. 3, the portions of the nanosheet stack 130 that are
not covered by the gate spacers 208 and the dummy gates 204 are
etched, thereby forming multiple instances of the nanosheet stack
130; forming alternating layers of SiGe sacrificial nanosheets 122,
124, 126 and Si nanosheets 114, 116, 118 in each instance of the
nanosheet stacks 130; forming S/D trenches 302, 304; providing
access to end regions of the SiGe sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124,
126; and providing access to end regions of the Si nanosheets 114,
116, 118. In accordance with aspects of the invention, each of the
S/D trenches 302, 304 includes bottom cavities 312, 314 that extend
through the bottom isolation 202 and into the substrate 102. Of the
3 (three) nanosheet stacks 130 shown in FIG. 3, the center
nanosheet stack 130 will be used to form an active nanosheet
transistor. The rightmost and leftmost nanosheet stacks 130 can
each be part of an active or inactive transistor depending on the
requirements of the IC design in which the nanosheet-based
structure 100 will be incorporated. Where the rightmost and/or
leftmost nanosheet stack 130 is part of an active transistor, the
active transistor formed from rightmost and/or leftmost nanosheet
stack 130 will be in series with the transistor formed from the
center nanosheet stack 130 and will share a source or drain region
with the transistor formed from the center nanosheet stack 130.
Whether or not the transistors formed from the rightmost and
leftmost nanosheet stacks 130 are active, the rightmost and
leftmost nanosheet stacks 130 define portions of the S/D trenches
302, 304 in which the spaced-apart doped S/D layers 902A, 902B,
902C (shown in FIG. 16) will be formed.
[0051] In FIG. 4, known semiconductor fabrication processes have
been used to partially remove end regions of the SiGe sacrificial
nanosheets 122, 124, 126 to form end region or inner spacer
cavities 402. In embodiments of the invention, the end regions of
the SiGe sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124, 126 can be removed using
a so-called "pull-back" process to pull the SiGe sacrificial
nanosheets 122, 124, 126 back an initial pull-back distance such
that the ends of the SiGe sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124, 126 now
terminate at about an inner edge of the gate spacers 208. In
embodiments of the invention, the pull-back process leverages the
fact that the sacrificial nano sheets 122, 124, 126 are formed from
SiGe, which can be selectively etched with respect to the Si
nanosheets 114, 116, 118 using, for example, a vapor phase hydrogen
chloride (HCL) gas isotropic etch process.
[0052] In FIG. 5, known semiconductor fabrication operations (e.g.,
ALD) have been used to conformally deposit a layer of inner spacer
liner material 502 over the nanosheet-based structure 100. The
inner spacer liner layer 502 can be silicon nitride, silicoboron
carbonitride, silicon carbonitride, silicon carbon oxynitride, or
any other type of dielectric material (e.g., a dielectric material
having a dielectric constant k of less than about 5).
[0053] In FIG. 6, known semiconductor fabrication operations (e.g.,
an anisotropic RIE) can be used to remove the inner spacer material
502 from horizontal surfaces of the nanosheet-based structure 100,
thereby exposing portions of the top surfaces of the substrate 102
at the bottom of the bottom cavities 312, 314. In embodiments of
the invention, the exposed top surfaces of the substrate 102 have a
<100> orientation.
[0054] In FIG. 7, known fabrication operations have been used to
initiate a process for forming the spaced-apart sacrificial S/D
contact layers 802A, 802B, 802C (shown in FIG. 12) and the
spaced-apart doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C (shown in FIG. 16)
in accordance with aspects of the invention. In embodiments of the
invention, the initial stages of the process for forming the
spaced-apart sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A, 802B, 802C (shown
in FIG. 12) and the spaced-apart doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C
uses an in-situ doped growth process to grow separate individual
formation assistance regions 702, 704 from the <100> exposed
top surfaces of the substrate 102 at the bottom of the cavities
312, 314 (shown in FIG. 6). In embodiments of the invention where
the nanosheet-based structure 100 will form an n-type FET, the
formation assistance regions 702, 704 can start as p-type in bottom
portions of the formation assistance regions 702, 704 to provide
isolation, and then turn to intrinsic or n-type in top portions of
the formation assistance regions 702, 704. In embodiments of the
invention where the nanosheet-based structure 100 will form a
p-type FET, the formation assistance regions 702, 704 can start as
n-type in bottom portions of the formation assistance regions 702,
704 to provide isolation, and then turn to intrinsic or p-type in
top portions of the formation assistance regions 702, 704. In some
embodiments of the invention, the formation assistance regions 702,
704 can be formed by initially forming intrinsic semiconductor
material followed by punch through stopper (PTS) implants into the
formation assistance regions 702, 704 for isolation.
