IP Library Granted Patent US 12,243,783
Granted Patent B2
US 12,243,783 · App. 17/232,898 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Epitaxial source/drain recess formation with metal-comprising masking layers and structures resulting therefrom

Inventors: Hui-Lin Huang (Hsinchu, TW); Li-Li Su (Chubei, TW); Yee-Chia Yeo (Hsinchu, TW); Chii-Horng Li (Zhubei, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H01L21/823814H01L21/0259H01L21/0332H01L21/28518H01L21/823807H01L21/823828H01L21/823864H01L21/823871H01L27/092H01L29/0665H01L29/41733H01L29/42392H01L29/45H01L29/66545H01L29/66553H01L29/66636H01L29/66742H01L29/78618H01L29/78696
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,243,783
App. No.
17/232,898
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes etching a first recess adjacent a first dummy gate stack and a first fin; etching a second recess adjacent a second dummy gate stack and a second fin; and epitaxially growing a first epitaxy region in the first recess. The method further includes depositing a first metal-comprising mask over the first dummy gate stack, over the second dummy gate stack, over the first epitaxy region in the first recess, and in the second recess; patterning the first metal-comprising mask to expose the first dummy gate stack and the first epitaxy region; epitaxially growing a second epitaxy region in the first recess over the first epitaxy region; and after epitaxially growing the second epitaxy region, removing remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask.

Claims (52)

1. A method comprising:

etching a first recess adjacent a first dummy gate stack and a first fin;

etching a second recess adjacent a second dummy gate stack and a second fin;

epitaxially growing a first epitaxy layer of a first source/drain region in the first recess;

depositing a first metal-comprising mask to overlap the first dummy gate stack, overlap the second dummy gate stack, overlap the first epitaxy layer in the first recess, and overlap sidewalls and a bottom surface of the second recess;

patterning the first metal-comprising mask to expose the first dummy gate stack and the first epitaxy layer;

epitaxially growing a second epitaxy layer of the first source/drain region in the first recess and overlapping the first epitaxy layer of the first source/drain region while masking the sidewalls and the bottom surface of the second recess with remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask; and

after epitaxially growing the second epitaxy layer, removing the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask from the second recess, wherein epitaxially growing the second epitaxy layer comprises flowing a hydrogen-comprising precursor in the first recess and over the first metal-comprising mask, and wherein removing the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask comprises removing precursor residue of the hydrogen-comprising precursor with the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first metal-comprising mask comprises aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, or hafnium oxide.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

growing a third epitaxy layer of a second source/drain region in the second recess while growing the first epitaxy layer in the first recess;

depositing a second metal-comprising mask over the first dummy gate stack, over the second dummy gate stack, over the second epitaxy layer, and over the third epitaxy layer in the second recess;

patterning the second metal-comprising mask to expose the second dummy gate stack and the third epitaxy layer;

epitaxially growing a fourth epitaxy layer of the second source/drain region in the second recess over the third epitaxy layer; and

after epitaxially growing the fourth epitaxy layer, removing remaining portions of the second metal-comprising mask.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a first source/drain region is a different conductivity type than the second source/drain region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein after patterning the first metal-comprising mask, metal residue of the first metal-comprising mask remains over the first epitaxy layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor residue is bonded to a surface of the first metal-comprising mask.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen-comprising precursor is SiH 4 , Si 2 H 6 , or SiH 2 C 2 .

