IP Library Granted Patent US 12,432,973
Granted Patent B2
US 12,432,973 · App. 17/725,180 · Granted Sep 30, 2025

Semiconductor device

Inventors: Beomjin Park (Hwaseong-si, KR); Hyojin Kim (Hwaseong-si, KR); Myung Gil Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Jinbum Kim (Seoul, KR); Sangmoon Lee (Suwon-si, KR); Dongwon Kim (Seongnam-si, KR); Keun Hwi Cho (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10D30/6735H10D30/6713H10D30/6757H10D64/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,432,973
App. No.
17/725,180
Granted
Sep 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes: an active pattern provided on a substrate and extending in a first direction; a pair of source/drain patterns provided on the active pattern and spaced apart from each other in the first direction; a plurality of channel layers vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other on the active pattern between the pair of source/drain patterns; a gate electrode extending in a second direction between the pair of source/drain patterns, the gate electrode being provided on the active pattern and surrounding the plurality of channel layers, and the second direction intersecting the first direction; and a gate spacer provided between the plurality of channel layers, and between the gate electrode and the pair of source/drain patterns. The gate spacer includes a plurality of first spacer patterns and a plurality of second spacer patterns that are alternately stacked on sidewalls of the pair of source/drain patterns.

Claims (65)

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

an active pattern provided on a substrate and extending in a first direction;

a pair of source/drain patterns provided on the active pattern and spaced apart from each other in the first direction;

a plurality of channel layers vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other on the active pattern between the pair of source/drain patterns;

a gate electrode extending in a second direction between the pair of source/drain patterns, the gate electrode being provided on the active pattern and surrounding the plurality of channel layers, and the second direction intersecting the first direction; and

a gate spacer provided between the plurality of channel layers, and between the gate electrode and the pair of source/drain patterns,

wherein the gate spacer comprises a plurality of first spacer patterns and a plurality of second spacer patterns that are alternately stacked on sidewalls of the pair of source/drain patterns,

wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns is a semiconductor spacer pattern, and

wherein each of the plurality of second spacer patterns is a dielectric spacer pattern comprising silicon.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and each of the plurality of second spacer patterns is in contact with a sidewall of one of the pair of source/drain patterns.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and each of the plurality of second spacer patterns has a C shape, and wherein both end portions of each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and each of the plurality of second spacer patterns are in contact with a sidewall of one of the pair of source/drain patterns.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 ,

wherein the dielectric spacer pattern of each of the plurality of second spacer patterns comprises silicon oxide.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of first spacer patterns and the plurality of channel layers comprise a common material.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of the plurality of first spacer patterns is equal to or greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of second spacer patterns, and

wherein a thickness of one of the plurality of second spacer patterns is in a range of about 0.5 nm to about 1.5 nm.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising a gate dielectric pattern provided between the gate electrode and the plurality of channel layers,

wherein the gate dielectric pattern extends between the gate electrode and the gate spacer, and

wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and the plurality of second spacer patterns extends along a sidewall of the gate dielectric pattern from a bottom surface of one of the plurality of channel layers, and extends along a top surface of another of the plurality of channel layers from the sidewall of the gate dielectric pattern.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate spacer further comprises a third spacer pattern that is surrounded by an innermost one of the plurality of second spacer patterns.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the third spacer pattern and the plurality of first spacer patterns comprise a common material, and

wherein a thickness of the third spacer pattern is greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of second spacer patterns.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second spacer patterns comprise:

a plurality of first patterns surrounding an innermost one of the plurality of first spacer patterns; and

a second pattern provided between the innermost one of the plurality of first spacer patterns and a sidewall of one of the pair of source/drain patterns,

wherein a thickness of the second pattern is greater than a thickness of each of the plurality of first patterns.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the thickness of the second pattern is about 1.5 times to about 2 times the thickness of each of the plurality of first patterns.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of first patterns has a C shape,

wherein both end portions of each of the plurality of first patterns are in contact with the sidewall, and

wherein the second pattern is in continuous contact with the sidewall between ends of the innermost one of the innermost one of the plurality of first spacer patterns.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate spacer comprises a plurality of gate spacers, and

wherein a lowermost one of the plurality of gate spacers extends onto a bottom surface of one of the pair of source/drain patterns.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein each of the pair of source/drain patterns is vertically spaced apart from the active pattern by one of the plurality of gate spacers.

