IP Library Granted Patent US 12,402,321
Granted Patent B2
US 12,402,321 · App. 17/679,255 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Vertical channel semiconductor device with ferroelectric-insulator gate stack

Inventors: Hyuncheol Kim (Seoul, KR); Yongseok Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Dongsoo Woo (Seoul, KR); Kyunghwan Lee (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10B51/30H10B51/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,402,321
App. No.
17/679,255
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of first conductive lines extending in a first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first direction and second direction being horizontal directions, a plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns disposed on the plurality of first conductive lines, respectively, a gate electrode crossing the plurality of first conductive lines and penetrating each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns, a ferroelectric pattern between the gate electrode and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns, and a gate insulating pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns.

Claims (68)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of first conductive lines extending in a first direction and spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first direction and second direction being horizontal directions;

a plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns disposed on the plurality of first conductive lines, respectively;

a gate electrode crossing each of the plurality of first conductive lines and penetrating each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns;

a ferroelectric pattern between the gate electrode and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns; and

a gate insulating pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns,

wherein each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns extends in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal directions and includes a first dopant region and a second dopant region, which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and

wherein the gate electrode, the ferroelectric pattern, and the gate insulating pattern are between the first dopant region and the second dopant region.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein, where the gate electrode penetrates each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns, the gate electrode is disposed inside of the respective vertical semiconductor pattern, and the respective vertical semiconductor pattern surrounds an outer surface of the gate electrode.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the ferroelectric pattern surrounds the outer surface of the gate electrode, and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns surrounds an outer surface of the ferroelectric pattern.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the gate insulating pattern surrounds the outer surface of the ferroelectric pattern, and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns surrounds an outer surface of the gate insulating pattern.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the outer surface of the gate electrode has a rounded shape when viewed in a cross-sectional view.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the outer surface of the gate electrode has an angular shape when viewed in a cross-sectional view.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a substrate,

wherein each first conductive line of the plurality of first conductive lines is disposed on or in the substrate, and the first direction and the second direction are parallel to a top surface of the substrate, and

wherein the vertical direction is perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns comprises:

a channel region between the first dopant region and the second dopant region, and

wherein the gate electrode, the ferroelectric pattern, and the gate insulating pattern penetrate the channel region of each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein each first conductive line of the plurality of first conductive lines is buried in the substrate.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , further comprising:

an additional gate electrode spaced apart from the gate electrode in the third vertical direction, the additional gate electrode extending in parallel to the gate electrode to penetrate each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns;

an additional ferroelectric pattern between the additional gate electrode and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns; and

an additional gate insulating pattern between the additional ferroelectric pattern and each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of second conductive lines disposed on the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns,

wherein the plurality of second conductive lines are connected to the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns, respectively.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a common conductive line disposed on the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns,

wherein the common conductive line is connected to the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a metal pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and the gate insulating pattern.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a substrate;

a peripheral circuit structure on the substrate; and

a lower interlayer insulating layer disposed on the substrate and covering the peripheral circuit structure,

wherein the plurality of first conductive lines are disposed on the lower interlayer insulating layer.

15. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns on a substrate, the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns spaced apart from each other in a first direction and a second direction which are parallel to a top surface of the substrate and intersect each other, and the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns extending in a third direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate; and

a plurality of gate structures spaced apart from each other in the first direction and extending in the second direction on the substrate,

wherein each of the plurality of gate structures penetrates each vertical semiconductor pattern of corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns spaced apart from each other in the second direction, of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns,

wherein each of the plurality of gate structures comprises:

a gate electrode penetrating the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns;

a ferroelectric pattern between the gate electrode and each of the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns;

a gate insulating pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and each of the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns;

first conductive lines disposed below the vertical semiconductor patterns and connected to the vertical semiconductor patterns; and

second conductive lines disposed above the vertical semiconductor patterns and connected to the vertical semiconductor patterns.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein for each gate electrode, each of the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns surrounds an outer surface of the gate electrode, and

wherein for each gate electrode, the ferroelectric pattern and the gate insulating pattern are disposed between the outer surface of the gate electrode and each of the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein for each gate electrode, the ferroelectric pattern surrounds the outer surface of the gate electrode, and the gate insulating pattern surrounds an outer surface of the ferroelectric pattern.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of gate structures further comprises:

a metal pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and the gate insulating pattern.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein each of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns comprises:

a first dopant region and a second dopant region, which are spaced apart from each other in the third direction; and

a channel region between the first and second dopant regions,

wherein for each gate electrode, the gate electrode penetrates the channel regions of the corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein:

the first conductive lines are buried in the substrate; and

the second conductive lines are on the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns,

the first conductive lines extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and each of the first conductive lines is connected to corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns, spaced apart from each other in the first direction, of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns, and

the second conductive lines extend in the first direction and are spaced apart from each other in the second direction, and each of the second conductive lines is connected to corresponding vertical semiconductor patterns spaced apart from each other in the first direction.

21. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of first conductive lines each continuously extending lengthwise in a first direction, the plurality of first conductive lines spaced apart from each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first direction and second direction being horizontal directions;

a plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns disposed on the plurality of first conductive lines, so that each first conductive line is disposed below two or more vertical semiconductor patterns of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns in a third direction that is a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction;

a gate electrode crossing the plurality of first conductive lines and surrounded by each vertical semiconductor pattern of a group of vertical semiconductor patterns of the plurality of vertical semiconductor patterns;

a ferroelectric pattern between the gate electrode and each vertical semiconductor pattern of the group of vertical semiconductor patterns; and

a gate insulating pattern between the ferroelectric pattern and each vertical semiconductor pattern of the group of vertical semiconductor patterns.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2022
From: KIM, HYUNCHEOL; KIM, YONGSEOK; WOO, DONGSOO; LEE, KYUNGHWAN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059414/0355 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0079264 · Jun 18, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220406797A1 · Dec 22, 2022
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