[0055] In FIG. 8, known semiconductor device fabrication processes
have been used to form inner spacers 502A. In embodiments of the
invention, the inner spacers 502A can be formed using by applying
an isotropic etch back on the inner spacer layer 502 (shown in FIG.
7) to remove excess dielectric material on exposed vertical and
horizontal surfaces of the nanosheet-based structure 100, thus
leaving the portions of the inner spacer layer 502 that pinched off
in the inner spacer cavities 402 (shown in FIG. 4), thereby forming
the inner spacers 502A.
[0056] Referring still to FIG. 8, known semiconductor device
fabrication processes have been used to form sacrificial S/D
contact layers 802A, 804A. In embodiments of the invention, the
sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A, 804A can be grown from the
exposed <100> top surfaces of the formation assistance
regions 702, 704, and the previously-described cyclic etch-back
process is used to, in effect, suppress growth of the sacrificial
S/D contact layers 802A, 804A from sidewalls of the non-sacrificial
nanosheets 114, 116, 118. In embodiments of the invention, the
cyclic etch-back process leverages different epitaxial growth rates
that result from different crystal orientations in the
semiconductor crystals that form the transistor. In general, the
wafers in/on which transistors are formed are grown on crystals
that have a regular crystal structures. When wafers are sliced from
the crystal, the surface is aligned in one of several relative
directions, known as the orientation or the growth plane of the
crystalline silicon. The orientations of silicon wafers are
classified using Miller indices. These indices include such
descriptions as <100>, <111>, and <110>. In
embodiments of the invention, the crystal orientations of the top
surfaces of the formation assistance regions 702, 704 and the
sidewalls of the non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118 are
configured such that a semiconductor growth process from the top
surface of the formation assistance regions 702, 704 is faster than
the semiconductor growth process from the sidewalls of the
non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118. In some embodiments of
the invention, the top surfaces of the formation assistance regions
702, 704 have a <100> crystal orientation, and the sidewalls
of the non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118 have a <110>
crystal orientation, which results in the sacrificial S/D contact
layers 802A, 804A growing significantly faster from the top
surfaces of the formation assistance regions 702, 704 than from the
sidewalls of the non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118.
[0057] In embodiments of the invention, the sacrificial S/D contact
layers 802A, 804A can be epitaxially grown from gaseous or liquid
precursors using, for example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE),
molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other
suitable process. In accordance with aspects of the invention, the
sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A, 804A can be from a material
that will epitaxially grow from the formation assistance regions
702, 704, and that will have sufficient etch selectivity that it
can be selectively removed during downstream fabrication
operations. In some embodiments of the invention, the sacrificial
S/D contact layers 802A, 804A, as well as the to-be-formed segments
of the multi-region sacrificial lower S/D contacts 804 (shown in
FIG. 12) are formed from SiGe having sufficient etch selectivity
(e.g., SiGe 85%) to the remaining portions of the nanosheet-based
structure 100 that the sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A, 804A,
as well as the to-be-formed segments of the multi-region
sacrificial lower S/D contacts 804, can be selectively removed by
downstream fabrication operations (e.g., as shown in FIG. 15).