15. A semiconductor device, comprising:

an active pattern provided on a substrate and extending in a first direction;

a pair of source/drain patterns provided on the active pattern and spaced apart from each other in the first direction;

a plurality of channel layers vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other on the active pattern between the pair of source/drain patterns;

a gate electrode extending in a second direction between the pair of source/drain patterns, the gate electrode being provided on the active pattern and surrounding the plurality of channel layers, and the second direction intersecting the first direction;

a gate dielectric pattern provided between the pair of source/drain patterns and the plurality of channel layers;

a plurality of first gate spacers vertically extending from a top surface of an uppermost one of the plurality of channel layers past a top surface of the gate electrode;

a plurality of second gate spacers provided between the gate electrode and the pair of source/drain patterns, the plurality of second gate spacers overlapping the plurality of first gate spacers along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction;

a gate capping pattern provided between the plurality of first gate spacers on the top surface of the gate electrode;

an interlayer dielectric layer provided on top surfaces of the pair of source/drain patterns, sidewalls of the plurality of first gate spacers, and a top surface of the gate capping pattern;

a plurality of active contacts penetrating the interlayer dielectric layer to the pair of source/drain patterns; and

a gate contact penetrating the gate capping pattern and the interlayer dielectric layer to the gate electrode,

wherein each of the plurality of second gate spacers comprises a plurality of first spacer patterns alternately stacked with a plurality of second spacer patterns that on a sidewall of the gate dielectric pattern,

wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns is a semiconductor spacer pattern, and

wherein each of the plurality of second spacer patterns is a dielectric spacer pattern comprising silicon.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 ,

wherein the plurality of second spacer patterns of each of the plurality of second gate spacers comprise silicon oxide.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein a number of the plurality of first spacer patterns is equal to or greater than two, and

wherein a number of the plurality of second spacer patterns is equal to or greater than two.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein both end portions of each of the plurality of first spacer patterns and the plurality of second spacer patterns are in contact with a sidewall of one of the pair of source/drain patterns.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein a top surface of each of the pair of source/drain patterns is at a level higher than a level of the top surface of the uppermost one of the plurality of channel layers, and

wherein a level difference between the top surface of each of the pair of source/drain patterns and the top surface of the uppermost one of the plurality of channel layers is in a range of about 1 nm to about 10 nm.

20. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate comprising a first cell region and a second cell region;

a first active pattern extending in a first direction on the first cell region, and a second active pattern extending in the first direction on the second cell region;

a pair of first source/drain patterns provided on the first active pattern, and a pair of second source/drain patterns provided on the second active pattern;

a plurality of channel layers vertically stacked and spaced apart from each other on each of the first active pattern and the second active pattern, the plurality of channel layers provided on the first active pattern being provided between the pair of first source/drain patterns, and the plurality of channel layers provided on the second active pattern being provided between the pair of second source/drain patterns;

a gate electrode extending in a second direction between the pair of first source/drain patterns and between the pair of second source/drain patterns, the gate electrode crossing both the first active pattern and the second active pattern, and surrounding the plurality of channel layers, and the second direction intersecting the first direction; and

a gate spacer provided between the pair of first source/drain patterns and the gate electrode, and between the pair of second source/drain patterns and the gate electrode,

wherein the gate spacer comprises a plurality of first spacer patterns and a plurality of second spacer patterns that are alternately stacked on a sidewall of the gate electrode,

wherein each of the plurality of first spacer patterns is a semiconductor spacer pattern, and

wherein each of the plurality of second spacer patterns is a dielectric spacer pattern comprising silicon.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2022
From: PARK, BEOMJIN; KIM, HYOJIN; KANG, MYUNG GIL; KIM, JINBUM; LEE, SANGMOON; KIM, DONGWON; CHO, KEUN HWI
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 059654/0402 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0107077 · Aug 13, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230051602A1 · Feb 16, 2023
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