IP Library Granted Patent US 12701690
Granted Patent B2
US 12701690 · App. 18/350,754 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same

Inventors: Seung Hwan Kim (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Gil Seop Kim (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
H10B12/05H10B12/482H10D30/023H10D64/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12701690
App. No.
18/350,754
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device including highly integrated memory cells and a method for fabricating the same in which the method includes: forming a semiconductor layer pattern over a lower structure; forming a gate dielectric layer covering the semiconductor layer pattern; forming a conductive layer surrounding the semiconductor layer pattern over the gate dielectric layer; forming a pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns respectively disposed over an upper surface and a lower surface of the semiconductor layer pattern by selectively etching the conductive layer; forming a horizontal layer having a side portion between the pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns by selectively recessing the semiconductor layer pattern; and forming a pair of horizontal conductive lines respectively disposed over an upper surface and a lower surface of the horizontal layer by recessing the pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns.

Claims (34)

1 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor layer pattern over a lower structure;

forming a gate dielectric layer covering the semiconductor layer pattern;

forming a conductive layer surrounding the semiconductor layer pattern over the gate dielectric layer;

forming a pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns respectively disposed over an upper surface and a lower surface of the semiconductor layer pattern by selectively etching the conductive layer;

forming a horizontal layer having a side portion between the pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns by selectively recessing the semiconductor layer pattern; and

forming a pair of horizontal conductive lines respectively disposed over an upper surface and a lower surface of the horizontal layer by recessing the pair of horizontal conductive layer patterns.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the semiconductor layer pattern comprises:

sequentially forming a first sacrificial layer structure, a semiconductor layer, and a second sacrificial layer structure in order to form a stack body over the lower structure;

forming a first opening in the stack body;

removing the first sacrificial layer structure and the second sacrificial layer structure through the first opening; and

recessing the semiconductor layer in order to form the semiconductor layer pattern.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second sacrificial layer structures each include a stack of a first silicon germanium layer, a first single crystal silicon layer, and a second silicon germanium layer, and

the semiconductor layer includes a second single crystal silicon layer thicker than the first single crystal silicon layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface and the lower surface of the semiconductor layer pattern each include a flat surface.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gate dielectric layer covers the upper surface and the lower surface of the semiconductor layer pattern.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gate dielectric layer is formed by a deposition process of silicon oxide or a surface oxide process of the semiconductor layer pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a vertical conductive line coupled to one end of the horizontal layer; and

forming a data storage element coupled to the other end of the horizontal layer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer pattern includes a single crystal silicon layer.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer includes polysilicon, metal, metal nitride, or a combination thereof.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the conductive layer comprises:

forming a metal-base layer surrounding the semiconductor layer pattern over the gate dielectric layer.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the pair of horizontal conductive lines comprises:

forming a pair of first work function electrodes respectively disposed over the upper surface and the lower surface of the semiconductor layer pattern over the gate dielectric layer;

forming a pair of second work function electrodes over one side of the first work function electrodes; and

forming a pair of third work function electrodes over the other sides of the first work function electrodes.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second and third work function electrodes each include a low work function material, and the first work function electrode includes a high work function material.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second and third work function electrodes each include N-doped polysilicon, and the first work function electrode includes tungsten.

14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

forming a first barrier layer between the first work function electrode and the second work function electrode; and

forming a second barrier layer between the first work function electrode and the third work function electrode.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and second barrier layers each include metal nitride.