IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,310,060
Granted Patent B2
US 12,310,060 · App. 17/357,711 · Granted May 20, 2025

Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having uniform threshold voltages and tight gate endcap tolerances

Inventors: Dan S. Lavric (Beaverton, OR); Dax M. Crum (Beaverton, OR); David J. Towner (Portland, OR); Orb Acton (Portland, OR); Jitendra Kumar Jha (Hillsboro, OR); YenTing Chiu (Portland, OR); Mohit K. Haran (Hillsboro, OR); Oleg Golonzka (Beaverton, OR); Tahir Ghani (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/121H10D64/667H10D84/85
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,310,060
App. No.
17/357,711
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit structure comprises a first and second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in a PMOS region and in an NMOS region. A first gate stack having a P-type conductive layer surrounds the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. A second gate stack surrounds the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires. In one embodiment, the second gate stack has an N-type conductive layer, the P-type conductive layer is over the second gate stack, and an N-type conductive fill is between N-type conductive layer and the P-type conductive layer to provide same polarity metal filled gates. In another embodiment, the second gate stack has an N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and “Nitrogen (N) having a low saturation thickness of 3-3.5 nm surrounding the nanowires, and the N-type conductive layer is covered by the P-type conductive layer.

Claims (41)

1. An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in a PMOS region;

a second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in an NMOS region;

a first gate stack over the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first gate stack having a P-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending laterally spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a first gate plug, a third portion extending vertically between the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires and the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, and a fourth portion over a second gate stack; and

the second gate stack over the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second gate stack having an N-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending vertically and laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along the vertical third portion of the P-type conductive layer, and a third portion extending laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a second gate plug,

wherein the second gate stack includes an N-type conductive fill over the second gate stack and under the fourth portion of the first gate stack to provide the integrated circuit structure with same polarity filled gates.

2. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein a P-type conductive fill is over both the first gate stack in the PMOS region and the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

3. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit structure comprises transistors that operate in saturation mode on all nanowire sides regardless of a gate endcap tolerance between 3.5 nm and 10 nm.

4. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the P-type conductive layer has a thickness of approximately 3.5-4 nm, which is greater than a saturation thickness of 3.5 nm for the P-type conductive layer.

5. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the N-type conductive layer and the N-type conductive fill are of a same material type.

6. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the first gate stack and the second gate stack are recessed at different levels below a gate height.

7. An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in a PMOS region;

a second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in an NMOS region;

a first gate stack over the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first gate stack having a P-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending laterally spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a first gate plug, a third portion extending vertically between the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires and the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, and a fourth portion conformally covering a second gate stack; and

the second gate stack over the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second gate stack having an N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N) with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion in contact with the third portion of the P-type conductive layer, and a third portion extending laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a second gate plug.

8. The integrated circuit structure of claim 7 , wherein a P-type conductive fill is over both the first gate stack in the PMOS region and the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

9. The integrated circuit structure of claim 7 , wherein the integrated circuit structure comprises transistors that operate in saturation mode on all nanowire sides regardless of a gate endcap tolerance between 3.5 nm and 10 nm even though an opposite polarity P-type conductive layer is over the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

10. The integrated circuit structure of claim 7 , wherein the N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N) has a thickness of approximately 3.5-4 nm, which is greater than a saturation thickness of 3-3.5 nm for the N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N).

11. The integrated circuit structure of claim 7 , wherein the P-type conductive layer has a thickness of approximately 3.5-4 nm, which is greater than a saturation thickness of 3.5 nm for the P-type conductive layer.

12. An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in a PMOS region;

a second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in an NMOS region;

a first gate stack over the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first gate stack having a P-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires a second portion extending laterally spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a first gate plug, a third portion conformally covering a second gate stack;

the second gate stack over the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second gate stack having an N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N) with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending laterally beside the first portion, and a third portion extending laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a second gate plug; and

a TiN layer extending under the second gate stack and along the sidewall of the second gate plug.

13. The integrated circuit structure of claim 12 , wherein a P-type conductive fill over both the first gate stack in the PMOS region and the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

14. The integrated circuit structure of claim 12 , wherein a liner comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N) surrounds nanowires of the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires.

15. The integrated circuit structure of claim 12 , wherein the integrated circuit structure comprises transistors that operate in saturation mode on all nanowire sides regardless of a gate endcap tolerance between 3.5 nm and 10 nm even though an opposite polarity P-type conductive layer is over the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

16. The integrated circuit structure of claim 12 , wherein the N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N) has a thickness of approximately 3.5-4 nm, which is greater than a saturation thickness of 3-3.5 nm for the N-type conductive layer comprising Titanium (Ti) and Nitrogen (N).

17. The integrated circuit structure of claim 12 , wherein the P-type conductive layer has a thickness of approximately 3.5-4 nm, which is greater than a saturation thickness of 3.5 nm for the P-type conductive layer.

18. A computing device, comprising:

a board; and

a component coupled to the board, the component including an integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in a PMOS region;

a second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires in an NMOS region;

a first gate stack over the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the first gate stack having a P-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending laterally spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a first gate plug, a third portion extending vertically between the first vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires and the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, and a fourth portion over a second gate stack;

the second gate stack over the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, the second gate stack having an N-type conductive layer with a first portion surrounding the nanowires of the second vertical arrangement of horizontal nanowires, a second portion extending vertically and laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along the vertical third portion of the P-type conductive layer, and a third portion extending laterally beside and spaced apart from the first portion along a sidewall of a second gate plug, wherein the second gate stack includes an N-type conductive fill over the second gate stack and under the fourth portion of the first gate stack to provide the integrated circuit structure with same polarity filled gates; and

a P-type conductive fill is over both the first gate stack in the PMOS region and the second gate stack in the NMOS region.

19. The computing device of claim 18 , wherein the integrated circuit structure comprises transistors that operate in saturation mode on all nanowire sides regardless of a gate endcap tolerance between 3.5 nm and 10 nm.

20. The computing device of claim 19 , wherein the N-type conductive layer and the N-type conductive fill are of a same material type.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2021
From: LAVRIC, DAN S.; CRUM, DAX M.; TOWNER, DAVID J.; ACTON, ORB; JHA, JITENDRA KUMAR; CHIU, YENTING; HARAN, MOHIT K.; GOLONZKA, OLEG; GHANI, TAHIR
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057855/0391 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220416039A1 · Dec 29, 2022
References Cited (7)
US 20150014780A1 · Kim · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20180342427A1 · Xie · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20200035567A1 · Chanemougame · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200083326A1 · Ok · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200294865A1 · Cheng · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200388689A1 · Guler · 2020 [cited by examiner]
Extended European Search Report from European Patent Application No. 22163910.7, mailed Aug. 10, 2022, 13 pgs. [cited by applicant]