IP Library Granted Patent US 12,520,567
Granted Patent B2
US 12,520,567 · App. 18/371,871 · Granted Jan 6, 2026

Hybrid-channel nano-sheet FETs

Inventors: Zhenxing Bi (Niskayuna, NY); Kangguo Cheng (Schenectady, NY); Peng Xu (Guilderland, NY); Wenyu Xu (Albany, NY)
Assignee: Adeia Semiconductor Solutions LLC
H10D84/038H01L21/02532H01L21/02603H10D30/014H10D30/43H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/118H10D64/017H10D84/0167H10D84/017H10D84/0177H10D84/0193H10D84/85H10D84/853H10D30/0243
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,520,567
App. No.
18/371,871
Granted
Jan 6, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming a first layer cap at ends of layers of first channel material in a stack of alternating layers of first channel material and second channel material. A second layer cap is formed at ends of the layers of second channel material. The first layer caps are etched away in a first device region. The second layer caps are etched away in a second device region.

Claims (39)

1 . A method of forming semiconductor devices, the method comprising:

forming alternating layers of a first material and a second material different than the first material;

etching the alternating layers to form:

an nFET channel stack and a pFET channel stack each comprising a plurality of alternating nFET-channel layers and pFET-channel layers, wherein the nFET-channel layers comprise the second material and the pFET-channel layers comprise the first material;

forming nFET layer caps at the end of pFET channel layers in the nFET channel stack and pFET layer caps at the end of nFET channel layers in the pFET channel stack;

forming nFET-source/drain regions adjacent to and on opposite sides of the nFET channel stack, wherein the nFET-source/drain regions are disposed on the plurality of nFET-channel layers and nFET layer caps;

forming pFET-source/drain regions adjacent to and on opposite sides of the pFET channel stack, wherein the pFET-source/drain regions are disposed on the plurality of pFET-channel layers and pFET layer caps;

forming nFET-gate layers around the nFET-channel layers of the nFET channel stack, wherein end portions of the nFET-gate layers are separated from the nFET-source/drain regions by the nFET layer caps; and

forming pFET-gate layers around the pFET-channel layers of the pFET channel stack, wherein end portions of the pFET-gate layers are separated from the pFET-source/drain regions by the pFET layer caps, wherein:

the nFET layer caps comprise a different material than the pFET layer caps.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second material comprises silicon and the first material comprises silicon germanium.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selectively etching the nFET layer caps with respect to the pFET layer caps; or

selectively etching the pFET layer caps with respect to the nFET layer caps.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selectively etching the nFET layer caps with respect to the pFET layer caps.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selectively etching the pFET layer caps with respect to the nFET layer caps.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before forming the pFET-gate layers, removing the nFET-channel layers from the pFET channel stack; and

forming the pFET-gate layers in regions where the nFET-channel layers are is removed.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before forming the nFET-gate layers, removing the pFET-channel layers from the nFET channel stack; and

forming the nFET-gate layers in regions where the pFET-channel layers are is-removed.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a given nFET-gate layer of the nFET channel stack is substantially co-planar with a given pFET-channel layer of the pFET channel stack.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a given pFET-gate layer of the pFET channel stack is substantially co-planar with a given nFET-channel layer of the nFET channel stack.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein some of the nFET-source/drain regions or the pFET source/drain regions are formed on an oxide layer.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pFET-source/drain regions are formed on an oxide layer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein some of the nFET-source/drain regions or the pFET-source/drain regions are formed on a silicon substrate.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nFET-source/drain regions are formed on a silicon substrate.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the nFET-source/drain regions extends laterally between an upper nFET layer cap and an adjacent lower nFET layer cap to contact one of the plurality of nFET-channel layers.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the pFET-source/drain regions extends laterally between an upper pFET layer cap and an adjacent lower pFET layer cap to contact one of the plurality of pFET-channel layers.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein some of the nFET layer caps or the pFET layer caps comprise a dielectric material.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nFET layer caps comprise a dielectric material.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein some of the nFET layer caps or the pFET layer caps comprise an oxide.

19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pFET layer caps comprise an oxide.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the nFET-gate layers comprise an n-type work function metal; and

the n-type work function metal comprises titanium aluminum, tantalum nitride, titanium nitride, hafnium nitride, hafnium silicon, or combinations thereof.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: BI, ZHENXING; CHENG, KANGGUO; XU, PENG; XU, WENYU
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066836/0761 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: TESSERA, INC.
Reel/Frame 066836/0781 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: TESSERA LLC
To: ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 066837/0192 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: TESSERA, INC.
To: TESSERA LLC
Reel/Frame 066837/0285 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17592470 · Feb 3, 2022
Continuation 16681347 · Nov 12, 2019
Continuation 15903167 · Feb 23, 2018
Continuation 15398232 · Jan 4, 2017
Related Publication 20240274475A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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