IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,923,413
Granted Patent B2
US 11,923,413 · App. 17/666,051 · Granted Mar 5, 2024

Semiconductor structure with extended contact structure

Inventors: Ta-Chun Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Kuo-Hua Pan (Hsinchu, TW); Jhon-Jhy Liaw (Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County, TW); Chao-Ching Cheng (Hsinchu, TW); Hung-Li Chiang (Taipei, TW); Shih-Syuan Huang (Taichung, TW); Tzu-Chiang Chen (Hsinchu, TW); I-Sheng Chen (Taipei, TW); Sai-Hooi Yeong (Zhubei, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
H01L29/0673H01L21/02603H01L21/823431H01L21/823821H01L27/0886H01L27/0924H01L29/42392H01L29/66545H01L29/66795H01L29/785
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,923,413
App. No.
17/666,051
Granted
Mar 5, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Semiconductor structures are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and nanostructures formed over the substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a gate structure surrounding the nanostructures and a source/drain structure attached to the nanostructures. The semiconductor structure further includes a contact formed over the source/drain structure and extending into the source/drain structure.

Claims (48)

1. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

a substrate;

nanostructures formed over the substrate;

a gate structure formed around the nanostructures;

inner spacers sandwiched between the nanostructures;

a spacer formed on a sidewall of the gate structure over the inner spacers,

a source/drain structure adjacent to the inner spacers; and

a contact formed in the source/drain structure and protruding from a top surface of the source/drain structure,

wherein a bottom portion of the spacer is laterally sandwiched between the source/drain structure and the gate structure.

2. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a portion of the gate structure is vertically sandwiched between the spacer and the nanostructures.

3. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

a metal silicide layer formed in the source/drain structure,

wherein first portions of the source/drain structure sandwiched between the inner spacers and the metal silicide layer are wider than second portions of the source/drain structure sandwiched between the nanostructures and the metal silicide layer.

4. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein a bottom surface of the metal silicide layer is lower than a bottom surface of one of the nanostructures.

5. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inner spacers have curved sidewalls in direct contact with the source/drain structure.

6. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

a substrate;

nanostructures formed over the substrate;

inner spacers sandwiched between the nanostructures;

a gate structure surrounding the nanostructures;

a source/drain structure attached to the nanostructures, wherein the inner spacers laterally sandwiched between the source/drain structure and the gate structure; and

a contact vertically extending into the source/drain structure such that a portion of the source/drain structure is laterally sandwiched by the contact and the inner spacer,

wherein a bottom surface of the contact is lower than a top surface of a top most one of the nanostructures.

7. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a top surface of the contact is higher than a top surface of the gate structure.

8. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the bottom surface of the contact is lower than a bottom surface of a bottommost one of the nanostructures.

9. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising:

a metal silicide layer formed in the source/drain structure, wherein a bottom portion of the metal silicide layer is lower than a bottom surface of a bottommost one of the nanostructures.

10. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a top surface of the metal silicide layer is no higher than the top surface of the source/drain structure.

11. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the source/drain structure comprises wider portions laterally extending between the inner spacers and thinner portions laterally covering sidewalls of the nanostructures.

12. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

a substrate;

nanostructures vertically stacked over one another over the substrate;

a gate structure wrapping around the nanostructures and extending in a first direction;

a source/drain structure attached to the nanostructures in a second direction different from the first direction;

inner spacers sandwiched between the nanostructures in a third direction; and

a contact overlapping the source/drain structure in the third direction, wherein a portion of the source/drain structure is sandwiched between a bottom portion of the contact and the inner spacers in the second direction.

13. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:

a gate spacer formed on a sidewall of the gate structure over the inner spacers, wherein the gate spacer is in direct contact with a top surface of a top most one of the inner spacers.

14. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a dimension of the gate spacer is greater than a dimension of the inner spacer in the second direction.

15. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 13 , wherein an extending portion of the gate structure overlaps the gate spacer in the third direction.

16. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the extending portion of the gate structure is in contact with a bottom surface of the gate spacer, a top surface of a topmost one of the nanostructures, and a sidewall of a topmost one of the inner spacers.

17. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 13 , wherein a dimension of an upper portion of the gate structure in contact with the gate spacer is smaller than a dimension of a lower portion of the gate structure in contact with the inner spacers in the second direction.

18. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the bottom portion of the contact is lower than a bottom surface of a bottommost one of the nanostructures and is higher than a bottom surface of a bottommost one of the inner spacers.

19. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the inner spacers have concave sidewalls in contact with the source/drain structure.

20. The semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the nanostructures comprises:

a first nanostructure; and

a second nanostructure separated from the first nanostructure by the gate structure,

wherein the first nanostructure overlaps the second nanostructure in the third direction.

Continuity (4)
Division 16868625 · May 7, 2020
Continuation In Part 16681097 · Nov 12, 2019
Continuation 15979123 · May 14, 2018
Related Publication 20220157938A1 · May 19, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,272,726