IP Library Granted Patent US 12,446,264
Granted Patent B2
US 12,446,264 · App. 18/068,992 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Complementary field effect transistor (CFET) with balanced N and P drive current

Inventors: Xia Li (San Diego, CA); Junjing Bao (San Diego, CA); Giridhar Nallapati (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
H10D30/6757H10D30/014H10D30/43H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D64/01H10D84/0167H10D84/0186H10D84/038H10D84/85H10D62/121H10D64/017H10D64/018
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,446,264
App. No.
18/068,992
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed are complementary field effect transistors (CFETs) with balanced n and p drive current, and methods for making the same. In an aspect, a CFET structure comprises an nFET with horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels arranged in a first vertical stack, each horizontal p-doped nanosheet channel having a width W 1 , and connecting a first source contact to a first drain contact through a first gate-all-around (GAA) region having a length L 1 . The CFET structure further comprises a pFET with horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels arranged in a second vertical stack disposed on the first vertical stack, each horizontal n-doped nanosheet channel having a width W 2 , and connecting a second source contact to a second drain contact through a second GAA region having a length L 2 , wherein W 2 /L 2 is not equal to W 1 /L 1.

Claims (38)

1. A complementary field effect transistor (CFET) structure, comprising:

an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) having a plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a first vertical stack and separated from each other by a first vertical distance (D 1 ), each horizontal p-doped nanosheet channel having a first width (W 1 ), and connecting a first source contact to a first drain contact through a first gate-all-around (GAA) region having a first length (L 1 ) and being connected to a first gate contact; and

a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) having a plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a second vertical stack and separated from each other by a second vertical distance (D 2 ), each horizontal n-doped nanosheet channel having a second width (W 2 ), and connecting a second source contact to a second drain contact through a second GAA region having a second length (L 2 ) and being connected to a second gate contact,

wherein the first vertical stack is disposed on the second vertical stack, and wherein W 2 /L 2 is not equal to W 1 /L 1 , and

wherein the first source contact, the first gate contact, and the first drain contact are disposed on a first surface of the CFET structure and the second source contact, the second gate contact, and the second drain contact are disposed on a second surface of the CFET structure opposite the first surface of the CFET structure.

2. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein a magnitude of a saturation current of the nFET is equal to a magnitude of a saturation current of the pFET.

3. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein:

the first vertical stack is horizontally centered around a first vertical axis and the second vertical stack is horizontally centered around a second vertical axis different from the first vertical axis; or

the first vertical stack and the second vertical stack are horizontally centered around a common shared vertical axis.

4. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the group of the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels and the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels comprises Si, Ge, or SiGe.

5. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels are separated from the first GAA region by an insulating layer disposed between the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels and the first GAA region.

6. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels are separated from the second GAA region by an insulating layer disposed between the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels and the second GAA region.

7. The CFET structure of claim 1 , wherein the first GAA region is in direct contact with the second GAA region.

8. A complementary field effect transistor (CFET) structure, comprising:

an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) having a plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a first vertical stack and separated from each other by a first vertical distance (D 1 ), each horizontal p-doped nanosheet channel having a first width (W 1 ), and connecting a first source contact to a first drain contact through a first gate-all-around (GAA) region having a first length (L 1 ) and being connected to a first gate contact; and

a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) having a plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a second vertical stack and separated from each other by a second vertical distance (D 2 ), each horizontal n-doped nanosheet channel having a second width (W 2 ), and connecting a second source contact to a second drain contact through a second GAA region having a second length (L 2 ) and being connected to a second gate contact,

wherein the first vertical stack is disposed on the second vertical stack, and wherein W 2 /L 2 is not equal to W 1 /L 1 , and

wherein a ratio of (W 2 /L 2 ) to (W 1 /L 1 ) is less than or equal to 4.4.

9. The CFET structure of claim 3 , wherein the first source contact, the first gate contact, the first drain contact, the second source contact, the second gate contact, and the second drain contact are disposed on a first surface of the CFET structure.

10. A method of fabricating a complementary field effect transistor (CFET) structure, the method comprising:

forming an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) having a plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a first vertical stack and separated from each other by a first vertical distance (D 1 ), each horizontal p-doped nanosheet channel having a first width (W 1 ), and connecting a first source contact to a first drain contact through a first gate-all-around (GAA) region having a first length (L 1 ) and being connected to a first gate contact; and

forming a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) having a plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a second vertical stack and separated from each other by a second vertical distance (D 2 ), each horizontal n-doped nanosheet channel having a second width (W 2 ), and connecting a second source contact to a second drain contact through a second GAA region having a second length (L 2 ) and being connected to a second gate contact,

wherein the first vertical stack is disposed on the second vertical stack, and wherein W 2 /L 2 is not equal to W 1 /L 1 , and

wherein the first source contact, the first gate contact, and the first drain contact are formed on a first surface of the CFET structure and the second source contact, the second gate contact, and the second drain contact are formed on a second surface of the CFET structure opposite the first surface of the CFET structure.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a magnitude of a saturation current of the nFET is equal to a magnitude of a saturation current of the pFET.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:

the first vertical stack is formed horizontally centered around a first vertical axis and the second vertical stack is formed horizontally centered around a second vertical axis different from the first vertical axis; or

the first vertical stack and the second vertical stack are formed horizontally centered around a common shared vertical axis.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein one or more of the group of the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels and the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels comprises Si, Ge, or SiGe.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels are separated from the first GAA region by an insulating layer formed between the plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels and the first GAA region.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels are separated from the second GAA region by an insulating layer formed between the plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels and the second GAA region.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first GAA region is formed in direct contact with the second GAA region.

17. A method of fabricating a complementary field effect transistor (CFET) structure, the method comprising;

forming an n-channel field effect transistor (nFET) having a plurality of horizontal p-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a first vertical stack and separated from each other by a first vertical distance (D 1 ), each horizontal p-doped nanosheet channel having a first width (W 1 ), and connecting a first source contact to a first drain contact through a first gate-all-around (GAA) region having a first length (L 1 ) and being connected to a first gate contact; and

forming a p-channel field effect transistor (pFET) having a plurality of horizontal n-doped nanosheet channels arranged in parallel in a second vertical stack and separated from each other by a second vertical distance (D 2 ), each horizontal n-doped nanosheet channel having a second width (W 2 ), and connecting a second source contact to a second drain contact through a second GAA region having a second length (L 2 ) and being connected to a second gate contact,

wherein the first vertical stack is disposed on the second vertical stack, and wherein W 2 /L 2 is not equal to W 1 /L 1 , and

wherein a ratio of (W 2 /L 2 ) to (W 1 /L 1 ) is less than or equal to 4.4.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first source contact, the first gate contact, the first drain contact, and the second source contact, the second gate contact, and the second drain contact are formed on a first surface of the CFET structure.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 18, 2023
From: LI, XIA; BAO, JUNJING; NALLAPATI, GIRIDHAR
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 063690/0103 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240204109A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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