[0058] In FIG. 9, known semiconductor device fabrication processes
have been used to form doped S/D layers 902A, 904A. In embodiments
of the invention, the doped S/D layers 902A, 904A can be grown from
top surfaces of the sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A, 804A,
respectively, and the previously-described cyclic etch-back process
has been used to, in effect, suppress growth of the doped S/D
layers 902A, 904A from sidewalls of the non-sacrificial nanosheets
114, 116, 118. In embodiments of the invention, the doped S/D
layers 902A, 904A can be epitaxially grown from gaseous or liquid
precursors using, for example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE),
molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other
suitable process. In embodiments of the invention, the doped S/D
layers 902A, 904A, as well as the to-be-formed doped S/D layers
902B, 902C, 904B, 904C (shown in FIG. 10), can be doped during
deposition (e.g., in-situ doped) by adding dopants such as n-type
dopants (e.g., phosphorus or arsenic) or p-type dopants (e.g., Ga,
B, BF.sub.2, or Al) during the above-described methods of forming
the doped S/D layers 902A, 904B. To reduce S/D contact resistance,
the doped S/D layers 902A, 904A, as well as the to-be-formed doped
S/D layers 902B, 902C, 904B, 904C, can be highly doped (e.g.,
doping levels of about 1.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 to about
1.times.10.sup.21 cm.sup.-3) and can be formed from
Si.sub.1-xGe.sub.x having a higher Ge % (e.g., Ge %.gtoreq.about
50%). In embodiments of the invention, the Ge % in the
Si.sub.1-xGe.sub.x embodiments of the doped S/D layers 902A, 904A,
as well as the to-be-formed doped S/D layers 902B, 902C, 904B,
904C, can be selected to maximize the dopant solubility in the
Si.sub.1-xGe.sub.x the doped S/D layers 902A, 904A, as well as the
to-be-formed doped S/D layers 902B, 902C, 904B, 904C. For example,
it is generally accepted that a Ge % that can maximize the B
solubility in Si.sub.1-xGe.sub.x embodiments of the S/D regions
1302, 1304 is a Ge %.gtoreq.about 65%. In embodiments of the
invention, the dopant concentration in the doped S/D layers 902A,
904A, as well as the to-be-formed doped S/D layers 902B, 902C,
904B, 904C, can range from about 1.times.10.sup.19 cm.sup.-3 to
about 2.times.10.sup.21 cm.sup.-3, or between about
2.times.10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 and about 1.times.10.sup.21
cm.sup.-3.
[0059] In FIG. 10, the fabrication processes depicted in FIGS. 7
and 8 have been repeated in an alternating pattern until the
desired number of alternating sacrificial S/D contact layers 802A,
802B, 802C, 804A, 804B, 804C and doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C,
904A, 904B, 904C are formed into stacks 1002. At this fabrication
stage, as shown in the X-view of FIG. 10, the leftmost instance of
the stacks 1002 includes spaced-apart sacrificial S/D contact
layers 802A, 802B, 802C and spaced-apart doped S/D layers 902A,
902B, 902C, and the rightmost instance of the stacks 1002 includes
spaced-apart sacrificial S/D contact layers 804A, 804B, 804C and
spaced-apart doped S/D layers 904A, 904B, 904C.
[0060] In FIG. 11, known semiconductor fabrication processes have
been used to form protective spacer liners 1102 configured and
arranged to protect the gate spacers 208 during subsequent
fabrication operations. In embodiments of the invention, the
protective spacer liner 1102 can be formed from any material (e.g.,
a nitride) that will not degrade from exposure to the various etch
operations used in downstream fabrication processes, and that can
be removed selectively with respect to the gate spacers 208.
[0061] Referring still to FIG. 11, known semiconductor fabrication
processes have been used to remove the bottom isolation 202 (shown
in FIG. 10) from sidewalls of the stacks 1002. Any known suitable
etch process (such as anisotropic spacer RIE) can be used remove
the bottom isolation 202 (shown in FIG. 10) from sidewalls of the
stacks 1002 without damaging the gate spacers 208 which are masked
by the liners 1102.
