IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,568,682
Granted Patent B2
US 12,568,682 · App. 16/713,703 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Nanoribbon thick gate device with hybrid dielectric tuning for high breakdown and VT modulation

Inventors: Walid M. Hafez (Portland, OR); Rahul Ramaswamy (Portland, OR); Tanuj Trivedi (Hillsboro, OR); Jeong Dong Kim (Scappoose, OR); Ting Chang (Portland, OR); Babak Fallahazad (Portland, OR); Hsu-Yu Chang (Hillsboro, OR); Nidhi Nidhi (Hillsboro, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H10D84/853H01L21/02337H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D64/685
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,568,682
App. No.
16/713,703
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include semiconductor devices and methods of forming such semiconductor devices. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a substrate, and a first transistor over the substrate. In an embodiment, the first transistor comprises a first semiconductor channel above the substrate, a first gate dielectric surrounding the first semiconductor channel, and a first gate electrode over the first gate dielectric. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device further comprises a second transistor over the substrate. In an embodiment, the second transistor comprises a second semiconductor channel above the substrate, a second gate dielectric surrounding the second semiconductor channel, where the second gate dielectric is different than the first gate dielectric, and a second gate electrode over the second gate dielectric, where the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode comprise the same material.

Claims (34)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first transistor over the substrate, the first transistor comprising:

a first semiconductor channel above the substrate, the first semiconductor channel having a first vertical thickness and a first bottommost surface;

a first gate dielectric surrounding the first semiconductor channel; and

a first gate electrode over and in contact with the first gate dielectric; and

a second transistor over the substrate, the second transistor comprising:

a second semiconductor channel above the substrate, the second semiconductor channel having a second vertical thickness and a second bottommost surface, the second vertical thickness the same as the first vertical thickness, and the second bottommost surface at a same level as the first bottommost surface;

a second gate dielectric surrounding the second semiconductor channel, wherein the second gate dielectric is different than the first gate dielectric; and

a second gate electrode over and in contact with the second gate dielectric, wherein the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode comprise the same material.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor is a P-type transistor, and wherein the second transistor is an N-type transistor.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein a threshold voltage (VT) of the P-type transistor is higher than a VT of the N-type transistor.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first gate dielectric and the second gate dielectric comprise SiO 2 , and wherein the first gate dielectric is annealed with a first annealing treatment, and wherein the second gate dielectric is annealed with a second annealing treatment.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein one or both of the first annealing treatment and the second annealing treatment are implemented in an NH 3 atmosphere, and wherein a first concentration of nitrogen at an outer surface of the first gate dielectric is different than a second concentration of nitrogen at an outer surface of the second gate dielectric.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first gate dielectric and the second gate dielectric comprise a first layer and a second layer.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the first layer is an oxide material, and wherein the second layer is a dipole material.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the oxide material is SiO 2 or HfO 2 , and wherein the dipole material is at least one of La 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 .

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first gate dielectric has a first thickness and the second gate dielectric has a second thickness, and wherein the first thickness and the second thickness are both greater than 3 nm.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the first semiconductor channel and the second semiconductor channel are nanowires or nanoribbons.

12 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a substrate;

a first gate all around (GAA) transistor over the substrate, the first GAA transistor comprising a first gate dielectric and a first gate electrode in contact with the first gate dielectric, wherein the first gate dielectric has a first thickness, the first GAA transistor having first semiconductor channel having a first vertical thickness and a first bottommost surface;

a second GAA transistor over the substrate, the second GAA transistor comprising a second gate dielectric and a second gate electrode in contact with the second gate dielectric, the second gate electrode having a same composition as the first gate electrode, wherein the second gate dielectric has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness, and wherein the second GAA transistor is an N-type transistor, the second GAA transistor having second semiconductor channel having a second vertical thickness and a second bottommost surface, the second vertical thickness the same as the first vertical thickness, and the second bottommost surface at a same level as the first bottommost surface; and

a third GAA transistor over the substrate, the third GAA transistor comprising a third gate dielectric that is different than the second gate dielectric and the third GAA transistor comprising a third gate electrode having a same composition as the first and second gate electrodes, wherein the third gate dielectric has a third thickness that is greater than the first thickness, and wherein the third GAA transistor is a P-type transistor.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the first GAA transistor has a first channel length, and wherein the second GAA transistor and the third GAA transistor have a second channel length that is larger than the first channel length.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein each of the first GAA transistor, the second GAA transistor, and the third GAA transistor comprise:

a plurality of semiconductor channels, wherein the semiconductor channels are oriented in a vertical stack.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein a first spacing between semiconductor channels in the first GAA transistor is equal to a second spacing between semiconductor channels in the second GAA transistor and the third GAA transistor.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the first spacing is approximately 10 nm or less.

17 . The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the first thickness is approximately 3 nm or less, and wherein the second thickness and the third thickness are approximately 3 nm or greater.

18 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the second gate dielectric and the third gate dielectric comprise SiO 2 , wherein an outer surface of the second gate dielectric has a first concentration of nitrogen, and wherein an outer surface of the third gate dielectric comprises a second concentration of nitrogen that is different than the first concentration of nitrogen.

19 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein one or both of the second gate dielectric and the third gate dielectric comprise a first layer and a second layer.

20 . The semiconductor device of claim 19 , wherein the first layer comprises SiO 2 or HfO 2 , and wherein the second layer comprises at least one of La 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , and TiO 2 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2020
From: HAFEZ, WALID M.; RAMASWAMY, RAHUL; TRIVEDI, TANUJ; KIM, JEONG DONG; CHANG, TING; FALLAHAZAD, BABAK; CHANG, HSU-YU; NIDHI, NIDHI
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051899/0307 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210183857A1 · Jun 17, 2021
References Cited (6)
US 9922885B1 · Moriwaki · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20200168715A1 · Wu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210036144A1 · Liaw · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210098457A1 · Cheng · 2021 [cited by examiner]
Tanuj Trivedi, et al., “Nanoribbon Thick Gate Devices With Differential Ribbon Spacing and Width for SOC Applications” U.S. Appl. No. 16/713,684 filed Dec. 13, 2019, 71 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0124458, mailed Oct. 31, 2025, 4 pgs. [cited by applicant]