IP Library Granted Patent US 12,464,809
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,809 · App. 17/551,950 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Vertical field effect transistor with minimal contact to gate erosion

Inventors: Su Chen Fan (Cohoes, NY); Christopher J. Waskiewicz (Rexford, NY); Yann Mignot (Slingerlands, NY); Jeffrey C. Shearer (Albany, NY); Hemanth Jagannathan (Niskayuna, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D84/834H10D30/024H10D30/6211H10D62/151H10D84/013H10D84/0158H10D84/038
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,809
App. No.
17/551,950
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device comprises a substrate including at least one vertical fin extending from the substrate, a bottom source/drain region beneath the at least one vertical fin, a top source/drain region disposed above the at least one vertical fin, a metal gate structure, a contact coupled to the top source/drain region and first and second contact spacers disposed on each side of the contact.

Claims (41)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including at least one vertical fin extending from the substrate;

a bottom source/drain region beneath the at least one vertical fin;

a top source/drain region disposed above the at least one vertical fin;

a metal gate structure;

a contact coupled to the top source/drain region;

first and second contact spacers disposed on each side of the contact; and

an insulative layer disposed abutting a bottom surface of the first and second contact spacers, abutting sidewall portions of the top source/drain region and sidewall portions of the metal gate structure, and a top surface of the bottom source/drain region.

2 . The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein the first and second contact spacers comprise a dielectric material configured to minimize erosion between the contact and the metal gate structure.

3 . The semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein the dielectric material of the first and second contact spacers comprise at least one of silicon nitride, silicon carbon nitride and silicon oxycarbonitride.

4 . The semiconductor device according to claim 2 further including a hard mask segment disposed adjacent a peripheral segment of at least one of the first and second contact spacers, the hard mask segment comprising a dielectric material.

5 . The semiconductor device according to claim 4 wherein the dielectric material of the hard mask segment is different from the dielectric material of the first and second contact spacers.

6 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including first and second vertical fins extending from the substrate;

a bottom source/drain region beneath each of the first and second vertical fins;

a top source/drain region disposed above each of the first and second vertical fins;

a metal gate structure at least partially surrounding each of the first and second vertical fins;

first and second contacts respectively contact coupled to the top source/drain regions above each of the first and second vertical fins;

first and second contact spacer segments disposed on each side of the first and second contacts, the first and second contact spacer segments comprising a dielectric material; and

an insulative layer disposed abutting a bottom surface of the first and second contact spacer segments, abutting sidewall portions of the top source/drain region and sidewall portions of the metal gate structure, and a top surface of the bottom source/drain region.

7 . The semiconductor device according to claim 6 wherein adjacent contact spacer segments on adjacent sides of the first and second contacts are in contact with each other.

8 . The semiconductor device according to claim 6 wherein adjacent contact spacer segments on adjacent sides of the first and second contacts are spaced relative to each other.

9 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 including an additional inner dielectric segment disposed between adjacent contact spacer segments on adjacent sides of the first and second contacts.

10 . The semiconductor device according to claim 9 wherein the additional inner dielectric segment comprises a dielectric material different from the dielectric material of the contact spacer segments.

11 . The semiconductor device according to claim 8 including a metallic contact segment disposed between adjacent contact spacer segments on adjacent sides of the first and second contacts.

12 . The semiconductor device according to claim 6 further including an additional peripheral dielectric segment disposed outward of an outer contact spacer segment adjacent the first contact.

13 . The semiconductor device according to claim 12 further including an additional peripheral dielectric segment disposed outward of an outer contact spacer segment adjacent the second contact.

14 . The semiconductor device according to claim 13 wherein the additional peripheral dielectric segments each comprises a dielectric material different from the dielectric material of the first and second contact spacer segments.

15 . The semiconductor device according to claim 14 wherein the additional peripheral dielectric segments comprise a dielectric material different from the dielectric material of the outer contact spacer segments.

16 . An integrated circuit comprising at least a semiconductor structure comprising:

a substrate including at least one vertical fin extending from the substrate;

a bottom source/drain region beneath the at least one vertical fin;

a top source/drain region disposed above the at least one vertical fin;

a metal gate structure;

a contact coupled to the top source/drain region; and

first and second contact spacers disposed on each side of the contact

an insulative layer disposed abutting a bottom surface of the first and second contact spacers, abutting sidewall portions of the top source/drain region and sidewall portions of the metal gate structure, and a top surface of the bottom source/drain region.

17 . The integrated circuit of claim 16 , wherein the first and second contact spacers comprise a dielectric material configured to minimize erosion between the contact and the metal gate structure.

18 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , wherein the dielectric material of the first and second contact spacers comprise at least one of silicon nitride, silicon carbon nitride and silicon oxycarbonitride.

19 . The integrated circuit of claim 17 , the semiconductor structure further comprising a hard mask segment disposed adjacent a peripheral segment of at least one of the first and second contact spacers, the hard mask segment comprising a dielectric material.

20 . The integrated circuit of claim 19 , wherein the dielectric material of the hard mask segment is different from the dielectric material of the first and second contact spacers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2021
From: FAN, SU CHEN; WASKIEWICZ, CHRISTOPHER J.; MIGNOT, YANN; SHEARER, JEFFREY C.; JAGANNATHAN, HEMANTH
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058400/0656 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230187442A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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