IP Library Granted Patent US 12,426,296
Granted Patent B2
US 12,426,296 · App. 17/804,438 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

High-voltage semiconductor devices and methods of formation

Inventors: Jhu-Min Song (Nantou, TW); Chien-Chih Chou (New Taipei, TW); Yu-Chang Jong (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
H10D30/6211H10D30/024H10D30/6219H10D62/116H10D84/013H10D84/0151H10D84/0158H10D84/038
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,426,296
App. No.
17/804,438
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer(s) of a semiconductor device may be configured as a gate oxide for high-voltage transistors, and therefore additional process operations to deposit dedicated gate oxide layers are not needed. Moreover, additional processing operations to form the gate structures of the high-voltage fin-based PMOS transistors and high-voltage fin-based NMOS transistors are not needed in that middle end of line (MEOL process and back end of line (BEOL) processes can be used as the gate formation process of the high-voltage transistors.

Claims (50)

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a first fin structure and a second fin structure extending above a substrate;

a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, respectively disposed on the first and second fin structures;

a gate shallow trench isolation (STI) region between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region;

a metal gate structure disposed over the STI region; and

an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the first and second fin structures, and in contact with the metal gate structure and the gate STI region.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the metal gate structure is in direct contact with a gate via of the semiconductor device.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the ILD layer is a first ILD layer of the semiconductor device; and

wherein the metal gate structure is included in a second ILD layer, of the semiconductor device, that is above the first ILD layer.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the metal gate structure comprises:

a gate contact; and

a barrier layer between the second ILD layer and the gate contact.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the barrier layer comprises:

a p-type work function metal.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate STI region and a portion of the ILD layer on the gate STI region are configured as a gate oxide region for the semiconductor device.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein a ratio between a width of the gate oxide region to a height of the gate oxide region is included in a range of approximately 43:1 to approximately 5:1.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein a ratio of a height of the gate oxide region to a height of the metal gate structure is included in a range of approximately 1.17:1 to approximately 2:1.

9. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a first fin structure, a second fin structure and a third fin structure extending above a substrate,

wherein the third fin structure includes a gate shallow trench isolation (STI) region;

a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, respectively disposed on the first and second fin structures;

a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the first and second fin structures;

a second ILD layer; and

a metal gate structure in the second ILD layer,

wherein the first ILD layer is in contact with the metal gate structure and the gate STI region.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the metal gate structure is included in a middle end of line region of the semiconductor device.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the metal gate structure comprises:

a gate contact; and

a barrier layer between the second ILD layer and the gate contact.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein a portion of the first ILD layer is configured as a gate oxide region for a high-voltage fin field effect transistor (finFET).

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein a ratio between a width of the gate oxide region to a height of the gate oxide region is included in a range of approximately 43:1 to approximately 5:1.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a source/drain contact in contact with the first source/drain region,

wherein the source/drain contact extends between the first source/drain region and a top surface of the second ILD layer.

15. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a first fin structure and a second fin structure extending above a substrate;

a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, respectively disposed on the first and second fin structures;

a shallow trench isolation (STI) region between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region;

a metal gate structure over the STI region;

an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the first and second fin structures, and between the metal gate structure and the STI region;

an additional ILD layer above the ILD layer; and

an etch stop layer above the additional ILD layer and adjacent to the metal gate structure.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the STI region comprises a high-voltage STI region.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , further comprising:

a plurality of high-voltage STI regions, comprising the high-voltage STI region, between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further comprising:

a gate oxide region, comprising at least a portion of the ILD layer, below the metal gate structure.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further comprising:

a first source/drain contact above the first source/drain region and coupled with the first source/drain region; and

a second source/drain contact above the second source/drain region and coupled with the second source/drain region.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 27, 2022
From: SONG, JHU-MIN; CHOU, CHIEN-CHIH; JONG, YU-CHANG
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060041/0241 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230387308A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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