IP Library Granted Patent US 12666710
Granted Patent B2
US 12666710 · App. 17/841,299 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Vertical PN connection in multi-stack semiconductor device

Inventors: WookHyun Kwon (Hwaseong-si, KR); Byounghak Hong (Latham, NY); Sooyoung Park (Halfmoon, NY); Kang-ill Seo (Albany, NY)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10D84/856H10D30/6713H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/118
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12666710
App. No.
17/841,299
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-stack semiconductor device includes: a substrate; a lower field-effect transistor including a lower channel structure, a lower gate structure surrounding the lower channel structure, and 1 st and 2 nd source/drain regions; and an upper field-effect transistor, on the lower field-effect transistor, including an upper channel structure, an upper gate structure surrounding the upper channel structure, and 3 rd and 4 th source/drain regions vertically above the 1 st and 2 nd source/drain regions, respectively, wherein the 1 st source/drain region is connected to one of a positive voltage source and a negative voltage source, and the 3 rd source/drain region is connected to the other of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source, and wherein a top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region and a bottom portion the 4 th source/drain region are connected to each other.

Claims (60)

1 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a lower field-effect transistor comprising a lower channel structure, a lower gate structure surrounding the lower channel structure, and 1 st and 2 nd source/drain regions; and

an upper field-effect transistor, on the lower field-effect transistor, comprising an upper channel structure, an upper gate structure surrounding the upper channel structure, and 3 rd and 4 th source/drain regions vertically above the 1 st and 2 nd source/drain regions, respectively,

wherein the 1 st source/drain region is connected to a 1 st one of a positive voltage source and a negative voltage source, and the 3 rd source/drain region is connected to a 2 nd one of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source different from the 1 st one,

wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device further comprises a connection structure of which a 1 st end is on a top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region and a 2 nd end is on a bottom portion of the 4 th source/drain region facing the top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region to connect the top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region and the bottom portion of the 4 th source/drain region, and

wherein a width of the 2 nd source/drain region is different from a width of the 4 th source/drain region.

2 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the connection structure connects the 4 th source/drain region to the 2 nd source/drain region based on an ohmic contact, and

wherein the connection structure comprises a semiconductor material.

3 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the connection structure comprises a metal or a metal compound,

wherein the top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region comprises a metal ion implanted therein and contacting the 1 st end of the connection structure,

wherein the bottom portion of the 4 th source/drain region comprises another metal ion implanted therein and contacting the 2 nd end of the connection structure.

4 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a 1 st contact structure connected to the 2 nd or 4 th source/drain region,

wherein the 1 st contact structure is configured to output an output signal of the multi-stack semiconductor device from the 2 nd or 4 th source/drain region.

5 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a 2 nd contact structure connecting the 1 st source/drain region to the 1 st one of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source; and

a 3 rd contact structure connecting the 3 rd source/drain region to the 2 nd one of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source,

wherein the 2 nd contact structure is at least partially buried in the substrate, and

wherein the 3 rd contact structure is on a top portion of the 3 rd source/drain region.

6 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a 1 st contact structure connected to the 2 nd source/drain region, and at least partially buried in the substrate,

wherein the 1 st contact structure is configured to output an output signal of the multi-stack semiconductor device from the 2 nd source/drain region.

7 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a 2 nd contact structure connecting the 1 st source/drain region to the 1 st one of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source; and

a 3 rd contact structure connecting the 3 rd source/drain region to the 2 nd one of the positive voltage source and the negative voltage source,

wherein the 2 nd contact structure is at least partially buried in the substrate, and

wherein the 3 rd contact structure is on a top portion of the 3 rd source/drain region.

8 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the width of the 2 nd source/drain region is greater than the width of the 4 th source/drain region.

9 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the lower channel structure comprises a lower nanosheet layer, and the upper channel structure comprises an upper nanosheet layer, and

wherein a width of the lower nanosheet layer is different from a width of the upper nanosheet layer.

10 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the width of the lower nanosheet layer is greater than the width of the upper nanosheet layer.

11 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the lower nanosheet layer is one of a plurality of lower nanosheet layers included in the lower channel structure,

wherein the upper nanosheet layer is one of a plurality of upper nanosheet layers included in the upper channel structure, and

wherein a number of the plurality of lower nanosheet layers is different from a number of the plurality of upper nanosheet layers.

12 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the number of the plurality of lower nanosheet layers is less than the number of the plurality of upper nanosheet layers.

13 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a lower-stack transistor structure having a 1 st conductivity type; and

an upper-stack transistor structure having a 2 nd conductivity type opposite the 1st conductivity type,

wherein a 1 st source/drain region of the lower-stack transistor structure is provided vertically below a 2 nd source/drain region of the upper-stack transistor structure,

wherein the 1 st source/drain region and the 2 nd source/drain region are connected through a connection structure connecting a metal ion at least partially embedded within a top portion of the 1 st source/drain region and another metal ion at least partially embedded within a bottom portion of the 2 nd source/drain region, and

wherein the connection structure comprises a metal or a metal compound.

14 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein a 1 st end of the connection structure contacts the top portion of the 1 st source/drain region, and a 2 nd end of the connection structure contacts the bottom portion of the 2 nd source/drain region, and

wherein the metal ion at least partially embedded within the top portion of the 1st source/drain region is included in a metal ion implantation structure, with the metal ion implantation structure aligned with the 1 st end of the connection structure.

15 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 13 , further comprising a contact structure connected to the 1 st or 2 nd source/drain region,

wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is configured to operate as an inverter circuit, and

wherein the contact structure is configured to output an output signal of the inverter circuit.

16 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the contact structure is connected to the 1 st source/drain region, and at least partially buried in a substrate below the lower-stack transistor structure.

17 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the metal ion at least partially embedded within the top portion of the 1 st source/drain region is included in a metal ion implantation structure, and

wherein the metal ion implantation structure is spaced apart from opposing side surfaces of the 1 st source/drain region.

18 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a lower field-effect transistor on the substrate, the lower field-effect transistor comprising a lower channel structure, a lower gate structure on the lower channel structure, and 1 st and 2 nd source/drain regions;

an upper field-effect transistor on the lower field-effect transistor, the upper field-effect transistor comprising an upper channel structure, an upper gate structure on the upper channel structure, and 3 rd and 4 th source/drain regions; and

a contact structure connected to a bottom portion of the 2 nd source/drain region and at least partially buried in the substrate, the contact structure configured to receive an output signal of the multi-stack semiconductor device via the 2 nd source/drain region and to output the output signal,

wherein the 1 st source/drain region is connected to a 1 st voltage source, and the 3 rd source/drain region is connected to a 2 nd voltage source different from the 1 st voltage source,

wherein a top portion of the 2 nd source/drain region and a bottom portion of the 4 th source/drain region are connected to each other,

wherein the lower channel structure comprises a lower nanosheet layer, and the upper channel structure comprises an upper nanosheet layer, and

wherein a width of the lower nanosheet layer is different from a width of the upper nanosheet layer.

19 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 18 , wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is configured to operate as an inverter circuit, and

wherein the contact structure is configured to output the output signal of the inverter circuit.

20 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 18 , wherein each of the lower gate structure and the upper gate structure comprises a metal material.