Vertical transistor with self-aligned gate

1. A method of forming a vertical transistor, comprising:

forming a first set of vertical fins in a first row on a first bottom source/drain layer, and a second set of vertical fins in a second row on a second bottom source/drain layer, wherein the vertical fins in the same row are separated by a spacing with a sidewall-to-sidewall distance, S D , and wherein each of the vertical fins in the first row is separated from an adjacent vertical fin in the second row by a gap distance, G D , such that each pair of adjacent vertical fins is aligned in a same column;

forming a gate metal layer on the first set of vertical fins and the second set of vertical fins, wherein the gate metal layer forms a single gate structure on the first and second set of vertical fins with a gap between vertical fins in the same column; and

forming a cover layer plug in the gap between portions of the gate metal layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom source/drain layer is n-doped and the second bottom source/drain layer is p-doped.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall-to-sidewall distance, S D , is in a range of about 15 nm to about 60 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the end wall-to-end wall gap distance, G D , is in a range of about 30 nm to about 80 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the cover layer plug is above the top surface of the adjacent vertical fins.

6. A method of forming a vertical transistor, comprising:

forming a plurality of vertical fins on a substrate, where the vertical fins are arranged in at least two rows and at least two columns, wherein the vertical fins in the same row are separated by a spacing with a sidewall-to-sidewall distance, S D , and the vertical fins in the same column of adjacent rows are separated by a gap having a gap distance, G D ;

forming a gate dielectric layer on the plurality of vertical fins;

forming a work function material layer on the gate dielectric layer;

forming a gate metal layer on the work function material layer, wherein the gate metal layer fills in the spacing between adjacent vertical fins in the same row but not the gap between vertical fins in the same column;

forming a cover layer on the gate metal layer on the plurality of vertical fins;

forming a plug template on the cover layer above the gap;

removing the portion of the cover layer not covered by the plug template to form a patterned cover layer;

removing the plug template; and

removing an upper portion of the patterned cover layer to form a cover layer plug in the gap and expose portions of the gate metal layer.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising removing the exposed portions of the gate metal layer on the vertical fins using a selective directional etch.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising removing the cover layer plug, and forming a protective liner layer on the exposed portions of the gate metal layer and work function layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer on the protective liner layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising removing portions of the work function material layer and gate dielectric layer adjacent to expose an upper portion of each of the vertical fins and form a first channel adjacent to each of the plurality of vertical fins.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising forming a top spacer in the first channels adjacent to each of the plurality of vertical fins.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising removing a portion of the gate metal layer adjacent to the top spacers to form a second channel, and forming a gate metal cap in each of the second channels.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming a top source/drain on each of the plurality of the vertical fins.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming a second ILD layer on the first ILD layer and the top source/drains.

15. A method of forming a vertical transistor, comprising:

forming a first set of vertical fins in a first row on a first bottom source/drain layer, and a second set of vertical fins in a second row on a second bottom source/drain layer, wherein the vertical fins in the first row are aligned with the vertical fins in the second row to form columns; and

forming a gate metal layer on the first set of vertical fins and the second set of vertical fins, wherein the gate metal layer forms a single gate structure on the first and second set of vertical fins.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the vertical fins in the same row are separated by a spacing with a sidewall-to-sidewall distance, S D , and the vertical fins in the same column of adjacent rows are separated by a gap having a gap distance, G D .

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising forming a gate dielectric layer on the first set of vertical fins and the second set of vertical fins by a conformal deposition, wherein the gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate metal layer and the vertical fins in the same column of adjacent rows.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming a protective liner layer on the gate metal layer, wherein a portion of the protective liner layer is disposed between the vertical fins in the same column of adjacent rows.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising forming a common gate contact between portions of the protective liner layer between the vertical fins in the same column of adjacent rows.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising forming a gate metal cap on the gate metal layer and a top spacer on the gate dielectric layer, wherein the gate metal cap and the top spacer are made of different dielectric materials.