IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,588,270
Granted Patent B2
US 12,588,270 · App. 18/225,028 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Method of forming multiple-Vt FETS for CMOS circuit applications

Inventors: Wei-E Wang (Austin, TX); Mark S. Rodder (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H10D64/689H01L21/28088H01L21/28158H10D30/6735H10D30/6739H10D30/6757H10D62/115H10D62/121H10D62/405H10D62/832H10D64/667H10D64/685H10D64/691H10D84/0167H10D84/0177H10D84/0181H10D84/038H10D84/856
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,588,270
App. No.
18/225,028
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A field-effect transistor (FET) device having a modulated threshold voltage (Vt) includes a source electrode, a drain electrode, a channel region extending between the source electrode and the drain electrode, and a gate stack on the channel region. The gate stack includes an ultrathin dielectric dipole layer configured to shift the modulated Vt in a first direction, a high-k (HK) insulating layer on the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer, and a gate metal layer on the HK insulating layer configured to shift the modulated Vt in a second direction.

Claims (50)

1 . A field-effect transistor (FET) device having a modulated Vt, the FET device comprising:

a source electrode;

a drain electrode;

a channel region between the source electrode and the drain electrode; and

a gate stack on the channel region, the gate stack comprising:

a layer combination to shift the modulated Vt in a first direction and by a first magnitude, the layer combination comprising:

an ultrathin dielectric dipole layer; and

a high-k (HK) insulating layer on the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer, wherein the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer contacts the channel region, and

a gate metal layer on the layer combination and to shift the modulated Vt in a second direction opposite the first direction and by a second magnitude, a value of the second magnitude being smaller than a value of the first magnitude,

wherein the gate metal layer is configured to shift the modulated Vt in the second direction simultaneously with the shift of the modulated Vt in the first direction to provide a predetermined modulated Vt value, and

wherein the gate metal layer and the layer combination are configured to shift the modulated Vt independently from each other.

2 . The FET device of claim 1 , the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer being undoped and comprising a metal oxide or metal-containing silicate material.

3 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein:

the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer comprises at least one of Lu 2 O 3 , LuSiO x , Y 2 O 3 , MgO, MgSiO x , YSiO x , La 2 O 3 , LaSiO x , BaO, BaSiO x , SrO, SrSiO x , or a combination thereof, and

the HK insulating layer comprises HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , HfSiO x , HfZrO x , and ZrAlO x .

4 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein:

the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer comprises at least one of Al 2 O 3 , AlSiO x , TiO 2 , TiSiO x , ZrSiO x , TaO 2 , TaSiO x , ScO, ScSiO x , or a combination thereof; and

the HK insulating layer comprises HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , HfSiO x , HfZrO x , and ZrAlO x .

5 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein the layer combination has a thickness of less than 3 nm.

6 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein the gate metal layer comprises at least one of Al-doped TIN, Al-doped TaN, Zr-doped TiN, Zr-doped TaN, Hf-doped TiN, Hf-doped TaN, or a combination thereof.

7 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein the gate metal layer comprises at least one of Si-doped TIN, Si-doped TaN, LaO-doped TiN, LaO-doped TaN, SiO-doped TIN, SiO-doped TaN, ZrO-doped TIN, ZrO doped TaN, lanthanide metal-doped TIN, La-doped TaN, or a combination thereof.

8 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein the gate metal layer has a doping amount of greater than 0 at % to 4 at %.

9 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein the gate metal layer has a thickness of 1 nm to 5 nm.

10 . The FET device of claim 1 , wherein:

the channel region comprises a plurality of nanosheets having a vertical spacing (VSP) therebetween of 5 nm to 15 nm, the nanosheets being interposed by an interfacial layer (IL) oxide and the gate stack.

11 . A CMOS circuit comprising a first FET device and a second FET device, wherein:

the first FET device is the FET device of claim 1 , and

the second FET device comprises a second gate stack on a second channel region, the second gate stack comprising:

a second high-k (HK) insulating layer directly on the second channel region; and

a second gate metal layer on the HK insulating layer to shift a modulated Vt of the second FET device.

12 . The CMOS circuit of claim 11 , further comprising one or more additional FET devices, each of the one or more additional FET devices having a gate stack with the same layers as that in the first FET device,

wherein the first FET device, the second FET device, and each of the one or more additional FET devices are different in voltage from each other by 50 mV to 100 mV.

13 . The CMOS circuit of claim 12 , wherein two or more selected from the first FET device, the second FET device, and the one or more additional FET devices are different in voltage from each other by 60 mV to 80 mV.

14 . A method of manufacturing a field-effect transistor (FET) device having a modulated Vt, the method comprising:

providing a channel region between a source electrode and a drain electrode,

forming a layer combination on the channel region, the layer combination to shift the modulated Vt in a first direction by a first magnitude, by:

depositing an ultrathin dielectric dipole layer such that the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer contacts the channel region; and

depositing a first high-k (HK) insulating layer on the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer; and

depositing a gate metal layer on the HK insulating layer to shift the modulated Vt in a second direction opposite the first direction and by a second magnitude, a value of the second magnitude being smaller than a value of the first magnitude,

wherein the FET device is not annealed at a temperature above 500° C.,

wherein the gate metal layer is configured to shift the modulated Vt in the second direction simultaneously with the shift of the modulated Vt in the first direction to provide a predetermined modulated Vt value, and

wherein the gate metal layer and the layer combination are configured to shift the modulated Vt independently from each other.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer is not driven through the HK insulating layer.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer is deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a temperature of 100° C. to 500° C.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the gate metal layer is deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a temperature of 100° C. to 500° C.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the depositing of the ultrathin dielectric dipole layer comprises depositing at least one of Lu 2 O 3 , LuSiO x , Y 2 O 3 , MgO, MgSiO x , YSiO x , La 2 O 3 , LaSiO x , BaO, BaSiO x , SrO, SrSiO x , or a combination thereof, or at least one of Al 2 O 3 , AlSiO x , TiO 2 , TiSiO x , ZrSiO x , TaO 2 , TaSiO x , ScO, ScSiO x , or a combination thereof; and

the depositing of the HK insulating layer comprises depositing one of HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , HfSiO x , HfZrO x , and ZrAlO x .

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the depositing of the gate metal layer comprises depositing TaN or TiN with a dopant selected from Al, Zr, Hf, Si, La, ZrSiO x , TaO 2 , ZrO, and a lanthanide metal,

the dopant being comprised in an amount of greater than 0 at % to 4 at %.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2023
From: WANG, WEI-E; RODDER, MARK
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064587/0735 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17396385 · Aug 6, 2021
Continuation 16802381 · Feb 26, 2020
Continuation In Part 15898421 · Feb 16, 2018
Provisional Application 62927477 · Oct 29, 2019
Provisional Application 62587327 · Nov 16, 2017
Related Publication 20230361194A1 · Nov 9, 2023
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