Self-aligned gate endcap (SAGE) architectures with vertical sidewalls
Self-aligned gate endcap (SAGE) architectures with vertical sidewalls, and methods of fabricating self-aligned gate endcap (SAGE) architectures with vertical sidewalls, are described. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor fin having sidewalls along a length of the semiconductor fin, each sidewall tapering outwardly from a top of the semiconductor fin toward a bottom of the semiconductor fin. A gate endcap isolation structure is spaced apart from the semiconductor fin and has a length parallel with the length of the semiconductor fin. The gate endcap isolation structure has a substantially vertical sidewall laterally facing one of the outwardly tapering sidewalls of the semiconductor fin.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a substrate;
a first fin extending from the substrate;
a second fin extending from the substrate, the first fin and the second fin define a trench therebetween, the first fin having first tapered walls, the second fin having second tapered walls, the first fin having a greater degree of tapering along a first portion of the first fin than along a second portion of the first fin, the first portion of the first fin associated with a base of the first fin, the second portion of the first fin associated with a distal end of the first fin, the second fin having a greater degree of tapering along a first portion of the second fin than along a second portion of the second fin, the first portion of the second fin associated with a base of the second fin, the second portion of the second fin associated with a distal end of the first fin;
a trench isolation structure in the trench, the trench isolation structure separating the first portion of the first fin and the first portion of the second fin, the trench isolation structure adjacent the substrate;
a gate structure including a first portion and a second portion extending along a first side and a second side, respectively, of the second portion of the first fin, the gate structure including a third portion extending over the distal end of the first fin, the third portion of the gate structure connecting the first portion of the gate structure and the second portion of the gate structure, the third portion of the gate structure including a gate material extending continuously between a first point on the gate structure and a second point on the gate structure, the first point being a point of the gate material closest to the distal end of the first fin along a first line collinear with a central axis of the first fin, the second point being a point of the gate material farthest from the distal end of the first fin along the first line, the gate structure including a fourth portion and a fifth portion extending along a first side and a second side, respectively, of the second portion of the second fin, the gate structure including a sixth portion extending over the distal end of the second fin, the sixth portion of the gate structure connecting the fourth portion of the gate structure and the fifth portion of the gate structure, the gate material extending continuously between a third point on the gate structure and a fourth point on the gate structure, the third point being a point of the gate material closest to the distal end of the second fin along a second line collinear with a central axis of the second fin, the fourth point being a point of the gate material farthest from the distal end of the second fin along the second line, the gate material including at least one of aluminum or titanium; and
a wall between the first fin and the second fin, the trench isolation structure extending around an end of the wall, the wall including carbon, silicon, and nitrogen, the end of the wall spaced apart from the substrate with the trench isolation structure therebetween, a first side of the wall facing at least a portion of the first fin with the second portion of the gate structure therebetween, a second side of the wall facing at least a portion of the second fin with the fourth portion of the gate structure therebetween.
2. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the gate structure is a first gate structure, and the wall is a first wall, the electronic device further including:
a second gate structure; and
a second wall, the first gate structure electrically isolated from the second gate structure by the second wall extending therebetween.
3. The electronic device as defined in claim 2 , wherein the first wall has a first width, and the second wall has a second width that is greater than the first width.
4. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the end of the wall is a first end, the wall includes a second end opposite the first end, and the electronic device includes an interconnect material extending over the second end of the wall, the third portion of the gate structure and the sixth portion of the gate structure electrically coupled along the interconnect material.
5. The electronic device as defined in claim 4 , wherein the interconnect material includes tungsten.
6. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the first fin is aligned with the distal end of the second fin.
7. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the wall extends parallel to an elongate length of the first fin.
8. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first fin is associated with an N-type transistor, and the second fin is associated with a P-type transistor.
9. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a computing device.
