IP Library Granted Patent US 12,334,349
Granted Patent B2
US 12,334,349 · App. 18/588,783 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Semiconductor device having work function metal stack

Inventors: Yen-Yu Chen (Kaohsiung, TW); Yu-Chi Lu (Hsinchu, TW); Chih-Pin Tsao (Hsinchu County, TW); Shih-Hsun Chang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
H01L21/28088H01L21/28185H10D64/667
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,334,349
App. No.
18/588,783
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device includes gate spacers over a substrate, and a gate structure between the gate spacers. The gate structure includes an interfacial layer over the substrate, a metal oxide layer over the interfacial layer, a metal oxide layer over the interfacial layer, a first metal nitride layer over the metal oxide layer, a second metal nitride over the first metal nitride layer, and a tungsten-containing material interposing the first metal nitride layer and the second metal nitride layer.

Claims (41)

1. A device, comprising:

gate spacers over a substrate; and

a gate structure disposed between the gate spacers, the gate structure comprising:

an interfacial layer over the substrate;

a metal oxide layer over the interfacial layer;

a first metal nitride layer over the metal oxide layer;

a second metal nitride layer over the first metal nitride layer, wherein the second metal nitride layer includes TaN or a nitride compound containing Ti and Ta; and

a tungsten-containing material interposing the first metal nitride layer and the second metal nitride layer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-containing material has a cross-sectional pattern different from a cross-sectional pattern of the interfacial layer.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the cross-sectional pattern of the tungsten-containing material is a U-shaped pattern.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the cross-sectional pattern of the interfacial layer is a linear pattern.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the linear pattern extends a length greater than a distance between outermost sides of the U-shaped pattern of the tungsten-containing material.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first metal nitride layer and the second metal nitride layer include different materials.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first metal nitride layer includes TiN, TiNO y , TaNO y , or Al-doped TiN.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-containing material is a binary tungsten compound, a ternary tungsten compound, or a quaternary tungsten compound.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the tungsten-containing material is a nitride compound of tungsten.

10. A device, comprising:

gate spacers over a substrate; and

a gate structure between the gate spacers, the gate structure comprising:

a metal oxide layer over the substrate;

a first metal nitride layer over the metal oxide layer;

a tungsten-containing material over the first metal nitride layer;

a second metal nitride layer over the tungsten-containing material, wherein the second metal nitride layer includes TaN or a nitride compound containing Ti and Ta; and

a tungsten structure spaced apart from the tungsten-containing material at least by the second metal nitride layer.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the tungsten-containing material has a cross-sectional pattern different from a cross-sectional pattern of the tungsten structure.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional pattern of the tungsten-containing material is a U-shaped pattern.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the cross-sectional pattern of the tungsten structure is a bar-shaped pattern having a bottom side and opposite lateral sides wrapped around by the U-shaped pattern of the tungsten-containing material.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the tungsten-containing material has a thickness in a range from about 3 Å to about 10 Å.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the tungsten-containing material is a nitride compound of tungsten.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the tungsten-containing material is thinner than the second metal nitride layer.

17. The device of claim 10 , wherein the gate structure further comprises an interfacial layer below the metal oxide layer, wherein in a cross-sectional view, the tungsten-containing material has a U-shaped pattern, the interfacial layer has a linear pattern, wherein the linear pattern extends a length greater than a distance between outermost sides of the U-shaped pattern of the tungsten-containing material.

18. A device, comprising:

a substrate;

gate spacers over the substrate; and

a gate structure between the gate spacers, the gate structure comprising:

an interfacial layer;

a tungsten-containing material over the interfacial layer;

a gate fill metal over the tungsten-containing material; and

a metal nitride layer interposing the tungsten-containing material and the gate fill metal, wherein the tungsten-containing material is thinner than the metal nitride layer.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the tungsten-containing material has a U-shaped cross-sectional pattern wrapping around a U-shaped cross-sectional pattern of the metal nitride layer.

20. The device of claim 18 , wherein the tungsten-containing material is a nitride compound different from the metal nitride layer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2024
From: CHEN, YEN-YU; LU, YU-CHI; TSAO, CHIH-PIN; CHANG, SHIH-HSUN
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066760/0369 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 18066203 · Dec 14, 2022
Continuation 17549673 · Dec 13, 2021
Continuation 16701009 · Dec 2, 2019
Continuation 15965635 · Apr 27, 2018
Related Publication 20240203738A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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