[0062] In FIG. 12, known semiconductor device fabrication processes
have been used to form sacrificial S/D contact capping layers 802D,
804D and high aspect-ratio sacrificial S/D contact leg regions. For
ease of illustration, only the rightmost X-view high aspect-ratio
sacrificial S/D contact leg regions 804D are shown in the Y2-view,
although it is understood that a corresponding leftmost X-view set
of high aspect-ratio sacrificial S/D contact leg regions are also
provided for the sacrificial S/D contact capping layer 802D. After
the fabrication operations shown in FIG. 12, the sacrificial S/D
contact capping layer 804D and the high aspect-ratio sacrificial
S/D contact leg regions 804E form a multi-region sacrificial lower
S/D contacts 804. In embodiments of the invention, the sacrificial
S/D contact layers 802D, 804D can be grown from the exposed
<100> top surfaces of the doped S/D layers 902C, 904C, and
the high aspect-ratio sacrificial S/D contact leg regions 804E can
be grown from end region sidewalls of the stack 1002 (best shown in
the Y2-view of FIG. 11). In embodiments of the invention, the
sacrificial S/D contact capping layers 802D, 804D and high
aspect-ratio sacrificial S/D contact leg regions 804E can be
epitaxially grown from gaseous or liquid precursors using, for
example, vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE), molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE),
liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE), or other suitable process. In
embodiments of the invention, the spaced-apart sacrificial S/D
contact layers 902A, 902B, 902C, 904A, 904B, 904C in the stack 1002
are physically coupled one to another by the high aspect-ratio
sacrificial S/D contact regions 804E.
[0063] In FIG. 13, known semiconductor device fabrication processes
have been used to deposit an interlayer dielectric (ILD) 1302 to
fill in remaining open spaces of the nanosheet-based structure 100
(shown in FIG. 12) and stabilize the nanosheet-based structure 100.
The structure 100 is planarized to a predetermined level that
removes the hard masks 206, the protective liners 1102, and some
portions of the gate spacers 208. In aspects of the invention, the
deposited ILD regions 1302 can be formed from a low-k dielectric
(e.g., k less than about 4) and/or an ultra-low-k (ULK) dielectric
(e.g., k less than about 2.5).
[0064] Referring still to FIG. 13, a replacement metal gate (RMG)
process has been applied to the nanosheet-based structure 100 to
replace the sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124, 126 and the dummy
gates 204 with high-k metal gate (HKMG) stack structures 1310. The
dummy gates 204 and the gate dielectric (not shown) can be removed
by suitable known etching processes, e.g., RIE or wet removal
processes. Known semiconductor fabrication operations can be used
to remove the SiGe sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124, 126 selective
to the Si non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118. In embodiments
of the invention, because the sacrificial nanosheets 122, 124, 126
are formed from SiGe, they can be selectively etched with respect
to the Si nanosheets 114, 116, 118 using, for example, a vapor
phase hydrogen chloride (HCL) gas isotropic etch process.
[0065] The HKMG stack structures 1310 can be formed using any
suitable known fabrication operations. Each of the HKMG stack
structure 1310 includes a dielectric layer and a metal gate
structure. The HKMG stack structures 1310 each surround the
non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118 and regulate electron flow
through the non-sacrificial nanosheets 114, 116, 118. The metal
gate structure can include metal liners and work-function metals
(WFM). In embodiments of the invention, the WFM can be, for
example, TiN or TaN, and the metal gate structure can be aluminum
or tungsten. The dielectric layer can include interfacial layers
(IL) and high-k dielectric layers. In some embodiments of the
invention, the high-k dielectric layers can modify the work
function of the WFM. The high-k dielectric layer can be made of,
for example, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride,
boron nitride, high-k materials, or any combination of these
materials. Examples of high-k materials include but are not limited
to metal oxides such as hafnium oxide, hafnium silicon oxide,
hafnium silicon oxynitride, lanthanum oxide, lanthanum aluminum
oxide, zirconium oxide, zirconium silicon oxide, zirconium silicon
oxynitride, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, barium strontium
titanium oxide, barium titanium oxide, strontium titanium oxide,
yttrium oxide, aluminum oxide, lead scandium tantalum oxide, and
lead zinc niobate. The high-k materials can further include dopants
such as lanthanum and aluminum.
[0066] Referring still to FIG. 13, known fabrication processes have
been used to selectively recess the HKMG stack structures 1310 and
deposit (e.g., using ALD) a nitride fill material in the spaces
between the gate spacers 208 that were occupied by the HKMG stack
structures 1310, thereby forming self-aligned caps (SACs) 1320.
