IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,538,466
Granted Patent B2
US 12,538,466 · App. 18/644,874 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Static random-access memory (SRAM) bit cell with channel depopulation

Inventors: Peng Zheng (Portland, OR); Varun Mishra (Hillsboro, OR); Tahir Ghani (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H10B10/12H01L21/26513H01L21/30604H10D62/121H10D62/151H10D62/292H10D62/60H10D62/834H10D64/017H10D84/0172H10D84/0193H10D84/038H10D84/853H10D84/856
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,538,466
App. No.
18/644,874
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include transistor devices with depopulated channels. In an embodiment, the transistor device comprises a source region, a drain region, and a vertical stack of semiconductor channels between the source region and the drain region. In an embodiment, the vertical stack of semiconductor channels comprises first semiconductor channels, and a second semiconductor channel over the first semiconductor channels. In an embodiment, first concentrations of a dopant in the first semiconductor channels are less than a second concentration of the dopant in the second semiconductor channel.

Claims (48)

1 . A static random-access memory (SRAM) cell, comprising:

a pair of pass-gate (PG) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PG transistors comprise a first stack of semiconductor channels;

a pair of pull-up (PU) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PU transistors comprise a second stack of semiconductor channels; and

a pair of pull-down (PD) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PD transistors comprise a third stack of semiconductor channels, and wherein a number of active channels in the second stack is smaller than a number of active channels in the first stack or the third stack, wherein the second stack comprises a plurality of active channels and a depopulated channel.

2 . The SRAM cell of claim 1 , wherein the depopulated channel comprises a dopant concentration of approximately 1e19 cm −3 or greater of a dopant of a first conductivity type that is opposite of a second conductivity type of the PU transistors.

3 . The SRAM cell of claim 1 , wherein the first stack of semiconductor channels, the second stack of semiconductor channels, and the third second stack of semiconductor channels are first, second and third stacks of nanowires, respectively.

4 . The SRAM cell of claim 1 , wherein the first stack of semiconductor channels, the second stack of semiconductor channels, and the third second stack of semiconductor channels are first, second and third stacks of nanoribbons, respectively.

5 . An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a pass-gate transistor comprising a first stack of channels;

a pull-up transistor comprising a second stack of channels; and

a pull-down transistor comprising a third stack of channels, and wherein a number of channels in the second stack is smaller than a number of channels in the first stack or the third stack, wherein the second stack comprises a depopulated structure.

6 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 5 , wherein the depopulated structure comprises a dopant concentration of approximately 1e19 cm 3 or greater of a dopant of a first conductivity type that is opposite of a second conductivity type of the pull-up transistor.

7 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 5 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanowires, respectively.

8 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 5 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanoribbons, respectively.

9 . A computing device, comprising:

a board; and

a component coupled to the board, the component including an integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a pass-gate transistor comprising a first stack of channels;

a pull-up transistor comprising a second stack of channels; and

a pull-down transistor comprising a third stack of channels, and wherein a number of channels in the second stack is smaller than a number of channels in the first stack or the third stack, wherein the second stack comprises a depopulated structure, or wherein a topmost channel in the second stack is aligned with topmost channels in the first stack and the third stack, and wherein bottommost channels in the first stack and the third stack are aligned with a depopulated region in the second stack.

10 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanowires, respectively.

11 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanoribbons, respectively.

12 . The computing device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a memory coupled to the board.

13 . The computing device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a communication chip coupled to the board.

14 . The computing device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a battery coupled to the board.

15 . The computing device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a camera coupled to the board.

16 . The computing device of claim 9 , further comprising:

a display coupled to the board.

17 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the component is a packaged integrated circuit die.

18 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the component is selected from the group consisting of a processor, a communications chip, and a digital signal processor.

19 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the second stack comprises the depopulated structure.

20 . The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the topmost channel in the second stack is aligned with topmost channels in the first stack and the third stack, and wherein bottommost channels in the first stack and the third stack are aligned with the depopulated region in the second stack.

21 . A static random-access memory (SRAM) cell, comprising:

a pair of pass-gate (PG) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PG transistors comprise a first stack of semiconductor channels;

a pair of pull-up (PU) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PU transistors comprise a second stack of semiconductor channels; and

a pair of pull-down (PD) transistors, wherein individual ones of the PD transistors comprise a third stack of semiconductor channels, and wherein a number of active channels in the second stack is smaller than a number of active channels in the first stack or the third stack, wherein a topmost active channel in the second stack is aligned with topmost active channels in the first stack and the third stack, and wherein bottommost active channels in the first stack and the third stack are aligned with a depopulated region in the second stack.

22 . The SRAM cell of claim 21 , wherein the first stack of semiconductor channels, the second stack of semiconductor channels, and the third second stack of semiconductor channels are first, second and third stacks of nanowires, respectively.

23 . The SRAM cell of claim 21 , wherein the first stack of semiconductor channels, the second stack of semiconductor channels, and the third second stack of semiconductor channels are first, second and third stacks of nanoribbons, respectively.

24 . An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a pass-gate transistor comprising a first stack of channels;

a pull-up transistor comprising a second stack of channels; and

a pull-down transistor comprising a third stack of channels, and wherein a number of channels in the second stack is smaller than a number of channels in the first stack or the third stack, wherein a topmost channel in the second stack is aligned with topmost channels in the first stack and the third stack, and wherein bottommost channels in the first stack and the third stack are aligned with a depopulated region in the second stack.

25 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 24 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanowires, respectively.

26 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 24 , wherein the first stack of channels, the second stack of channels, and the third second stack of channels are first, second and third stacks of nanoribbons, respectively.

Continuity (3)
Division 17701419 · Mar 22, 2022
Division 16827570 · Mar 23, 2020
Related Publication 20240284652A1 · Aug 22, 2024
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