IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,740,132
Granted Patent B2
US 12,740,132 · App. 18/606,689 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Semiconductor device with source/drain contact MOL cut structure

Inventors: Min Gyu Sung (Latham, NY); Tao Li (Slingerlands, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Nicolas Jean Loubet (Guilderland, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D84/0153H10D30/014H10D30/43H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/118H10D62/151H10D84/013H10D84/0147H10D84/0149H10D84/038H10D84/83H10W20/427
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,740,132
App. No.
18/606,689
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a source/drain contact middle-of-the-line (MOL) cut structure separating two adjacent frontside source/drain contact structures from each other in which one of the separated frontside source/drain contact structures is merged to a via-to-backside power rail (VBPR) structure that is in electrical contact with a backside power distribution network.

Claims (47)

1 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor located in a first active area of a semiconductor device layer, the first transistor comprising a first gate structure and a first source/drain region located on each side of the first gate structure;

a second transistor located in a second active area of the semiconductor device layer, the second transistor comprising a second gate structure and a second source/drain region located on each side of the second gate structure;

a first frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the first source/drain regions of the first transistor;

a second frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the second source/drain regions of the second transistor that is adjacent to the first source/drain region including the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a dielectric gate cap located on the first gate structure and the second gate structure;

a source/drain contact middle-of-the-line (MOL) cut structure separating the first frontside source/drain contact structure from the second frontside source/drain contact structure;

a via-to-backside power rail (VBPR) structure located in a non-active device area that is located between the first active area and the second active area and in electrical contact with the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a gate cut dielectric spacer located on each side of the VBPR structure; and

a backside power rail in electrical contact with the VBPR structure.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is located above a bottommost surface of the dielectric gate cap.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is above a topmost surface of the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the second source/drain region contacts a surface of the source/drain contact MOL cut structure.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the second active area has a height that is less than a height of the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the first active area.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the second active area has a height that is substantially the same as a height of the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the first active area.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising frontside back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) structure located above the first gate structure and the second gate structure.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , further comprising a frontside gate contact structure electrically connecting each of the first gate structure and the second gate structure to the frontside BEOL structure.

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a backside power distribution network in contact with the backside power rail.

10 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor located in a first active area of a semiconductor device layer, the first transistor comprising a first gate structure and a first source/drain region located on each side of the first gate structure;

a second transistor located in a second active area of the semiconductor device layer, the second transistor comprising a second gate structure and a second source/drain region located on each side of the second gate structure;

a first frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the first source/drain regions of the first transistor;

a second frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the second source/drain regions of the second transistor that is adjacent to the first source/drain region including the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a dielectric gate cap located on the first gate structure and the second gate structure;

a source/drain contact middle-of-the-line (MOL) cut structure separating the first frontside source/drain contact structure from the second frontside source/drain contact structure;

a via-to-backside power rail (VBPR) structure located in a non-active device area that is located between the first active area and the second active area and in electrical contact with the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a gate cut dielectric spacer located on each side of the VBPR structure, wherein the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the first source/drain region that contacts the first frontside source/drain contact structure has a height that is greater than a height of the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the second source/drain region that contacts the second frontside source/drain contact structure; and

a backside power rail in electrical contact with the VBPR structure.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is located above a bottommost surface of the dielectric gate cap.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is above a topmost surface of the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the gate cut dielectric spacer located adjacent to the second source/drain region contacts a surface of the source/drain contact MOL cut structure.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , further comprising frontside back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) structure located above the first gate structure and the second gate structure.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , further comprising a frontside gate contact structure electrically connecting each of the first gate structure and the second gate structure to the frontside BEOL structure.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 10 , further comprising a backside power distribution network in contact with the backside power rail.

17 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor located in a first active area of a semiconductor device layer, the first transistor comprising a first gate structure and a first source/drain region located on each side of the first gate structure;

a second transistor located in a second active area of the semiconductor device layer, the second transistor comprising a second gate structure and a second source/drain region located on each side of the second gate structure;

a first frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the first source/drain regions of the first transistor;

a second frontside source/drain contact structure contacting one of the second source/drain regions of the second transistor that is adjacent to the first source/drain region including the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a dielectric gate cap located on the first gate structure and the second gate structure;

a source/drain contact middle-of-the-line (MOL) cut structure separating the first frontside source/drain contact structure from the second frontside source/drain contact structure;

a via-to-backside power rail (VBPR) structure located in a non-active device area that is located between the first active area and the second active area and in electrical contact with the first frontside source/drain contact structure;

a gate cut dielectric spacer located on each side of the VBPR structure, wherein each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is located above a bottommost surface of the dielectric gate cap and each gate cut dielectric spacer has a topmost surface that is above a topmost surface of the first source/drain regions and the second source/drain regions; and

a backside power rail in electrical contact with the VBPR structure.

18 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , further comprising frontside back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) structure located above the first gate structure and the second gate structure.

19 . The semiconductor device of claim 18 , further comprising a frontside gate contact structure electrically connecting each of the first gate structure and the second gate structure to the frontside BEOL structure.

20 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , further comprising a backside power distribution network in contact with the backside power rail.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2024
From: SUNG, MIN GYU; LI, TAO; XIE, RUILONG; LOUBET, NICOLAS JEAN
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067064/0423 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250293161A1 · Sep 18, 2025
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