Structures and SRAM bit cells with a buried cross-couple interconnect
Structures and static random access memory bit cells including complementary field effect transistors and methods of forming such structures and bit cells. A buried cross-couple interconnect is arranged in a vertical direction beneath a first field-effect transistor and a second field-effect transistor. The buried cross-couple interconnect is coupled with a gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor, and the buried cross-couple interconnect is also coupled with a source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor.
1. A structure comprising:
a first field-effect transistor including a gate electrode;
a second field-effect transistor including a first source/drain region; and
a buried cross-couple interconnect arranged in a vertical direction beneath the first field-effect transistor and the second field-effect transistor, the buried cross-couple interconnect coupled with the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor, and the buried cross-couple interconnect coupled with the first source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor,
wherein the first field-effect transistor is a component of a first inverter of a static random access memory bitcell, and the second field-effect transistor is a component of a second inverter of the static random access memory bitcell.
2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the second field-effect transistor includes a second source/drain region stacked in the vertical direction over the first source/drain region, the first source/drain region is comprised of a first semiconductor material, and the second source/drain region is comprised of a second semiconductor material having an opposite conductivity type from the first semiconductor material.
3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the buried cross-couple interconnect is further coupled with the second source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor.
4. The structure of claim 3 further comprising:
a dielectric layer over the first field-effect transistor and the second field-effect transistor; and
a contact in the dielectric layer, the contact extending in the vertical direction to couple the buried cross-couple interconnect with the second source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor.
5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the first source/drain region has a first side surface, the second source/drain region has a second side surface, the buried cross-couple interconnect has a third side surface, and the contact is directly coupled with the first side surface, the second side surface, and the third side surface.
6. The structure of claim 2 wherein the second field-effect transistor includes a nanosheet channel layer, and the nanosheet channel layer is surrounded by a portion of the gate electrode.
7. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first source/drain region has a side surface, the buried cross-couple interconnect has a side surface, and further comprising:
a contact extending in the vertical direction,
wherein the contact is coupled with the side surface of the buried cross-couple interconnect and the side surface of the first source/drain region.
8. The structure of claim 1 wherein the second field-effect transistor includes a gate electrode, and further comprising:
a third field-effect transistor including a gate electrode aligned with the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor;
a fourth field-effect transistor including a gate electrode aligned with the gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor;
a first dielectric pillar arranged as a first cut between the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor and the gate electrode of the third field-effect transistor; and
a second dielectric pillar arranged as a second cut between the gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor and the gate electrode of the fourth field-effect transistor;
wherein the first dielectric pillar and the second dielectric pillar are laterally aligned.
9. The structure of claim 1 wherein the first field-effect transistor includes an active channel, and the buried cross-couple interconnect is arranged in part beneath the active channel of the first field-effect transistor.
10. The structure of claim 9 wherein the active channel of the first field-effect transistor includes one or more nanosheet channel layers, and the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor is arranged to surround each nanosheet channel layer.
11. The structure of claim 1 wherein the second field-effect transistor includes a gate electrode, and further comprising:
a dielectric layer arranged in a first portion of a cavity,
wherein the first portion of the cavity is arranged beneath the gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor, and the buried cross-couple interconnect is arranged in a second portion of the cavity arranged beneath the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor.
12. A structure comprising:
a first field-effect transistor including a gate electrode;
a second field-effect transistor including a gate electrode and a first source/drain region;
a buried cross-couple interconnect arranged in a vertical direction beneath the first field-effect transistor and the second field-effect transistor, the buried cross-couple interconnect coupled with the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor, and the buried cross-couple interconnect coupled with the first source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor; and
a first dielectric layer arranged in a first portion of a cavity,
wherein the first portion of the cavity is arranged beneath the gate electrode of the second field-effect transistor, and the buried cross-couple interconnect is arranged in a second portion of the cavity arranged beneath the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor.
13. The structure of claim 12 further comprising:
a second dielectric layer arranged in the vertical direction between the cavity and a substrate.
14. The structure of claim 12 wherein the first field-effect transistor includes an active channel, and the buried cross-couple interconnect is arranged in part beneath the active channel of the first field-effect transistor.
15. A method comprising:
forming a first sacrificial layer, a second sacrificial layer, and a third sacrificial layer between the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer;
replacing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer with a dielectric material to respectively form a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer;
replacing the third sacrificial layer with a conductor to form a buried cross-couple interconnect;
forming a gate electrode of a first field-effect transistor that is positioned over the buried cross-couple interconnect and coupled to the buried cross-couple interconnect;
forming a source/drain region of a second field-effect transistor over the second dielectric layer; and
forming a contact coupling the buried cross-couple interconnect with the source/drain region of the second field-effect transistor.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein replacing the third sacrificial layer with the conductor to form the buried cross-couple interconnect comprises:
removing the third sacrificial layer selective to the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer with an etching process to define a cavity; and
depositing the conductor that forms the buried cross-couple interconnect by filling the cavity,
wherein the gate electrode of the first field-effect transistor is also formed by the conductor that is deposited.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein replacing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer with the dielectric material to respectively form the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer comprises:
removing the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer selective to the third sacrificial layer with an etching process to respectively define a first cavity and a second cavity; and
conformally depositing the dielectric material to fill the first cavity and the second cavity.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the second field-effect transistor includes a fin having a nanosheet channel layer coupled with the source/drain region and arranged over the first dielectric layer, and further comprising:
forming a first sidewall spacer arranged to cover a side surface of the nanosheet channel layer; and
forming a second sidewall spacer arranged to cover a side surface of the third sacrificial layer,
wherein the first sidewall spacer is stacked over the second sidewall spacer, the first sidewall spacer is comprised of a first dielectric material, and the second sidewall spacer is comprised of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:
removing the second sidewall spacer selective to the first sidewall spacer to reveal the third sacrificial layer; and
after removing the second sidewall spacer, oxidizing a portion of the third sacrificial layer.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein the third sacrificial layer is replaced with the conductor to form the buried cross-couple interconnect after the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer are replaced with the dielectric material.