IP Library Granted Patent US 12684832
Granted Patent B2
US 12684832 · App. 17/561,715 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Epi barrier aligned backside contact

Inventors: Leonard P. Guler (Hillsboro, OR); Mohammad Hasan (Aloha, OR); Mohit K. Haran (Hillsboro, OR); Mauro J. Kobrinsky (Portland, OR); Charles H. Wallace (Portland, OR); Tahir Ghani (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H10D62/121H10D30/0321H10D30/6713H10D30/6735H10D30/6745H10D30/6757
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12684832
App. No.
17/561,715
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include semiconductor devices and methods of forming such devices. In an embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a vertical stack of semiconductor channels, a source on a first side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels, and a drain on a second side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels, In an embodiment, a metal is below the source and in direct contact with the source, where a centerline of the metal is substantially aligned with a centerline of the source.

Claims (43)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a vertical stack of semiconductor channels;

a source on a first side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels;

a drain on a second side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels; and

a metal below the source and in direct contact with the source, wherein a centerline of the metal is substantially aligned with a centerline of the source, wherein the metal has an uppermost surface below a bottommost surface of the source, and wherein the metal has a lateral width across the centerline of the metal greater than a maximum lateral width of the source across the centerline of the source.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor channels are nanowire or nanoribbon channels.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gate structure over and around the vertical stack of semiconductor channels.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a dielectric over the source and the drain; and

an oxide over the dielectric.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the dielectric comprises silicon and nitrogen; silicon, carbon, and nitrogen; or silicon, oxygen, and nitrogen.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises tungsten.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the source and the drain have scalloped sidewalls.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the source and the drain comprise an epitaxially grown semiconductor material.

9 . A method of forming an electronic device, comprising:

forming a fin over a substrate, wherein the fin comprises alternating layers of channel material and sacrificial material;

disposing a gate structure over the fin;

recessing the fin outside of the gate structure;

forming an epitaxial barrier layer on opposite sides of the fin;

forming a backside contact template at the bottom of the epitaxial barrier layer;

epitaxially growing a source region between the epitaxial barrier layer; and

replacing the backside contact template with a metal contact, wherein a centerline of the metal contact is substantially aligned with a centerline of the source region, wherein the metal contact has an uppermost surface below a bottommost surface of the source region, and wherein the metal contact has a lateral width across a centerline of the metal greater than a maximum lateral width of the source across a centerline of the source.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the backside contact template comprises polysilicon.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

disposing a dielectric layer over the source region.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon and nitrogen; silicon, carbon and nitrogen; or silicon oxygen and nitrogen.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the gate structure comprises polysilicon.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the gate structure is replaced with a replacement metal gate structure after the source is formed.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sacrificial material is removed before the replacement metal gate structure is formed.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein replacing the backside contact template with a metal contact, comprises:

recessing a backside surface of the substrate to expose the backside contact template;

removing the backside contact template to form a cavity below the source; and

filling the cavity with the metal contact.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal contact comprises tungsten.

18 . An electronic system, comprising:

a board;

a package substrate coupled to the board; and

a die coupled to the package substrate, wherein the die comprises:

a vertical stack of semiconductor channels;

a source on a first side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels;

a drain on a second side of the vertical stack of semiconductor channels; and

a metal below the source and in direct contact with the source, wherein a centerline of the metal is substantially aligned with a centerline of the source, wherein the metal has an uppermost surface below a bottommost surface of the source, and wherein the metal has a lateral width across the centerline of the metal greater than a maximum lateral width of the source across the centerline of the source.