IP Library Granted Patent US 12694928
Granted Patent B2
US 12694928 · App. 17/710,942 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Epitaxial layers of a transistor electrically coupled with a backside contact metal

Inventors: Clifford Ong (Portland, OR); Leonard P. Guler (Hillsboro, OR); Smita Shridharan (Beaverton, OR); Zheng Guo (Portland, OR); Charles H. Wallace (Portland, OR); Eric A. Karl (Portland, OR); Mauro J. Kobrinsky (Portland, OR); Shem O. Ogadhoh (Beaverton, OR); Tahir Ghani (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G11C11/417G11C11/412H10B10/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12694928
App. No.
17/710,942
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments described herein may be related to apparatuses, processes, systems, and techniques directed to electrical couplings between epitaxial structures and voltage sources within transistors in SRAM bit cells. Embodiments include direct electrical couplings between a backside contact metal ( BM0) and a backside of an epitaxial structure, as well as electrical connection structures that electrically couple the BM0 to a front side of an epitaxial structure. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Claims (36)

1 . A transistor comprising:

a backside contact metal;

an epitaxial layer laterally adjacent to the backside contact metal, wherein the backside contact metal is in contact with a sidewall of the epitaxial layer from a top of the epitaxial layer to a bottom of the epitaxial layer, and wherein the backside contact metal is between the epitaxial layer and a backside metal zero layer (BM0); and

a metal zero layer on top of the epitaxial layer.

2 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the backside contact metal further includes:

a first backside contact metal; and

a second backside contact metal on the first backside contact metal and electrically coupled with the first backside contact metal, wherein the second backside contact metal is physically and electrically coupled with the epitaxial layer and provides a voltage to the epitaxial layer during operation.

3 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the backside contact metal is electrically coupled with a voltage source supply (VSS).

4 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the transistor is a portion of a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell.

5 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the transistor is a first transistor, and the epitaxial layer is a first epitaxial layer; and further comprising:

a second transistor including:

a second epitaxial layer on the backside contact metal; and

wherein the backside contact metal is electrically coupled with the second epitaxial layer.

6 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial layer is part of an NMOS.

7 . The transistor of claim 1 , wherein the backside contact metal is on a substrate that includes silicon.

8 . A transistor comprising:

a backside contact metal;

an epitaxial layer laterally adjacent to the backside contact metal, wherein the backside contact metal is in contact with a sidewall of the epitaxial layer from a top of the epitaxial layer to a bottom of the epitaxial layer, and wherein the backside contact metal is between the epitaxial layer and a backside metal zero (BM0) layer; and

a metal layer on top of the epitaxial layer and electrically coupled with the epitaxial layer.

9 . The transistor of claim 8 , wherein the backside contact metal is electrically coupled with a voltage source supply (VSS).

10 . The transistor of claim 8 , wherein the metal layer is a metal zero layer.

11 . The transistor of claim 8 , wherein the transistor is a portion of a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell.

12 . The transistor of claim 8 , wherein the epitaxial layer is a first epitaxial layer; and further comprising a second epitaxial layer on the backside contact metal; and

wherein the metal layer is on top of the second epitaxial layer and electrically coupled with the second epitaxial layer.

13 . The transistor of claim 8 , further comprising an electrical insulation layer between the backside contact metal and the epitaxial layer.

14 . The transistor of claim 8 , wherein the backside contact metal is on a substrate that includes silicon.

15 . A memory cell comprising:

a plurality of transistors, at least one of the transistors includes:

a first backside contact metal;

a second backside contact metal on the first backside contact metal and electrically coupled with the first backside contact metal;

an epitaxial layer adjacent to and electrically coupled to the second backside contact metal, wherein the second backside contact metal is in contact with a sidewall of the epitaxial layer from a top of the epitaxial layer to a bottom of the epitaxial layer, and wherein the first backside contact metal is a backside metal zero (BM0) layer; and

a metal zero layer on top of the epitaxial layer.

16 . The memory cell of claim 15 , wherein the first backside contact metal is electrically coupled with a voltage source supply (VSS).

17 . The memory cell of claim 15 , wherein the memory cell is a first memory cell, the plurality of transistors is a first plurality of transistors; and further comprising:

a second memory cell that includes a second plurality of transistors, at least one of the second plurality of transistors includes

an epitaxial layer on and electrically coupled to the second backside contact metal.