IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,464,818
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,818 · App. 18/732,767 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Three-dimensional semiconductor device having vertical misalignment

Inventors: Inchan Hwang (Schenectady, NY); Seunghyun Song (Albany, NY); Byounghak Hong (Latham, NY)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10D84/856H01L21/0259H01L23/535H10D30/031H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/118H10D84/0167H10D84/0186H10D84/038H10D84/853
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,818
App. No.
18/732,767
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-stack semiconductor device includes: a lower-stack transistor structure including a lower active region and a lower gate structure, the lower active region including a lower channel structure, and the lower gate structure surrounding the lower channel structure; an upper-stack transistor structure vertically stacked above the lower-stack transistor structure, and including an upper active region and an upper gate structure, the upper active region including an upper channel structure, and the upper gate structure surrounding the upper channel structure; and at least one gate contact plug contacting a top surface of the lower gate structure, wherein the lower gate structure and the upper gate structure have a substantially same size in a plan view, and wherein the lower gate structure is not entirely overlapped by the upper gate structure in a vertical direction.

Claims (35)

1 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor structure comprising a first channel structure and a first gate structure on the first channel structure;

a second transistor structure comprising a second channel structure and a second gate structure on the second channel structure, the second transistor being disposed above the first transistor in a first direction; and

a gate contact plug contacting the second gate structure and a top surface of the first gate structure facing a bottom surface of the second gate structure.

2 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate contact plug contacts a side surface of the second gate structure, the side surface being conductive.

3 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first gate structure is partially overlapped by the second gate structure in the first direction.

4 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel structure is partially overlapped by the second channel structure in the first direction.

5 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the gate contact plug connects the first gate structure to the second gate structure at an outside of the first channel structure and the second channel structure in a plan view.

6 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first gate structure and the second gate structure have a substantially same size in a plan view.

7 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel structure and the second active region have a substantially same size in a plan view.

8 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel structure comprises a plurality of first nanosheet layers arranged in the first direction, and

wherein the second channel structure comprises a plurality of second nanosheet layers arranged in the first direction or a different type of second channel layer.

9 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the second transistor is a fin-field effect transistor (FinFET).

10 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a first transistor structure comprising a first channel structure and a first gate structure on the first channel structure;

a second transistor structure comprising a second channel structure and a second gate structure on the second channel structure, the second transistor being disposed above the first transistor in a first direction; and

a gate contact plug contacting a top surface of the first gate structure facing a bottom surface of the second gate structure,

wherein the second gate structure is formed to have a predetermined offset with respect to the first gate structure in at least one of a second direction and a third direction in a plan view, and

wherein the first direction intersects the second direction and the third direction, and the second direction intersects the third direction.

11 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the second gate structure has the predetermined offset only in the second direction among the second direction and the third direction.

12 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the second channel structure has the predetermined offset with respect to the first active region in at least one of the second direction and the third direction in the plan view.

13 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the gate contact plug contacts a side surface of the second gate structure.

14 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the first gate structure and the second gate structure have a substantially same size in a plan view.

15 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the first channel structure and the second active region have a substantially same size in a plan view.

16 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the gate contact plug connects the first gate structure to the second gate structure at an outside of the first channel structure and the second channel structure in a plan view.

17 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel structure comprises a plurality of first nanosheet layers arranged in the first direction, and

wherein the second channel structure comprises a plurality of second nanosheet layers arranged in the first direction or a different type of second channel layer.

18 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the second transistor is a fin-field effect transistor (FinFET).

19 . A method of forming a multi-stack semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a first channel structure and a second channel structure above the first channel structure in a first direction;

forming a first gate structure on the first channel structure;

forming a second gate structure on the second channel structure; and

forming a gate contact plug connecting the second gate structure to a top surface of the first gate structure facing a bottom surface of the second gate structure.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second gate structure is formed to have a predetermined offset with respect to the first gate structure in at least one of a second direction and a third direction in a plan view, and

wherein the first direction intersects the second direction and the third direction, and the second direction intersects the third direction.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17500618 · Oct 13, 2021
Provisional Application 63231967 · Aug 11, 2021
Related Publication 20240363634A1 · Oct 31, 2024
References Cited (26)
US 7566949B2 · Dyer et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 8115511B2 · Or-Bach · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8154910B2 · Park et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8664042B2 · Or-Bach et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8754533B2 · Or-Bach et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9219005B2 · Or-Bach et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9672873B2 · Yamamoto et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10083963B2 · Goktepeli · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10893681B2 · Kortschack et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 12040327B2 · Hwang · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20170047333A1 · Huang et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180175034A1 · Goktepeli · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190214469A1 · Paul et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200066683A1 · Kim et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200135735A1 · Sengupta et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200144264A1 · Li et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200327273A1 · Peng et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20230035444A1 · Liaw · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230118510A1 · Chhabra · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240363637A1 · Wu · 2024 [cited by examiner]
TW 200810107A · 2008 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019132863A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Communication dated Sep. 27, 2022 issued by the European Patent Office in European Patent Application No. 22169894.7. [cited by applicant]
Specification for U.S. Appl. No. 63/231,967 (Year:2021). [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated Sep. 27, 2022 issued by the European Patent Office in Application No. 22169894.7. [cited by applicant]
Communication dated May 7, 2025, issued by the Taiwan Patent Office in Taiwanese Application No. 111118918. [cited by applicant]