IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,916,122
Granted Patent B2
US 11,916,122 · App. 17/370,833 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Gate all around transistor with dual inner spacers

Inventors: Zhi-Chang Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Kuan-Ting Pan (Hsinchu, TW); Shih-Cheng Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Jung-Hung Chang (Hsinchu, TW); Lo-Heng Chang (Hsinchu, TW); Chien-Ning Yao (Hsinchu, TW); Kuo-Cheng Chiang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H01L29/42392H01L29/0665H01L29/401H01L29/6653H01L29/78696
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,916,122
App. No.
17/370,833
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for forming a gate all around transistor includes forming a plurality of semiconductor nanosheets. The method includes forming a cladding inner spacer between a source region of the transistor and a gate region of the transistor. The method includes forming sheet inner spacers between the semiconductor nanosheets in a separate deposition process from the cladding inner spacer.

Claims (45)

1. A method, comprising:

forming a stack of semiconductor nanosheets corresponding to channel regions of a gate all around transistor;

forming a plurality of sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets between the semiconductor nanosheets and having a first composition;

forming a sacrificial semiconductor cladding in contact with the stack of semiconductor nanosheets and the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets and having a second composition different than the first composition;

exposing a portion of the semiconductor nanosheets by recessing the sacrificial semiconductor cladding with a first etching process;

forming a cladding inner spacer on the portion of the semiconductor nanosheets exposed by recessing the sacrificial semiconductor cladding;

removing a portion of each sacrificial semiconductor nanosheet by recessing the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheet with a second etching process; and

forming a respective sheet inner spacer in place of a recessed portion of each sacrificial semiconductor nanosheet.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first etching process etches the sacrificial semiconductor cladding at a higher rate than the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first etching process etches the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets at a higher rate than the sacrificial semiconductor cladding.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein both the sacrificial semiconductor cladding and the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets are exposed to the first etching process.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein both the sacrificial semiconductor cladding and the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets are exposed to the second etching process.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising entirely removing the sacrificial semiconductor cladding after forming the cladding inner spacer.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising entirely removing the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets after forming the sheet inner spacers.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising forming a source region of the transistor in contact with the cladding inner spacer and the sheet inner spacers.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising depositing a gate dielectric of the transistor on each of the semiconductor nanosheets, on the cladding inner spacer, and on the sheet inner spacers.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising depositing a gate metal on the gate dielectric and between the semiconductor nanosheets.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor nanosheets are silicon, the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets are silicon germanium with 20%-30% germanium concentration, and the sacrificial semiconductor cladding is silicon germanium with 30%-50% germanium concentration.

12. A method, comprising:

forming a plurality of semiconductor nanosheets corresponding to channel regions of a gate all around transistor;

forming, with a first deposition process, a plurality of sheet inner spacers each between a respective pair of semiconductor nanosheets;

forming, with a second deposition process, a cladding inner spacer in contact with each of the nanosheets and the sheet inner spacers, wherein the cladding inner spacer and the sheet inner spacers are different dielectric materials;

forming a source region of the transistor in contact with the semiconductor nanosheets, the sheet inner spacers, and the cladding inner spacer;

depositing a gate dielectric of the transistor on the semiconductor nanosheets and on the sheet inner spacers; and

depositing a gate metal of the transistor on the gate dielectric and between the semiconductor nanosheets.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein forming the plurality of sheet inner spacers includes:

partially removing sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets from between the semiconductor nanosheets; and

depositing the sheet inner spacers where the sacrificial semiconductor nanosheets were removed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the cladding inner spacer includes:

partially removing a sacrificial semiconductor cladding from the semiconductor nanosheets; and

depositing the cladding inner spacer where the sacrificial semiconductor cladding was partially removed.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sheet inner spacers include silicon nitride.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the cladding inner spacer includes silicon nitride or SiCON.

17. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a gate all around transistor, the gate all around transistor including:

a source region;

a drain region;

a plurality of semiconductor nanosheets corresponding to channel regions of the transistor and each extending between the source region and the drain region;

a cladding inner spacer extending vertically and in contact with the source region and each semiconductor nanosheet;

a plurality of sheet inner spacers each positioned between a respective pair of the semiconductor nanosheets and in contact with the cladding inner spacer and the source region, wherein the cladding inner spacer and the sheet inner spacers are different dielectric materials;

a gate dielectric positioned on the semiconductor nanosheets; and

a gate metal positioned on the gate dielectric and between the semiconductor nanosheets.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the gate dielectric is positioned on the sheet inner spacers and on the cladding inner spacer.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the sheet inner spacers include SiCON.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 19 , wherein the cladding inner spacer includes silicon nitride.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2022
From: LIN, ZHI-CHANG; PAN, KUAN-TING; CHEN, SHIH-CHENG; CHANG, JUNG-HUNG; CHANG, LO-HENG; YAO, CHIEN-NING; CHIANG, KUO-CHENG
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060780/0986 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230012216A1 · Jan 12, 2023
Cited By (1)
US 12,300,732