IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,727,243
Granted Patent B2
US 12,727,243 · App. 18/405,441 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Backside diffusion break

Inventors: Tsung-Sheng Kang (Ballston Lake, NY); Sagarika Mukesh (Albany, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Alexander Reznicek (Troy, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D86/0214H10W10/014H10W10/17
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,727,243
App. No.
18/405,441
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device includes a diffusion break region that has a diffusion break dielectric adjacent to or between diffusion break isolation wall(s). The diffusion break region may separate adjacent transistors. The diffusion break isolation wall(s) may include respective retained portions of a backside spacer, a bottom isolation, respective inner spacers, and residual active semiconductor nanolayers. The diffusion break region may be fabricated by depositing a diffusion break dielectric within a diffusion break opening against the diffusion break isolation wall(s).

Claims (29)

1 . A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device comprising:

a first diffusion break isolation wall comprising a first backside spacer, a first bottom isolation region directly upon the first backside spacer, a first alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers directly upon the first bottom isolation region, and a first gate spacer directly upon the first alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers; and

a diffusion break dielectric directly against an outer sidewall of the first diffusion break isolation wall.

2 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 1 , wherein the first backside spacer is directly against a sidewall of a backside contact placeholder.

3 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 2 , wherein a bottom surface of the first backside spacer is substantially coplanar with a bottom surface of the backside contact placeholder.

4 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 3 , wherein an inner sidewall of the first diffusion break isolation wall is directly against a sidewall of a source/drain (S/D) region.

5 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the S/D region is directly against a top surface of the backside contact placeholder.

6 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 5 , wherein charge carriers do not flow through the residual nanolayer channel layers.

7 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a frontside interlayer dielectric (ILD) upon the S/D region, upon the first gate spacer, and upon the diffusion break dielectric; and

a backside ILD upon the backside contact placeholder, upon the first backside spacer, and upon the diffusion break dielectric.

8 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 7 , wherein the backside ILD and the diffusion break dielectric are composed of a same first dielectric material.

9 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 8 , wherein the frontside ILD is composed of a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

10 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second diffusion break isolation wall comprising a second backside spacer, a second bottom isolation region directly upon the second backside spacer, a second alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers directly upon the second bottom isolation region, and a second gate spacer directly upon the alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers; and

wherein the diffusion break dielectric is further directly against an outer sidewall of the second diffusion break isolation wall.

11 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 10 , wherein a dimension between a bottom surface of the first backside spacer and a bottom surface of the second backside spacer is substantially the same as a dimension between a top surface of the first gate spacer and a top surface of the second gate spacer.

12 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 1 , wherein the first backside spacer is directly against a sidewall of a backside contact.

13 . A semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) device comprising:

a first diffusion break isolation wall comprising a first backside spacer, a first alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers directly upon the backside spacer, and a first gate spacer directly upon the first alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers; and

a diffusion break dielectric directly against an outer sidewall of the first diffusion break isolation wall.

14 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 13 , wherein the first backside spacer is directly against a sidewall of a backside contact placeholder.

15 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 14 , wherein a bottom surface of the first backside spacer is substantially coplanar with a bottom surface of the backside contact placeholder.

16 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 15 , wherein an inner sidewall of the first diffusion break isolation wall is directly against a sidewall of a source/drain (S/D) region.

17 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a second diffusion break isolation wall comprising a second backside spacer, a second alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers directly upon second backside spacer, and a second gate spacer directly upon the alternating series of residual nanolayer channel layers and residual inner spacers;

and wherein the diffusion break dielectric is further directly against an outer sidewall of the second diffusion break isolation wall.

18 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 17 , wherein a dimension between a bottom surface of the first backside spacer and a bottom surface of the second backside spacer is substantially the same as a dimension between a top surface of the first gate spacer and a top surface of the second gate spacer.

19 . The semiconductor IC device of claim 17 , wherein a dimension between a bottom surface of the first backside spacer and a bottom surface of the second backside spacer is greater than a dimension between a top surface of the first gate spacer and a top surface of the second gate spacer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2024
From: KANG, TSUNG-SHENG; MUKESH, SAGARIKA; XIE, RUILONG; REZNICEK, ALEXANDER
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066035/0587 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250227997A1 · Jul 10, 2025
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