IP Library Granted Patent US 12,464,764
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,764 · App. 18/182,910 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Low parasitic capacitance contact structure

Inventors: Jia-Chuan You (Taoyuan County, TW); Chia-Hao Chang (Hsinchu, TW); Tien-Lu Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Yu-Ming Lin (Hsinchu, TW); Chih-Hao Wang (Hsinchu County, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
H10D30/62H10D30/024H10D30/6211H10D30/6219H10D64/01H10D64/679
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,764
App. No.
18/182,910
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a fin extending from a substrate, a gate structure over a channel region of the fin, a source/drain contact over a source/drain region of the fin, a spacer extending along a sidewall of the gate structure, a liner extending along a sidewall of the source/drain contact, a gate contact via over and electrically coupled to the gate structure, and a source/drain contact via over and electrically coupled to the source/drain contact. The gate contact via extends through a first dielectric layer such that a portion of the first dielectric layer interposes between the gate contact via and the spacer. The source/drain contact via extends through a second dielectric layer such that a portion of the second dielectric layer interposes between the source/drain contact via and the liner.

Claims (61)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a gate structure disposed over a channel region of an active region and comprising a gate dielectric layer and a metal layer;

a source/drain contact disposed over a source/drain region of the active region;

a pair of spacers extending along sidewalls of the gate structure;

a pair of liners extending along sidewalls of the source/drain contact;

a gate cap layer disposed over and interfacing top surfaces of the gate dielectric layer and the metal layer and sandwiched between the pair of spacers;

a first dielectric feature disposed over the gate cap layer and sandwiched between the pair of spacers;

a source/drain cap layer disposed over the source/drain contact and sandwiched between the pair of liners;

a second dielectric feature disposed over the source/drain cap layer;

a gate contact via extending through the first dielectric feature to contact a surface of the gate cap layer; and

a source/drain contact via extending through the second dielectric feature to contact the source/drain contact.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 ,

wherein the pair of spacers and pair of liners comprise silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxy-carbide, silicon carbide nitride, silicon oxy-carbide nitride, or amorphous silicon,

wherein the first dielectric feature and second dielectric feature comprise silicon, oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon.

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

a second spacer sandwiched between one of the pair of the spacers and one of the pair of liners.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the second spacer comprises aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum nitride, zirconium oxide, zirconium aluminum oxynitride, or a combination thereof.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the first dielectric feature is in contact with the second spacer.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 ,

wherein top surfaces of the gate contact via, the pair of spacers and the first dielectric feature are coplanar,

wherein top surfaces of the source/drain contact via, the pair of liners and the second dielectric feature are coplanar.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , further comprising:

at least one second air pocket disposed in the second dielectric feature and sandwiched between the gate contact via and one of the pair of spacers.

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

at least one first air pocket disposed in the first dielectric feature and sandwiched between the gate contact via and one of the pair of spacers.

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate dielectric layer comprises HfO 2 , TiO 2 , FRO, Ta 2 O 3 , HfSiO 4 , ZrO 2 , ZrSiO 2 , or combinations thereof.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the source/drain cap layer comprises W, Co, Ni, Ru, Ti, Ta, TiN, TaN, or a combination thereof.

11 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a gate structure disposed over a channel region of an active region, the gate structure comprising a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer;

a source/drain contact disposed over a source/drain region of the active region;

a pair of spacers extending along sidewalls of the gate structure;

a pair of liners extending along sidewalls of the source/drain contact;

a gate cap layer disposed over top surfaces of the gate dielectric layer and the gate electrode and sandwiched between the pair of spacers;

a first dielectric feature disposed over the gate cap layer and between the pair of spacers;

a source/drain cap layer disposed over the source/drain contact and sandwiched between the pair of liners;

a second dielectric feature disposed over the source/drain cap layer and between the pair of liners; and

a first air pocket trapped in the first dielectric feature,

wherein the gate cap layer comprises a conductive material,

wherein a sidewall of the source/drain cap layer is spaced apart from one of the pair of spacers by one of the pair of liners.

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

a second air pocket trapped in the second dielectric feature.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein a top portion of the first dielectric feature spans over top surfaces of the pair of spacers.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein a top portion of the second dielectric feature spans over top surfaces of the pair of liners.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the first dielectric feature and the second dielectric feature comprise a dielectric constant smaller than 4.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the source/drain cap layer comprises W, Co, Ni, Ru, Ti, Ta, TiN, TaN, or a combination thereof.

17 . A semiconductor structure, comprising:

an active region having a channel region and a source/drain region;

a gate cut feature disposed over the channel region and comprising a first low-k dielectric feature;

a source/drain isolation feature disposed over the source/drain region and comprising a second low-k dielectric feature;

a pair of spacers extending along sidewalls of the first low-k dielectric feature;

a pair of liners extending along sidewalls of the second low-k dielectric feature;

a first air pocket disposed in the first low-k dielectric feature in the gate cut feature; and

a second air pocket disposed in the second low-k dielectric feature in the source/drain isolation feature,

wherein a first low-k dielectric feature comprises a lower portion and an upper portion over the lower portion,

wherein a width of the upper portion is greater than a width of the lower portion.

18 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 ,

wherein the pair of spacers and pair of liners comprise silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, silicon oxynitride, silicon oxy-carbide, silicon carbide nitride, silicon oxy-carbide nitride, or amorphous silicon,

wherein the gate cut feature and the source/drain isolation feature comprise silicon, oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon.

19 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , further comprising:

a second spacer sandwiched between one of the pair of the spacers and one of the pair of liners.

20 . The semiconductor structure of claim 19 , wherein the second spacer comprises aluminum oxide, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum nitride, zirconium oxide, zirconium aluminum oxynitride, aluminum nitride, or a combination thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2023
From: YOU, JIA-CHUAN; CHANG, CHIA-HAO; LIN, TIEN-LU; LIN, YU-MING; WANG, CHIH-HAO
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062965/0269 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17353089 · Jun 21, 2021
Division 16441107 · Jun 14, 2019
Provisional Application 62823827 · Mar 26, 2019
Related Publication 20230215948A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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