Frontside ILD optimization for backside power distribution network
A semiconductor structure containing optimized frontside interlayer dielectrics (ILDs) for a direct backside contact based backside power distribution network is provided. Notably, the frontside ILD materials that are present in the semiconductor structure are optimized such that a frontside ILD layer that is present on a critical circuit path has a thermal conductivity that is less than a thermal conductivity of a frontside ILD layer that is present on a non-circuit path.
1 . A semiconductor structure comprising:
a first region comprising a first pair of complementary transistors;
a second region adjacent to the first region, wherein the second region comprises a second pair of complementary transistors;
a first frontside interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer having a first thermal conductivity present in the second region; and
a second frontside ILD layer having a second thermal conductivity present in the first region and in the second region, wherein the second thermal conductivity is less than the first thermal conductivity.
2 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the first region defines a critical circuit path, and the second region defines a non-critical circuit path.
3 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the second frontside ILD layer that is present in the second region is located on top of the first frontside ILD layer.
4 . The semiconductor structure of claim 3 , wherein a portion of the first frontside ILD layer is present in the first region beneath the second frontside ILD layer and adjacent to a neighboring pair of source/drain regions of the first pair of complementary transistors.
5 . The semiconductor structure of claim 3 , further comprising an air gap in the second frontside ILD layer that is present in the first region, wherein the air gap is adjacent to a neighboring pair of source/drain regions of the first pair of complementary transistors.
6 . The semiconductor structure of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the first frontside ILD layer is in the first region beneath the second frontside ILD layer and the air gap.
7 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising metal lines in both the first region and the second region.
8 . The semiconductor structure of claim 7 , wherein each metal line present in the first region has a higher line resistance than each metal line present in the second region.
9 . The semiconductor structure of claim 8 , further comprising a frontside back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) structure contacting each of the metal lines present in the first region and the second region.
10 . The semiconductor structure of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the metal lines in the first region is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a first transistor of the first pair of complementary transistors through an electrically conductive via and a frontside source/drain contact structure.
11 . The semiconductor structure of claim 10 , wherein the electrically conductive via and the frontside source/drain contact structure are both embedded in the second frontside ILD layer.
12 . The semiconductor structure of claim 10 , further comprising a backside power rail located beneath the first region, wherein the backside power rail is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a second transistor of the first pair of complementary transistors via a backside source/drain contact structure.
13 . The semiconductor structure of claim 12 , further comprising a backside interconnect structure contacting the backside power rail.
14 . The semiconductor structure of claim 11 , wherein at least one other metal line in the first region is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a second transistor of the first pair of complementary transistors through another electrically conductive via and another frontside source/drain contact structure.
15 . The semiconductor structure of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the metal lines in the second region is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a first transistor of the second pair of complementary transistors through an electrically conductive via and a frontside source/drain contact structure.
16 . The semiconductor structure of claim 15 , wherein the frontside source/drain contact structure is embedded in the first frontside ILD layer and the electrically conductive via is embedded in the second frontside ILD layer.
17 . The semiconductor structure of claim 15 , further comprising a backside power rail located beneath the second region, wherein the backside power rail is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a second transistor of the second pair of complementary transistors via a backside source/drain contact structure.
18 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , further comprising a backside interconnect structure contacting the backside power rail.
19 . The semiconductor structure of claim 10 , further comprising a pair of backside power rails located beneath the second region, wherein one of backside power rail of the pair of electrically conductive power rails is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a first transistor of the second pair of complementary transistors via a backside source/drain contact structure and the other of the backside power rails of the pair of electrically conductive power rails is electrically connected to a source/drain region of a second transistor of the second pair of complementary transistors via another backside source/drain contact structure.
20 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the first thermal conductivity of the first frontside ILD layer is 1 W/(m*K) or greater, and the second thermal conductivity of the second frontside ILD layer is less than 0.3 W/(m*K).