[0067] In FIG. 14, known semiconductor fabrication processes have
been used to pattern and etch the ILD 1302 to form upper S/D
cavities 1402 that expose portions of the top surfaces of the
sacrificial S/D contact capping layers 802D, 804D.
[0068] In FIG. 15, known semiconductor fabrication processes have
been used to remove the multi-region sacrificial lower S/D contacts
804 (shown in FIG. 14), thereby forming a set of multi-region
bottom S/D contact cavities 1502. In embodiments of the invention,
the multi-region sacrificial lower S/D contacts 804 can be removed
by applying a selective etch (e.g., a hydrochloric acid (HCl))
configured to selectively etch SiGe (or SiGe 85%). At this
fabrication stage, a set of S/D contact trenches has been formed,
wherein each S/D contact trench is formed from the upper S/D
contact cavity 1402 communicatively coupled to the set of
multi-region bottom contact cavities 1502.
[0069] In FIG. 16, known semiconductor fabrication processes have
been used to form in the upper S/D contact cavities 1402 (shown in
FIG. 15) and the set of multi-region bottom contact cavities 1502
(shown in FIG. 15) upper S/D contacts 1602 communicatively coupled
to multi-region lower S/D contacts 1604. In accordance with aspects
of the invention, the multi-region lower S/D contacts 1604 each
include S/D contact layers 1604A, 1604B, 1604C, 1604D and high
aspect-ratio S/D contact legs 1604E, configured and arranged as
shown such that the S/D contact layers 1604A, 1604B, 1604C, 1604D
and the high aspect-ratio S/D contact legs 1604E wrap around the
exposed surfaces of the spaced-apart and stacked doped S/D layers
902A, 902B, 902C, 904A, 904B, 904C. More specifically, in
embodiments of the invention, the multi-region lower S/D contacts
1604 are on top surfaces, sidewalls, and bottom surfaces of the
spaced-apart, stacked and doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C, 904A,
904B, 904C.
[0070] In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the
conductive material that forms the upper S/D contacts 1602 and the
multi-region lower S/D contacts 1604 is provided as a stack of
materials configured and arranged to include contact liners (not
shown separately), contact barrier layers (not shown separately),
and S/D contact metal. In embodiments of the invention, the contact
liners are configured to assist in minimizing contact resistance.
In embodiments of the invention, the contact liners (e.g., Ti) are
conformally and selectively deposited on the spaced-apart, stacked
and doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C, 904A, 904B, 904C to form
silicide regions. Example materials for forming the contact liners
include, Ni, Pt, NiPt, and Ti. Example materials for forming the
contact liners can further include tantalum nitride and tantalum
(TaN/Ta); titanium; titanium nitride; cobalt; ruthenium; and
manganese. The contact barrier layers can be titanium nitride
(TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), hafnium nitride (HfN), niobium
nitride (NbN), tungsten nitride (WN), or combinations thereof,
where the contact barrier layers can prevent diffusion and/or
alloying of the S/D contact metal with the spaced-apart, stacked
and doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C, 904A, 904B, 904C. In various
embodiments of the invention, the contact barrier layers and/or the
contact liners can be conformally deposited in the upper S/D
contact cavities 1402 (shown in FIG. 15) and the set of
multi-region bottom contact cavities 1502 (shown in FIG. 15) by
ALD, CVD, MOCVD, PECVD, or combinations thereof. The S/D contact
metal can be tungsten (W), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co),
and/or ruthenium (Ru). The S/D contact metal can also be formed
from any of the conductive materials previously described herein as
suitable conductive materials for the HKMG 1310. In embodiments of
the invention, the S/D contact metal can be formed conformally by
ALD, CVD, and/or PVD. By using a conformal process to deposit the
S/D contact metal, a uniform thickness of material is across all
exposed surfaces regardless of whether the surface is facing upward
or facing downward. By controlling the sequence of the conformal
depositions of the liner, the barrier, and the S/D contact metal,
the appropriate positioning of the liner, the barrier and the S/D
contact metal in the upper S/D contact cavities 1402 (shown in FIG.
