IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,818,755
Granted Patent B2
US 10,818,755 · App. 16/192,987 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Method for making semiconductor device including source/drain dopant diffusion blocking superlattices to reduce contact resistance

Inventors: Hideki Takeuchi (San Jose, CA); Daniel Connelly (San Francisco, CA); Marek Hytha (Brookline, MA); Richard Burton (Phoenix, AZ); Robert J. Mears (Wellesley, MA)
Assignee: ATOMERA INCORPORATED
H01L29/152H01L21/2253H01L21/26513H01L21/26533H01L29/0847H01L29/165H01L29/167H01L29/66643H01L29/785
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,818,755
App. No.
16/192,987
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming spaced apart source and drain regions in a semiconductor layer with a channel region extending therebetween. At least one of the source and drain regions may be divided into a lower region and an upper region by a dopant diffusion blocking superlattice with the upper region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower region. The dopant diffusion blocking superlattice may include a plurality of stacked groups of layers, with each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions. The method may further include forming a gate on the channel region.

Claims (31)

1. A method for making a semiconductor device comprising:

forming spaced apart source and drain regions in a semiconductor layer with a channel region extending therebetween, at least one of the source and drain regions being separated into a lower region and an upper region by a dopant diffusion blocking superlattice with the upper region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower region, the dopant diffusion blocking superlattice comprising a plurality of stacked groups of layers, with each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions; and

forming a gate on the channel region.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the source and drain regions is separated into lower and upper regions by a respective dopant diffusion blocking superlattice.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a body dopant diffusion blocking superlattice in the semiconductor layer extending between the source and drain regions and comprising a respective plurality of stacked groups of layers, each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper region is level with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper region is raised above an upper surface of the semiconductor layer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the lower region comprises a different material than the upper region.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the lower region comprises silicon and the upper region comprises silicon germanium.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the lower region comprises silicon germanium and upper region comprises silicon.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a metal contact on the upper region.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the metal contact comprises at least one of titanium, cobalt, nickel and platinum.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the base semiconductor monolayers comprise silicon.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.

13. A method for making a semiconductor device comprising:

forming spaced apart source and drain regions in the semiconductor layer with a channel region extending therebetween, the source region comprising a source dopant diffusion blocking superlattice extending through the source region to separate the source region into a lower source region and an upper source region with the upper source region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower source region, and the drain region comprising a drain dopant diffusion blocking superlattice extending through the drain region to separate the drain region into a lower drain region and an upper drain region with the upper drain region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower drain region;

each of the source dopant diffusion blocking superlattice and drain dopant diffusion blocking superlattice comprising a respective plurality of stacked groups of layers, each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions; and

forming a gate on the channel region;

wherein the upper drain region and upper source region are each level with an upper surface of the semiconductor layer.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the base semiconductor monolayers comprise silicon.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one non-semiconductor monolayer comprises oxygen.

16. A method for making a semiconductor device comprising:

forming spaced apart source and drain regions in the semiconductor layer with a channel region extending therebetween, the source region comprising a source dopant diffusion blocking superlattice extending through the source region to separate the source region into a lower source region and an upper source region with the upper source region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower source region, the drain region comprising a drain dopant diffusion blocking superlattice extending through the drain region to separate the drain region into a lower drain region and an upper drain region with the upper drain region having a same conductivity and higher dopant concentration than the lower drain region;

each of the source dopant diffusion blocking superlattice and drain dopant diffusion blocking superlattice comprising a respective plurality of stacked groups of layers, each group of layers comprising a plurality of stacked base semiconductor monolayers defining a base semiconductor portion, and at least one non-semiconductor monolayer constrained within a crystal lattice of adjacent base semiconductor portions; and

forming a gate on the channel region;

wherein the upper drain region and upper source region are each raised above an upper surface of the semiconductor layer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the lower drain region comprises a different material than the upper drain region; and the lower source region comprises a different material than the upper source region.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the lower source and drain regions comprise silicon; and wherein the upper source and drain regions comprise silicon germanium.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the lower source and drain regions comprise silicon germanium; and wherein the upper source and drain regions comprise silicon.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising forming a metal source contact on the upper source region, and a metal drain contact on the upper drain region.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the metal source and drain contacts comprise at least one of titanium, cobalt, nickel and platinum.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2019
From: TAKEUCHI, HIDEKI; CONNELLY, DANIEL; HYTHA, MAREK; BURTON, RICHARD; MEARS, ROBERT J.
To: ATOMERA INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 048180/0496 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200161429A1 · May 21, 2020
Cited By (17)
US 12,191,160 US 12,199,148 US 12,230,694 US 12,267,996 US 12,308,229 US 12,315,722 US 12,315,723 US 12,322,594 US 12,382,689 US 12,417,912 US 12,439,658 US 12,477,798 US 12,575,199 US 12,635,122 US 12,635,271 US 12,707,690 US 12,712,011