8. A method comprising:

etching a first recess in a first fin, wherein the first fin comprises a first plurality of semiconductor layers;

etching a second recess in a second fin, wherein the second fin comprises a second plurality of semiconductor layers;

depositing a first aluminum oxide layer over bottom surfaces and sidewalls of the first recess and the second recess;

fully removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the first recess;

after fully removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the first recess, epitaxially growing a first epitaxy region in the first recess while the first aluminum oxide layer covers an entirety of the second recess, wherein epitaxially growing the first epitaxy region comprises flowing a hydrogen-comprising precursor in the first recess and over remaining portions of the first aluminum oxide layer in the second recess, and wherein a precursor residue of the hydrogen-comprising precursor is bonded to the remaining portions of the first aluminum oxide layer in the second recess; and

fully removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the second recess.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

depositing a second aluminum oxide layer over the first epitaxy region and over bottom surfaces and sidewalls of the second recess;

removing the second aluminum oxide layer from the second recess;

epitaxially growing a second epitaxy region in the second recess while the second aluminum oxide layer covers the first epitaxy region; and

removing the second aluminum oxide layer from over the first epitaxy region.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein epitaxially growing the first epitaxy region comprises flowing a hydrogen-comprising precursor over the first aluminum oxide layer, and wherein residue of the hydrogen-comprising precursor bonds to a surface of the first aluminum oxide layer.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the second recess comprises removing the hydrogen-comprising precursor bonded to the surface of the first aluminum oxide layer.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising prior to depositing the first aluminum oxide layer, epitaxially growing a third epitaxy region in the first recess while epitaxially growing a fourth epitaxy region in the second recess.

13. A method comprising:

etching a first source/drain recess in a first fin on a first region of a substrate, wherein a first gate stack is disposed over and along sidewalls of the first fin;

etching a second source/drain recess in a second fin on a second region of the substrate, wherein a second gate stack is disposed over and along sidewalls of the second fin;

depositing a first metal-comprising mask over the first region of the substrate and the second region of the substrate, the first metal-comprising mask in direct contact with a first lateral surface of a first semiconductor material in the first source/drain recess, and the first metal-comprising mask in direct contact with a second lateral surface of a second semiconductor material in the second source/drain recess;

patterning the first metal-comprising mask to remove the first metal-comprising mask from over the first region of the substrate, wherein patterning the first metal-comprising mask exposes the first lateral surface of the first semiconductor material in the first source/drain recess;

epitaxially growing a first epitaxial region of a first source/drain region in direct contact with the first lateral surface of the first semiconductor material in the first source/drain recess while masking the second gate stack and the second lateral surface of the second semiconductor material in the second source/drain recess with the first metal-comprising mask, wherein epitaxially growing the first epitaxy region comprises flowing a hydrogen-comprising precursor in the first source/drain recess and over the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask, and wherein a precursor residue of the hydrogen-comprising precursor is bonded to the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask; and

removing remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

after removing the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask, depositing a second metal-comprising mask over the first region of the substrate and the second region of the substrate;

patterning the second metal-comprising mask to expose the second region of the substrate, wherein patterning the second metal-comprising mask exposes the second lateral surface of the second semiconductor material in the second source/drain recess;

after patterning the second metal-comprising mask, epitaxially growing a second epitaxy region in direct contact with the second lateral surface of the second semiconductor material in the second source/drain recess while masking the first gate stack and the first source/drain recess with the second metal-comprising mask; and

removing remaining portions of the second metal-comprising mask.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first metal-comprising mask comprises aluminum oxide.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the hydrogen-comprising precursor is SiH 4 .

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein removing the remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask comprises removing the precursor residue of the hydrogen-comprising precursor.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein depositing the second aluminum oxide layer over the first epitaxy region and over bottom surfaces and sidewalls of the second recess comprises depositing the second aluminum oxide layer over the first epitaxy region and over bottom surfaces and sidewalls of the second recess after fully removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the second recess.

19. The method of claim 8 , wherein the hydrogen-comprising precursor is SiH 4 .

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein fully removing the first aluminum oxide layer from the second recess comprises removing the hydrogen-comprising precursor with the first aluminum oxide layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 16, 2021
From: HUANG, HUI-LIN; SU, LI-LI; YEO, YEE-CHIA; LI, CHII-HORNG
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 055946/0172 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63145605 · Feb 4, 2021
Related Publication 20220246479A1 · Aug 4, 2022
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