IP Library Granted Patent US 12,349,457
Granted Patent B2
US 12,349,457 · App. 17/659,197 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Stacked transistors having bottom contact with replacement spacer

Inventors: Kangguo Cheng (Schenectady, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Julien Frougier (Albany, NY); Heng Wu (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D84/856H10D30/014H10D30/6713H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/118H10D64/015H10D64/021H10D84/0149H10D84/038H10D84/83H10D88/01B82Y10/00H10D30/43H10D62/121H10D64/017H10D64/251H10D84/0128H10D84/0186
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 12,349,457
App. No.
17/659,197
Granted
Jul 1, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A stacked transistor structure including a top source drain region above a bottom source drain region, wherein a width of the bottom source drain region is greater than a width of the top source drain region, a bottom contact structure directly above and in electrical contact with the bottom source drain region, a replacement spacer surrounding the bottom contact structure, and a top gate spacer separating the replacement spacer from a gate conductor.

Claims (36)

1. A stacked transistor structure comprising:

a top source drain region above a bottom source drain region, wherein a width of the bottom source drain region is greater than a width of the top source drain region;

a bottom contact structure directly above and in electrical contact with the bottom source drain region;

a replacement spacer surrounding the bottom contact structure; and

a top gate spacer separating the replacement spacer from a gate conductor, wherein a sidewall of the top gate spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the replacement spacer.

2. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:

inner spacers separating the bottom source drain region from the gate conductor, wherein at least one of the inner spacers nearest to an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region comprises a first top surface above a second top surface, the second top surface being substantially flush with the uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

3. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts the top source drain region and separates the bottom contact structure from the top source drain region.

4. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the top source drain region and an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

5. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the width of the bottom source drain region and the width of the top source drain region are measured in a direction parallel to the gate conductor.

6. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , wherein a length of the bottom source drain region is greater than a length of the bottom contact structure, wherein length is measured perpendicular to the gate conductor.

7. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom contact structure is self-aligned to the replacement spacer.

8. A stacked transistor structure comprising:

a top source drain region above a bottom source drain region, wherein a width of the bottom source drain region is greater than a width of the top source drain region;

a bottom contact structure directly above and in electrical contact with the bottom source drain region;

a replacement spacer surrounding the bottom contact structure; and

a top gate spacer separating the replacement spacer from a gate conductor, wherein the replacement spacer is made from a different material than the top gate spacer, wherein a sidewall of the top gate spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the replacement spacer.

9. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 8 , further comprising:

inner spacers separating the bottom source drain region from the gate conductor, wherein at least one of the inner spacers nearest to an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region comprises a first top surface above a second top surface, the second top surface being substantially flush with the uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

10. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 8 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts the top source drain region and separates the bottom contact structure from the top source drain region.

11. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 8 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the top source drain region and an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

12. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 8 , wherein the width of the bottom source drain region and the width of the top source drain region are measured in a direction parallel to the gate conductor.

13. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 8 , wherein a length of the bottom source drain region is greater than a length of the bottom contact structure, wherein length is measured perpendicular to the gate conductor.

14. A stacked transistor structure comprising:

a top stack of nanosheet channels above a bottom stack of nanosheet channels, wherein a width of the bottom stack of nanosheet channels is greater than a width of the top stack of nanosheet channels;

a top source drain region above a bottom source drain region, wherein a width of the bottom source drain region is greater than a width of the top source drain region;

a bottom contact structure directly above and in electrical contact with the bottom source drain region;

a replacement spacer surrounding all sides of the bottom contact structure; and

a top gate spacer separating the replacement spacer from a gate conductor, wherein a sidewall of the top gate spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the replacement spacer.

15. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , further comprising:

inner spacers separating the bottom source drain region from the gate conductor, wherein at least one of the inner spacer nearest to an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region comprises a first top surface above a second top surface, the second top surface being substantially flush with the uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

16. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts the top source drain region and separates the bottom contact structure from the top source drain region.

17. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , wherein the replacement spacer directly contacts a sidewall of the top source drain region and an uppermost surface of the bottom source drain region.

18. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , wherein the width of the bottom source drain region and the width of the top source drain region are measured in a direction parallel to the gate conductor.

19. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , wherein a length of the bottom source drain region is greater than a length of the bottom contact structure, wherein length is measured perpendicular to the gate conductor.

20. The stacked transistor structure according to claim 14 , wherein the top source drain region directly contacts ends of the top stack of nanosheet channels and the bottom source drain region directly contact ends of the bottom stack of nanosheet channels.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2022
From: CHENG, KANGGUO; XIE, RUILONG; FROUGIER, JULIEN; WU, HENG
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059596/0640 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230335554A1 · Oct 19, 2023
References Cited (14)
US 9362355B1 · Cheng · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 9659963B2 · Cheng · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 9837414B1 · Balakrishnan · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10014215B2 · Labonte · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10074564B2 · Chanemougame · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10163727B2 · Wang · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10170616B2 · Xie · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10192867B1 · Frougier · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10453850B2 · Smith · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10879308B1 · Ando · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20090159936A1 · Shah · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20200403034A1 · Ando · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220109046A1 · Hong · 2022 [cited by examiner]
WO 2015054928A1 · 2015 [cited by applicant]