IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,040,225
Granted Patent B2
US 12,040,225 · App. 17/845,374 · Granted Jul 16, 2024

Insulating cap on contact structure

Inventors: Kuo-Chiang Tsai (Hsinchu, TW); Fu-Hsiang Su (Zhubei, TW); Ke-Jing Yu (Kaohsiung, TW); Jyh-Huei Chen (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
H01L21/7682H01L21/76802H01L21/76831H01L29/41775H01L29/4991H01L29/6653H01L29/66545H01L29/6656H01L29/66795H01L29/41791H01L29/785
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,040,225
App. No.
17/845,374
Granted
Jul 16, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate electrode layer formed over a substrate, and a conductive capping feature formed on and in direct contact with the gate electrode layer. The semiconductor device structure includes a source/drain (S/D) contact structure formed over the substrate and adjacent to the gate electrode layer, and an air gap is adjacent to the S/D contact structure, and the air gap is lower than the conductive capping feature.

Claims (43)

1. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:

a gate electrode layer formed over a substrate;

a conductive capping feature formed on and in direct contact with the gate electrode layer;

a source/drain (S/D) contact structure formed over the substrate and adjacent to the gate electrode layer, wherein an air gap is adjacent to the S/D contact structure, and the air gap is lower than the conductive capping feature; and

a first insulating capping feature formed over the air gap, wherein a sidewall surface of the first insulating capping feature is aligned with a sidewall surface of the conductive capping feature.

2. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a gate spacer adjacent to the gate electrode layer, wherein the air gap is in direct contact with the gate spacer.

3. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first insulating capping feature extends from a first position to a second position, the first position is on a sidewall of the gate spacer, and the second position is over a top surface of the S/D contact structure.

4. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first insulating capping feature has a reversed U-shaped profile.

5. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first insulating capping feature comprises:

a first capping layer; and

a second capping layer formed over the first capping layer or below the first capping layer.

6. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first insulating capping feature comprises:

a first capping layer; and

a second capping layer covering opposite sidewalls of the first capping layer and an upper sidewall of the S/D contact structure.

7. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the air gap is lower than a top surface of the gate electrode layer.

8. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the air gap is in direct contact with the S/D contact structure.

9. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:

a fin formed over a substrate;

a gate dielectric layer formed over the fin;

a gate electrode layer formed over the gate dielectric layer;

a source/drain (S/D) contact structure formed adjacent to the gate electrode layer; and

a first insulating capping feature formed adjacent to the S/D contact structure, wherein an air gap is formed below the first insulating capping feature, and an outermost sidewall surface of the first insulating capping feature is aligned with a sidewall surface of the gate dielectric layer, and a top surface of the gate dielectric layer is higher than a top surface of the air gap.

10. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first insulating capping feature has a protruding portion which extends into a space between the gate dielectric layer and the S/D contact structure.

11. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the protruding portion of the first insulating capping feature isolates the gate dielectric layer from the S/D contact structure.

12. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first insulating capping feature has a main portion and a protrusion portion, a sidewall of the main portion is close to the gate electrode layer than a sidewall of the protrusion portion.

13. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the first insulating capping feature is in direct contact with the top surface of the gate dielectric layer.

14. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

a via structure formed over the gate electrode layer, wherein a top surface of the first insulating capping feature is higher than a bottom surface of the via structure.

15. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

an insulating layer formed over the first insulating capping feature, wherein the insulating layer is in direct contact with the first insulating capping feature.

16. A semiconductor device structure, comprising:

a gate electrode layer formed over a substrate;

a source/drain (S/D) contact structure formed over the substrate and adjacent to the gate electrode layer;

a first insulating capping feature formed on the S/D contact structure, wherein the first insulating capping feature has an extending portion; and

an air gap formed adjacent to the S/D contact structure, wherein the air gap is directly below and in direct contact with the extending portion of the first insulating capping feature, and a top surface of the gate electrode layer is lower than a top surface of the S/D contact structure.

17. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:

a conductive capping feature formed on and in direct contact with the gate electrode layer, wherein the air gap is lower than a top surface of the conductive capping feature.

18. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 17 , wherein a sidewall surface of the conductive capping feature is aligned with a sidewall surface of the first insulating capping feature.

19. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:

a gate spacer adjacent to the gate electrode layer, wherein the gate spacer is in direct contact with the air gap.

20. The semiconductor device structure as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising:

a via structure formed over the gate electrode layer, wherein a top surface of the first insulating capping feature is higher than a bottom surface of the via structure.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 17078606 · Oct 23, 2020
Continuation 16180913 · Nov 5, 2018
Provisional Application 62749347 · Oct 23, 2018
Related Publication 20220319906A1 · Oct 6, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,376,348