IP Library Granted Patent US 9,929,236
Granted Patent B1
US 9,929,236 · App. 15/624,762 · Granted Mar 27, 2018

Active area shapes reducing device size

Inventors: Bipul C. Paul (Mechanicville, NY); Kwan-Yong Lim (Niskayana, NY)
Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
H01L29/0692H01L21/823814H01L21/823885H01L27/1108H01L29/42392H01L29/78642
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,929,236
App. No.
15/624,762
Granted
Mar 27, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods form structures to include a first pair of complementary transistors (having first and second transistors) and a second pair of complementary transistors (having third and fourth transistors). An active area of the first transistor contacts an active area of the second transistor along a first common edge that is straight, and an active area of the third transistor contacts an active area of the fourth transistor along a second common edge that is straight and parallel to the first common edge. The active area of the second transistor has a third edge, opposite the first common edge, that has a non-linear shape, and the active area of the third transistor has a fourth edge, opposite the second common edge, that has the same non-linear shape. The non-linear shape of the third edge faces and is inverted relative to the non-linear shape of the fourth edge.

Claims (65)

1. A method of forming a transistor structure comprising:

performing a patterning process on a planar surface of a substrate to define an area for a first set of transistors and a second set of transistors adjacent the first set of transistors, the patterning process positions a first transistor and a second transistor in the area for the first set of transistors, and a third transistor and a fourth transistor in the area for the second set of transistors;

adding impurities to the area for the first set of transistors to provide the first transistor with an opposite polarity from the second transistor; and

adding impurities to the area for the second set of transistors to provide the third transistor with an opposite polarity from the fourth transistor,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the first transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the first transistor contacts an active area of the second transistor along a first common edge that is straight,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the fourth transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the fourth transistor contacts an active area of the third transistor along a second common edge that is straight and parallel to the first common edge,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a third edge, opposite the first common edge, that has a non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the third transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a fourth edge, opposite the second common edge, that has a shape that is the same as the non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to face the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface, and

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to be inverted relative to the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface.

2. The method according to claim 1 , the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape to have two sections parallel to the first common edge and the second common edge, and a third section perpendicular to the two sections that connects the two sections.

3. The method according to claim 1 , the patterning process patterns the third edge to be separated from the fourth edge only by an insulator.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the processes of adding the impurities to the area for the first set of transistors and the second set of transistors:

dopes the first transistor and the fourth transistor to have the same first doping impurities and the same first polarity, and

dopes the second transistor and the third transistor to have the same second doping impurities and the same second polarity,

the first doping impurities are different from the second doping impurities.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the patterning process patterns the first common edge to be shared by the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the second transistor and to define a border between the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the second transistor, and

the patterning process patterns the second common edge to be shared by the active area of the third transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor and to define a border between the active area of the third transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor and the active area of the third transistor to be between the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor along the planar surface.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the patterning process patterns the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor to have the same four-sided rectangular shape and size,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor and the active area of the third transistor to have the same six-sided shape and size, and

the patterning process patterns the shape of the active area of the third transistor to be inverted relative to the shape of the active area of the second transistor.

8. A method of forming a transistor structure comprising:

patterning a substrate to form fins on a planar surface of the substrate;

performing a patterning process on the planar surface of the substrate to define an area for a first set of transistors and a second set of transistors adjacent the first set of transistors, the patterning process positions fins of a first transistor and a second transistor in the area for the first set of transistors, and fins of a third transistor and a fourth transistor in the area for the second set of transistors;

adding impurities to the area for the first set of transistors adjacent the fins to provide the first transistor with an opposite polarity from the second transistor; and

adding impurities to the area for the second set of transistors adjacent the fins to provide the third transistor with an opposite polarity from the fourth transistor,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the first transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the first transistor contacts an active area of the second transistor along a first common edge that is straight,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the fourth transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the fourth transistor contacts an active area of the third transistor along a second common edge that is straight and parallel to the first common edge,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a third edge, opposite the first common edge, that has a non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the third transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a fourth edge, opposite the second common edge, that has a shape that is the same as the non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to face the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface, and

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to be inverted relative to the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface.

9. The method according to claim 8 , the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape to have two sections parallel to the first common edge and the second common edge, and a third section perpendicular to the two sections that connects the two sections.

10. The method according to claim 8 , the patterning process patterns the third edge to be separated from the fourth edge only by an insulator.