10. The electronic device as defined in claim 1 , further including a display.
11. A computing device comprising:
a substrate;
a first fin extending from the substrate;
a second fin extending from the substrate, the first fin and the second fin defining a trench therebetween;
a trench isolation material at a base of the trench, the first fin extending farther away from the substrate than the trench isolation material extends away from the substrate, the second fin extending farther away from the substrate than the trench isolation material extends away from the substrate, the trench isolation material including silicon and oxygen;
an isolation wall between the first fin and the second fin, the isolation wall including carbon, silicon, and nitrogen, the isolation wall extending into the trench isolation material; and
a gate structure including at least one of aluminum, titanium, hafnium, oxygen, or nitrogen, the first fin extending into a first opening in a first portion of the gate structure, the first portion of the gate structure having a first surface adjacent to and surrounding a top surface and opposing sidewalls of the first fin, the first portion of the gate structure having a second surface distal to and facing away from the top surface of the first fin, the second surface in contact with a gate interconnect, the first portion of the gate structure contiguous between a first point on the first surface and a second point on the second surface, the first point and the second point in a first plane aligned with the first fin and centered between the opposing sidewalls of the first fin, the second fin extending into a second opening in a second portion of the gate structure, the second portion of the gate structure having a third surface adjacent to and surrounding a top surface and opposing sidewalls of the second fin, the second portion of the gate structure having a fourth surface distal to and facing away from the top surface of the second fin, the fourth surface in contact with the gate interconnect, the second portion of the gate structure contiguous between a third point on the third surface and a fourth point on the fourth surface, the third point and the fourth point in a second plane aligned with the second fin and centered between the opposing sidewalls of the second fin, the isolation wall extending between the first portion of the gate structure and the second portion of the gate structure, a first part of the first portion of the gate structure between the first fin and the isolation wall, a second part of the second portion of the gate structure between the second fin and the isolation wall, the first portion of the gate structure electrically coupled to the second portion of the gate structure over an end of the isolation wall, the end of the isolation wall distal to the substrate, a portion of the isolation wall closer to the substrate than the gate structure is to the substrate.
12. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the isolation wall is a first isolation wall, and further including a second isolation wall, the second fin between the first isolation wall and the second isolation wall.
13. The computing device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the gate structure is a first gate structure, and further including a second gate structure, the second isolation wall separating the first gate structure from the second gate structure.
14. The computing device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first isolation wall has a first width, and the second isolation wall has a second width that is greater than the first width.
15. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the isolation wall includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, the first side of the isolation wall faces at least a first portion of the first fin, and the second side of the isolation wall faces at least a second portion of the second fin.
16. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , further including the gate interconnect electrically coupled to the gate structure, the gate interconnect including tungsten.
17. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein a distal end of the first fin is aligned with a distal end of the second fin.
18. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the isolation wall extends parallel to an elongate length of the first fin.
19. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , further including a display.
20. The computing device as defined in claim 11 , wherein the first fin is associated with an N-type transistor, and the second fin is associated with a P-type transistor.
21. An apparatus comprising:
a plurality of fins on a semiconductor substrate, the plurality of fins having opposing sidewalls that are tapered, an angle of tapering of the sidewalls greater adjacent bases of the plurality of fins than adjacent top surfaces of the plurality of fins;
a plurality of isolation walls at least partially interleaved with at least some of the plurality of fins, the plurality of isolation walls separated from the substrate by a trench isolation material, the trench isolation material between adjacent ones of the plurality of fins, the plurality of isolation walls including carbon, silicon, and nitrogen; and
a conductive material extending around the top surfaces and the opposing sidewalls of the plurality of fins, the plurality of isolation walls closer to the substrate than the conductive material is to the substrate, different portions of the conductive material corresponding to different gate electrodes of different transistors, the conductive material extending along unobstructed paths between first surfaces of the gate electrodes adjacent the top surfaces of the plurality of fins and second surfaces of the gate electrodes adjacent interconnects on sides of the gate electrodes opposite the plurality of fins, the conductive material including at least one of aluminum or titanium, at least some of the plurality of isolation walls separating adjacent ones of the different gate electrodes, the conductive material of the different gate electrodes extending between adjacent ones of the plurality of isolation walls and corresponding ones of the plurality of fins, at least some of the different portions of the conductive material extending around different ones of the plurality of fins electrically coupled to other ones of the different portions of the conductive material extending around other ones of the plurality of fins along ones of the interconnects that extend over intervening ones of the plurality of isolation walls.
22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein at least some of the different portions of the conductive material extending around different ones of the plurality of fins are electrically isolated from other ones of the different portions of the conductive material extending around other ones of the plurality of fins by intervening ones of the plurality of isolation walls positioned therebetween.
23. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein different ones of the plurality of isolation walls have different widths.
24. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein the interconnects include tungsten.
25. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein the top surfaces of the plurality of fins are aligned.
26. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein the plurality of isolation walls extend parallel to the plurality of fins.
27. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , further including a display.
28. The apparatus as defined in claim 21 , wherein at least some of the different transistors are N-type transistors, and at least some of the different transistors are P-type transistors.