IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,490,557
Granted Patent B2
US 10,490,557 · App. 15/915,042 · Granted Nov 26, 2019

Semiconductor structure with contact plug and method of fabricating the same

Inventors: Li-Wei Feng (Kaohsiung, TW); Ying-Chiao Wang (Changhua County, TW); Chien-Ting Ho (Taichung, TW); Kai-Ping Chen (Tainan, TW)
Assignees: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.; Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd.
H01L27/10897H01L21/76805H01L21/76816H01L21/76819H01L21/76829H01L21/76895H01L23/535H01L23/53295H01L27/1085H01L27/10894H01L27/10814H01L27/10823
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,490,557
App. No.
15/915,042
Granted
Nov 26, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor structure having a contact plug includes a substrate. A memory cell region and a peripheral circuit region are defined on the substrate. At least one memory cell is disposed on the substrate within the memory cell region. The memory cell includes a transistor and a capacitor structure. A first planar stacked dielectric layer covers the peripheral circuit region. The first planar stacked dielectric layer includes two first dielectric layers and a second dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer at the bottom of the first planar stacked dielectric layer extends to the memory cell region and covers the capacitor structure. A contact plug is disposed at the peripheral circuit region and penetrates the first planar stacked dielectric layer.

Claims (29)

1. A semiconductor structure with a contact plug, comprising:

a substrate comprising a memory cell region and a peripheral circuit region, wherein a memory cell is disposed within the memory cell region and the memory cell comprises a transistor and a capacitor structure;

a first planar stacked dielectric layer covering the peripheral circuit region, wherein the first planar stacked dielectric layer comprises a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a third dielectric layer which are arranged in a sequence of the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer stacked from bottom to top of the first planar stacked dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer are made of the same type of material, the first dielectric layer is a single layer, and the first dielectric layer extends to the memory cell region and covers the capacitor structure from above, and wherein a bottommost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is aligned with a bottommost surface of the capacitor structure, and a topmost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is higher than a topmost surface of the capacitor structure; and

a contact plug disposed within the peripheral circuit region and penetrating the first planar stacked dielectric layer, wherein the bottommost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is aligned with one end of the contact plug.

2. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein the second dielectric layer extends to the memory cell region and covers the capacitor structure.

3. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the second dielectric layer is between one tenth and one eighth of a thickness of the first planar stacked dielectric layer.

4. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein at least one gate is disposed within the peripheral circuit region, and the contact plug electrically connects to the gate.

5. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein a material of the first dielectric layer is different from a material of the second dielectric layer.

6. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , further comprising a second planar stacked dielectric layer disposed within the peripheral circuit region and covering the first planar stacked dielectric layer, wherein the second planar stacked dielectric layer comprises a fourth dielectric layer and a fifth dielectric layer disposed from bottom to top of the second planar stacked dielectric layer, wherein the fourth dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are made of the same type of material, and the fifth dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer are made of the same type of material.

7. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 6 , wherein the contact plug penetrates the second planar stacked dielectric layer.

8. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein the second dielectric layer does not cover the topmost surface of the capacitor structure entirely.

9. The semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 1 , wherein the second dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide nitride or metal oxide.

10. A fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug, comprising:

providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a memory cell region and a peripheral circuit region, wherein a memory cell is disposed within the memory cell region and the memory cell comprises a transistor and a capacitor structure;

forming a first stacked dielectric layer covering the memory cell region and the peripheral circuit region, wherein the first stacked dielectric layer comprises a first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer and a third dielectric layer which are arranged in a sequence of the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer stacked from bottom to top of the first stacked dielectric layer, the first dielectric layer extends to the memory cell region and covers the capacitor structure from above, the first dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer are made of the same type of material, and the first dielectric layer is a single layer;

performing a planarization process to remove the third dielectric layer and expose the second dielectric layer to form a first planar stacked dielectric layer; and

after the planarization process, forming a contact plug within the peripheral circuit region and penetrating the first planar stacked dielectric layer, wherein after the planarization process, a bottommost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is aligned with a bottommost surface of the capacitor structure, a topmost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is higher than a topmost surface of the capacitor structure and the bottommost surface of the first planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region is align with one end of the contact plug.

11. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 10 , wherein after removing the third dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer is removed to expose the first dielectric layer.

12. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 10 , further comprising:

before the planarization process, forming at least one second planar stacked dielectric layer in the peripheral circuit region and the memory cell region, and covering the first stacked dielectric layer, wherein the second stacked dielectric layer comprises a fourth-dielectric layer and a fifth dielectric layer below the fourth dielectric layer, wherein the fourth dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are made of the same type of material, and the fifth dielectric layer and the first dielectric layer are made of the same type of material.

13. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 12 , further comprising:

during the planarization process, removing the second stacked dielectric layer within the memory cell region to form a second planar stacked dielectric layer; and

after forming the second planar stacked dielectric layer, removing part of the first stacked dielectric layer to expose the second dielectric layer within the first stacked dielectric layer.

14. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 12 , further comprising:

during the planarization process, removing the second stacked dielectric layer within the memory cell region entirely to form a second planar stacked dielectric layer; and

after forming the second planar stacked dielectric layer, removing part of the first stacked dielectric layer to expose the first dielectric layer at the bottom of the first stacked dielectric layer.

15. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 13 , wherein the contact plug is disposed in the peripheral circuit region and penetrates the first planar stacked dielectric layer and the second planar stacked dielectric layer.

16. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 10 , wherein a material of the first dielectric layer is different from a material of the second dielectric layer.

17. The fabricating method of a semiconductor structure with a contact plug of claim 10 , wherein the second dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide nitride or metal oxide.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2018
From: FENG, LI-WEI; WANG, YING-CHIAO; HO, CHIEN-TING; CHEN, KAI-PING
To: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.; FUJIAN JINHUA INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 045854/0690 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 2017 1 0224689 · Apr 7, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180294269A1 · Oct 11, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,477,721