15) and the set of multi-region bottom contact cavities 1502 (shown
in FIG. 15) is ensured. As noted above, the conformal liner (e.g.,
Ti) needed for silicide formation can be selectively deposited on
the spaced-apart, stacked, and doped S/D layers 902A, 902B, 902C,
904A, 904B, 904C. Known gate contact fabrication methods can be
used to form gate contacts for the HKMG stacks 1310.
[0071] The methods and resulting structures described herein can be
used in the fabrication of IC chips. The resulting IC chips can be
distributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form (that is, as a
single wafer that has multiple unpackaged chips), as a bare die, or
in a packaged form. In the latter case the chip is mounted in a
single chip package (such as a plastic carrier, with leads that are
affixed to a motherboard or other higher level carrier) or in a
multichip package (such as a ceramic carrier that has either or
both surface interconnections or buried interconnections). In any
case the chip is then integrated with other chips, discrete circuit
elements, and/or other signal processing devices as part of either
(a) an intermediate product, such as a motherboard, or (b) an end
product. The end product can be any product that includes IC chips,
ranging from toys and other low-end applications to advanced
computer products having a display, a keyboard or other input
device, and a central processor.
[0072] Various embodiments of the present invention are described
herein with reference to the related drawings. Alternative
embodiments can be devised without departing from the scope of this
invention. Although various connections and positional
relationships (e.g., over, below, adjacent to, etc.) are set forth
between elements in the detailed description and in the drawings,
persons skilled in the art will recognize that many of the
positional relationships described herein are
orientation-independent when the described functionality is
maintained even though the orientation is changed. These
connections and/or positional relationships, unless specified
otherwise, can be direct or indirect, and the present invention is
not intended to be limiting in this respect. Similarly, the term
"coupled" and variations thereof describes having a communications
path between two elements and does not imply a direct connection
between the elements with no intervening elements/connections
between them. All of these variations are considered a part of the
specification. Accordingly, a coupling of entities can refer to
either a direct or an indirect coupling, and a positional
relationship between entities can be a direct or indirect
positional relationship. As an example of an indirect positional
relationship, references in the present description to forming
layer "A" over layer "B" include situations in which one or more
intermediate layers (e.g., layer "C") is between layer "A" and
layer "B" as long as the relevant characteristics and
functionalities of layer "A" and layer "B" are not substantially
changed by the intermediate layer(s).
[0073] The following definitions and abbreviations are to be used
for the interpretation of the claims and the specification. As used
herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes,"
"including," "has," "having," "contains" or "containing," or any
other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive
inclusion. For example, a composition, a mixture, process, method,
article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not
necessarily limited to only those elements but can include other
elements not expressly listed or inherent to such composition,
mixture, process, method, article, or apparatus.
[0074] The term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an
example, instance or illustration." Any embodiment or design
described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed
as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. The
terms "at least one" and "one or more" are understood to include
any integer number greater than or equal to one, i.e. one, two,
three, four, etc. The terms "a plurality" are understood to include
any integer number greater than or equal to two, i.e. two, three,
four, five, etc. The term "connection" can include an indirect
"connection" and a direct "connection."
[0075] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an
embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the
embodiment described can include a particular feature, structure,
or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not include the
particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such
phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment.
Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is
described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it
is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such
feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other
embodiments whether or not explicitly described.
[0076] For purposes of the description hereinafter, the terms
"upper," "lower," "right," "left," "vertical," "horizontal," "top,"
"bottom," and derivatives thereof shall relate to the described
structures and methods, as oriented in the drawing figures. The
terms "overlying," "atop," "on top," "positioned on" or "positioned
atop" mean that a first element, such as a first structure, is
present on a second element, such as a second structure, wherein
intervening elements such as an interface structure can be present
between the first element and the second element. The term "direct
contact" means that a first element, such as a first structure, and
a second element, such as a second structure, are connected without
any intermediary conducting, insulating or semiconductor layers at
the interface of the two elements.
[0077] Spatially relative terms, e.g., "beneath," "below," "lower,"
"above," "upper," and the like, can be used herein for ease of
description to describe one element or feature's relationship to
another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It
will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended
to encompass different orientations of the device in use or
operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.
For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements
described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would
then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the
term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below.
The device can be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at
other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used
herein interpreted accordingly.