11. The method according to claim 8 , the processes of adding impurities to the area for the first set of transistors and the second set of transistors:

dopes the first transistor and the fourth transistor to have the same first doping impurities and the same first polarity, and

dopes the second transistor and the third transistor to have the same second doping impurities and the same second polarity,

the first doping impurities are different from the second doping impurities.

12. The method according to claim 8 , the patterning process patterns the first common edge to be shared by the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the second transistor and to define a border between the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the second transistor, and

the patterning process patterns the second common edge to be shared by the active area of the third transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor and to define a border between the active area of the third transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor.

13. The method according to claim 8 , the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor and the active area of the third transistor to be between the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor along the planar surface.

14. The method according to claim 8 , the patterning process patterns the active area of the first transistor and the active area of the fourth transistor to have the same four-sided rectangular shape and size,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the second transistor and the active area of the third transistor to have the same six-sided shape and size, and

the patterning process patterns the shape of the active area of the third transistor to be inverted relative to the shape of the active area of the second transistor.

15. A method of forming a transistor structure comprising:

patterning a substrate to form fins on a planar surface of the substrate;

performing a patterning process on the planar surface of the substrate to define an area for a first set of transistors and a second set of transistors adjacent the first set of transistors, the patterning process positions fins of a first pull-down transistor, a first pull-up transistor, and a first pass transistor in the area for the first set of transistors, and fins of a second pull-up transistor, a second pull-down transistor, and a second pass transistor in the area for the second set of transistors;

adding impurities to the area for the first set of transistors adjacent the fins to provide the first pull-down transistor with an opposite polarity from the first pull-up transistor; and

adding impurities to the area for the second set of transistors adjacent the fins to provide the second pull-up transistor with an opposite polarity from the second pull-down transistor,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the first pull-down transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the first pull-down transistor contacts an active area of the first pull-up transistor along a first common edge that is straight,

the patterning process patterns an active area of the second pull-down transistor to have a four-sided rectangular shape along the planar surface, so that one side of the active area of the second pull-down transistor contacts an active area of the second pull-up transistor along a second common edge that is straight and parallel to the first common edge,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the first pull-up transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a third edge, opposite the first common edge, that has a non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the active area of the second pull-up transistor to lie along the planar surface and to have a fourth edge, opposite the second common edge, that has a shape that is the same as the non-linear shape,

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to face the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface, and

the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape of the third edge to be inverted relative to the non-linear shape of the fourth edge along the planar surface.

16. The method according to claim 15 , the patterning process patterns the non-linear shape to have two sections parallel to the first common edge and the second common edge, and a third section perpendicular to the two sections that connects the two sections.

17. The method according to claim 15 , the patterning process patterns the third edge to be separated from the fourth edge only by an insulator.

18. The method according to claim 15 , the processes of adding impurities to the area for the first set of transistors and the second set of transistors:

dopes the first pull-down transistor and the second pull-down transistor to have the same first doping impurities and the same first polarity, and

dopes the first pull-up transistor and the second pull-up transistor to have the same second doping impurities and the same second polarity,

the first doping impurities are different from the second doping impurities.

19. The method according to claim 15 , the patterning process patterns the first common edge to be shared by the active area of the first pull-down transistor and the active area of the first pull-up transistor and to define a border between the active area of the first pull-down transistor and the active area of the first pull-up transistor, and

the patterning process patterns the second common edge to be shared by the active area of the second pull-up transistor and the active area of the second pull-down transistor and to define a border between the active area of the second pull-up transistor and the active area of the second pull-down transistor.

20. The method according to claim 15 , the patterning process patterns the active area of the first pull-up transistor and the active area of the second pull-up transistor to be between the active area of the first pull-down transistor and the active area of the second pull-down transistor along the planar surface.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
Reel/Frame 056987/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2020
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 054636/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2020
From: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
Reel/Frame 054633/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 29, 2018
From: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 049490/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND INVENTORS NAME. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 042861 FRAME: 0811. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT . Recorded Jun 30, 2017
From: PAUL, BIPUL C.; LIM, KWAN-YONG
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 043069/0125 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2017
From: PAUL, BIPUL C.; LIM, KWAM-YONG
To: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
Reel/Frame 042861/0811 →
Continuity (1)
Division 15423647 · Feb 3, 2017