Control of length in gate region during processing of VFET structures

1. A method of forming a vertical FinFET, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate and having a fin mask on an upper surface thereof;

laterally recessing the semiconductor fin causing the fin mask to overhang above the fin;

forming a conformal gate liner on the recessed semiconductor fin and the fin mask, wherein the conformal gate liner includes a first portion surrounding the fin mask and a second portion surrounding the recessed fins and being separated from the fin mask by a thickness of the conformal gate liner;

forming a gate mask laterally adjacent to the second portion of the conformal gate liner;

removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein the second portion of the conformal gate liner remains intact after the removing of the first portion;

removing the gate mask to expose the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

forming a nitride liner on the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner, exposed portion of the semiconductor fin above the second portion of the conformal gate liner, and the fin mask, after removing the gate mask to expose the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

forming an intermediate mask on a portion of the nitride liner that is above the fin mask to vertically cover a vertical section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner adjacent to the recessed semiconductor fin and the nitride liner on top thereof;

applying a directional etching to remove portions of the conformal gate liner and the nitride liner on top thereof, that are above the substrate and not vertically covered by the intermediate mask;

removing the intermediate mask; and

forming a gate contact to the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein a length of the gate is determined by the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the gate mask includes:

forming an organic planarizing layer (OPL) on the substrate and directly adjacent to the first and second portions of the conformal gate liner, the OPL having a first region underneath a lateral section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner and a second region lateral to a vertical section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner; and

etching the OPL until a height of the second region of the OPL becomes equal to or lower than a height of the first region of the OPL.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conformal gate liner comprises a gate dielectric film covered by a conductive gate layer, and wherein removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner comprises:

removing the conductive gate layer to expose the gate dielectric film; and

removing the exposed gate dielectric film.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an inter-level dielectric (ILD) laterally adjacent to the semiconductor fin after removing the gate mask.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the conformal gate liner includes:

forming a gate dielectric film on exposed surfaces of the semiconductor fin and the fin mask; and

comformally depositing a conductive gate layer on exposed surfaces of the gate dielectric film.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gate contact is formed over the substrate between the recessed semiconductor fin and a neighboring semiconductor fin positioned over the substrate, and wherein a lateral separation between a sidewall of the conformal gate liner adjacent to the semiconductor fin and a sidewall of the gate contact is at most approximately 4.5 nanometers (nm).

7. A method of forming a vertical FinFET, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate and having a fin mask on an upper surface thereof;

laterally recessing the semiconductor fin causing the fin mask to overhang above the fin;

forming a conformal gate liner on the recessed semiconductor fin and the fin mask, wherein the conformal gate liner includes a first portion surrounding the fin mask and a second portion surrounding the recessed fins and being separated from the fin mask by a thickness of the conformal gate liner;

forming a gate mask laterally adjacent to the second portion of the conformal gate liner;

removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein the second portion of the conformal gate liner remains intact after the removing of the first portion;

removing the gate mask to expose the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

forming a nitride liner on at least the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

selectively removing portions of the conformal gate liner above the substrate, and the nitride liner on top thereof; and

forming a gate contact to the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein a length of the gate is determined by the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the gate mask includes:

forming an organic planarizing layer (OPL) on the substrate and directly adjacent to the first and second portions of the conformal gate liner, the OPL having a first region underneath a lateral section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner and a second region lateral to a vertical section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner; and

etching the OPL until a height of the second region of the OPL becomes equal to or lower than a height of the first region of the OPL.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the conformal gate liner comprises a gate dielectric film covered by a conductive gate layer, and wherein removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner comprises:

removing the conductive gate layer to expose the gate dielectric film; and

removing the exposed gate dielectric film.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming an inter-level dielectric (ILD) laterally adjacent to the semiconductor fin after removing the gate mask.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the conformal gate liner includes:

forming a gate dielectric film on exposed surfaces of the semiconductor fin and the fin mask; and

comformally depositing a conductive gate layer on exposed surfaces of the gate dielectric film.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the gate contact is formed over the substrate between the recessed semiconductor fin and a neighboring semiconductor fin positioned over the substrate, and wherein a lateral separation between a sidewall of the conformal gate liner adjacent to the semiconductor fin and a sidewall of the gate contact is at most approximately 4.5 nanometers (nm).

13. A method of forming a vertical FinFET, the method comprising:

providing a structure including:

a semiconductor fin on a substrate,

a fin mask on an upper surface of the substrate, wherein horizontal sidewalls of the fin mask overhang sidewalls of the semiconductor fin,

a conformal gate liner conformally coating exposed surfaces of the semiconductor fin and the fin mask, wherein the conformal gate liner includes a first portion surrounding the fin mask and a second portion surrounding the recessed fins and being separated from the fin mask by a thickness of the conformal gate liner, and

a gate mask laterally adjacent to the second portion of the conformal gate liner;

removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein the second portion of the conformal gate liner remains intact after the removing of the first portion;

removing the gate mask to expose the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

forming a nitride liner on the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner, exposed portion of the semiconductor fin above the second portion of the conformal gate liner, and the fin mask, after removing the gate mask to expose the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner;

forming an intermediate mask on a portion of the nitride liner that is above the fin mask to vertically cover a vertical section of the first portion of the conformal gate liner adjacent to the recessed semiconductor fin and the nitride liner on top thereof;

applying a directional etching to remove portions of the conformal gate liner and the nitride liner on top thereof, that are above the substrate and not vertically covered by the intermediate mask;

removing the intermediate mask; and

forming a gate contact to the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner, wherein a length of the gate is determined by the remaining second portion of the conformal gate liner.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conformal gate liner comprises a gate dielectric film covered by a conductive gate layer, and wherein removing the first portion of the conformal gate liner comprises:

removing the conductive gate layer to expose the gate dielectric film; and

removing the exposed gate dielectric film.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an inter-level dielectric (ILD) laterally adjacent to the semiconductor fin after removing the gate mask.

16. The method of claim 13 , The method of claim 7 , wherein the gate contact is formed over the substrate between the recessed semiconductor fin and a neighboring semiconductor fin positioned over the substrate, and wherein a lateral separation between a sidewall of the conformal gate liner adjacent to the semiconductor fin and a sidewall of the gate contact is at most approximately 4.5 nanometers (nm).