[0078] The terms "about," "substantially," "approximately," and
variations thereof, are intended to include the degree of error
associated with measurement of the particular quantity based upon
the equipment available at the time of filing the application. For
example, "about" can include a range of .+-.8% or 5%, or 2% of a
given value.
[0079] The phrase "selective to," such as, for example, "a first
element selective to a second element," means that the first
element can be etched and the second element can act as an etch
stop.
[0080] The term "conformal" (e.g., a conformal layer) means that
the thickness of the layer is substantially the same on all
surfaces, or that the thickness variation is less than 15% of the
nominal thickness of the layer.
[0081] References in the specification to terms such as "vertical",
"horizontal", "lateral," etc. are made by way of example, and not
by way of limitation, to establish a frame of reference. Terms such
as "horizontal" and "lateral" refer to a direction in a plane
parallel to a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, regardless
of its actual three-dimensional spatial orientation. Terms such as
"vertical" and "normal" refer to a direction perpendicular to the
"horizontal" and "lateral" direction.
[0082] As previously noted herein, for the sake of brevity,
conventional techniques related to semiconductor device and IC
fabrication may or may not be described in detail herein. By way of
background, however, a more general description of the
semiconductor device fabrication processes that can be utilized in
implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention will
now be provided. Although specific fabrication operations used in
implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention can
be individually known, the described combination of operations
and/or resulting structures of the present invention are unique.
Thus, the unique combination of the operations described in
connection with the fabrication of a semiconductor device according
to the present invention utilize a variety of individually known
physical and chemical processes performed on a semiconductor (e.g.,
silicon) substrate, some of which are described in the immediately
following paragraphs.
[0083] In general, the various processes used to form a micro-chip
that will be packaged into an IC fall into four general categories,
namely, film deposition, removal/etching, semiconductor doping and
patterning/lithography. Deposition is any process that grows,
coats, or otherwise transfers a material onto the wafer. Available
technologies include physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical
vapor deposition (CVD), electrochemical deposition (ECD), molecular
beam epitaxy (MBE) and more recently, atomic layer deposition (ALD)
among others. Removal/etching is any process that removes material
from the wafer. Examples include etch processes (either wet or
dry), chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP), and the like.
Reactive ion etching (RIE), for example, is a type of dry etching
that uses chemically reactive plasma to remove a material, such as
a masked pattern of semiconductor material, by exposing the
material to a bombardment of ions that dislodge portions of the
material from the exposed surface. The plasma is typically
generated under low pressure (vacuum) by an electromagnetic field.
Semiconductor doping is the modification of electrical properties
by doping, for example, transistor sources and drains, generally by
diffusion and/or by ion implantation. These doping processes are
followed by furnace annealing or by rapid thermal annealing (RTA).
Annealing serves to activate the implanted dopants. Films of both
conductors (e.g., poly-silicon, aluminum, copper, etc.) and
insulators (e.g., various forms of silicon dioxide, silicon
nitride, etc.) are used to connect and isolate transistors and
their components. Selective doping of various regions of the
semiconductor substrate allows the conductivity of the substrate to
be changed with the application of voltage. By creating structures
of these various components, millions of transistors can be built
and wired together to form the complex circuitry of a modern
microelectronic device. Semiconductor lithography is the formation
of three-dimensional relief images or patterns on the semiconductor
substrate for subsequent transfer of the pattern to the substrate.
In semiconductor lithography, the patterns are formed by a light
sensitive polymer called a photo-resist. To build the complex
structures that make up a transistor and the many wires that
connect the millions of transistors of a circuit, lithography and
etch pattern transfer steps are repeated multiple times. Each
pattern being printed on the wafer is aligned to the previously
formed patterns and slowly the conductors, insulators and
selectively doped regions are built up to form the final
device.
[0084] The flowchart and diagrams in the Figures illustrate
possible implementations of fabrication and/or operation methods
according to various embodiments of the present invention. Various
functions/operations of the method are represented in the flow
diagram by blocks. In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the blocks can occur out of the order noted in
the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession can, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks can
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved.
[0085] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
described. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used
herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the
embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement
over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments described
herein.
* * * * *