IP Library Granted Patent US 11,355,397
Granted Patent B2
US 11,355,397 · App. 16/872,651 · Granted Jun 7, 2022

Catalyst influenced chemical etching for fabricating three-dimensional SRAM architectures

Inventors: Sidlgata V. Sreenivasan (Austin, TX); Akhila Mallavarapu (Austin, TX); Jaydeep Kulkarni (Austin, TX); Michael Watts (Austin, TX); Sanjay Banerjee (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
H01L21/823431H01L21/3065H01L21/30604H01L27/0886H01L27/1104H01L29/42392H01L29/66795H01L29/78696
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,355,397
App. No.
16/872,651
Granted
Jun 7, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for fabricating a three-dimensional (3D) static random-access memory (SRAM) architecture using catalyst influenced chemical etching (CICE). Utilizing CICE, semiconductor fins can be etched with no etch taper, smooth sidewalls and no maximum height limitation. CICE enables stacking of as many nanosheet layers a desired and also enables a 3D stacked architecture for SRAM cells. Furthermore, CICE can be used to etch silicon waveguides thereby creating waveguides with smooth sidewalls to improve transmission efficiency and, for photon-based quantum circuits, to eliminate charge fluctuations that may affect photon indistinguishability.

Claims (17)

1. A three-dimensional (3D) SRAM device comprising:

two or more nanosheet FETs that are stacked vertically, along a vertical direction of a fin, on top of each other, wherein a wall angle of said fin is greater than 89.5 degrees, wherein said one or more nanosheet FETs are created using two or more layers of material different in at least one of the following: material, morphology, porosity, etch rates, thermal processing rates, doping concentration and dopant material; and

said one or more nanosheet FETs are separated by a material with a different composition than that of said fin or are separated by air.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said fin comprises lateral layers of semiconducting materials with all around dielectric and gate metals.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 , wherein said lateral layers are made by etching alternating layers of silicon and silicon-germanium.

4. The device as recited in claim 3 , wherein said etching is performed by catalyst influenced chemical etching, wherein a catalyst of said catalyst influenced chemical etching comprises ruthenium.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein said wall angle is measured with respect to a critical feature dimension on top of said fin and at a bottom of said fin.

6. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a base of one of said one or more nanosheet FETs is surrounded by a dielectric for shallow trench isolation.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one contact-node of a nanosheet FET of said one or more nanosheet FETs is contacted using a staircase contact.

8. A three-dimensional (3D) SRAM device comprising:

two or more fin field-effect transistors (FinFETs) that are stacked vertically, along a vertical direction of a fin, on top of each other, wherein a wall angle of said fin is greater than 89.5 degrees, wherein said one or more FinFETs are created using two or more layers of a material different in at least one of the following: material, morphology, porosity, etch rates, thermal processing rates, doping concentration and dopant material; and

said one or more FinFETs are separated by a material with a different composition than that of said fin or are separated by air.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said fin comprises semiconducting material surrounded by dielectric and gate metals to form a transistor.

10. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said wall angle is measured with respect to a critical feature dimension on top of said fin and at a bottom of said fin.

11. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein a base of one of said one or more FinFETs is surrounded by a dielectric for shallow trench isolation.

12. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one contact-node of a FinFET of said one or more FinFETs is contacted using a staircase contact.

13. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said fin comprises lateral layers of semiconducting materials with all around dielectric and gate metals, wherein said lateral layers are made by etching alternating layers of silicon and silicon-germanium, wherein said etching is performed by catalyst influenced chemical etching, wherein a catalyst of said catalyst influenced chemical etching comprises ruthenium.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: SREENIVASAN, SIDLGATA V.; MALLAVARAPU, AKHILA; KULKARNI, JAYDEEP; WATTS, MICHAEL; BANERJEE, SANJAY
To: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
Reel/Frame 058889/0442 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62911837 · Oct 7, 2019
Provisional Application 62847196 · May 13, 2019
Related Publication 20200365464A1 · Nov 19, 2020