Source/drain epitaxial structures for high voltage transistors
View Patent ↗The present disclosure describes a method for the formation of n-type and p-type epitaxial source/drain structures with substantially co-planar top surfaces and different depths across input/output (I/O) and non-I/O regions of a substrate. In some embodiments, the method includes forming fin structures and a planar portion on a substrate. The method also includes forming first gate structures on the fin structures and second gate structures on the planar portion. The method also includes etching the fin structures between the first gate structures to form first openings and etching the planar portion between the second gate structures to form second openings. Further, the method includes forming first epitaxial structures in the first openings and second epitaxial structures in the second openings, where top surfaces of the first and second epitaxial structures are substantially co-planar and bottom surfaces of the first and second epitaxial structures are not co-planar.
1 . A method, comprising:
forming, on a substrate, a first region comprising fin structures;
forming, on the substrate, a second region comprising a planar portion with a first height;
forming, on the substrate, an isolation structure that covers a bottom portion of the fin structures and of the planar portion;
forming, on the fin structures, first gate structures spaced apart by a first pitch;
forming, on the planar portion, second gate structures spaced apart by a second pitch larger than the first pitch;
etching the fin structures between the first gate structures until top surfaces of the etched fin structures are co-planar with top surfaces of the isolation structure;
reducing the first height of the planar portion between the second gate structures to a second height;
forming first epitaxial structures on the etched fin structures; and
forming, on the etched planar portion, second epitaxial structures with top surfaces substantially co-planar with top surfaces of the first epitaxial structures.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first region comprises etching the substrate to form the fin structures.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the second region comprises etching the substrate to form the planar portion.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein etching the fin structures comprises reducing a height of the fin structures below the second height.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein etching the fin structures comprises reducing a height of the fin structures above the second height.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the first height to the second height comprises etching the planar portion so that a top surface of the planar portion is above the isolation structure.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing the first height to the second height comprises etching the planar portion so that a top surface of the planar portion is below the isolation structure.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first and the second epitaxial structures comprises forming the first epitaxial structures taller than the second epitaxial structures.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first and the second epitaxial structures comprises forming the first epitaxial structures shorter than the second epitaxial structures.
10 . A method, comprising:
forming, on a substrate, a first region comprising fin structures having a first width;
etching the substrate to form a planar portion in a second region, wherein the planar portion comprises top and sidewall surfaces above the substrate, the top surface of the planar portion is substantially co-planar with topmost surfaces of the fin structures, and the planar portion has a second width different from the first width;
forming first gate structures spaced apart by a first pitch on top and sidewall surfaces of the fin structures;
forming second gate structures spaced apart by a second pitch on the top and sidewall surfaces of the planar portion, wherein the second pitch is greater than the first pitch;
etching the fin structures between the first gate structures to form first openings;
etching the planar portion between the second gate structures to form second openings, wherein the second openings are larger than the first openings;
forming first epitaxial structures in the first openings; and
forming second epitaxial structures in the second openings, wherein top surfaces of the first and second epitaxial structures are substantially co-planar and bottom surfaces of the first and second epitaxial structures are not co-planar.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein etching the planar portion comprises forming the second openings with a substantially anisotropic etching process.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein etching the planar portion comprises forming the second openings with a sidewall angle of about 900 between sidewall and bottom surfaces of the second openings.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein etching the fin structures and the planar portion comprises forming the second openings with a height that is different from that of the first openings.
14 . A method, comprising:
concurrently forming fin structures in a first region and planar portions in a second region on a substrate, wherein the planar portions are wider than the fin structures and comprise top and sidewall surfaces above the substrate;
forming, on the substrate, an isolation structure surrounding sidewall surfaces of the fin structures and the sidewall surfaces of the planar portions, wherein top surfaces of the isolation structure in the first and second regions are coplanar;
forming first gate structures spaced apart by a first pitch on top and sidewall surfaces of the fin structures;
forming second gate structures spaced apart by a second pitch on the top and sidewall surfaces of the planar portions, wherein the second pitch is greater than the first pitch;
removing a portion of the fin structures between the first gate structures to form first openings such that top surfaces of a remaining portion of the fin structures are co-planar with the top surfaces of the isolation structure adjacent to the remaining portion;
removing a portion of the planar portions between the second gate structures to form second openings, wherein bottom surfaces of the first openings are at a level different from bottom surfaces of the second openings; and
epitaxially growing epitaxial structures in the first and second openings concurrently.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein epitaxially growing the epitaxial structures in the first and second openings concurrently comprises concurrently growing the epitaxial structures on the fin structures and the planar portions having substantially coplanar top surfaces.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein epitaxially growing the epitaxial structures in the first and second openings concurrently comprises:
growing first epitaxial structures having a first height on the fin structures; and
growing second epitaxial structures having a second height on the planar portions, wherein the second height is different from the first height.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein concurrently forming the first region and the second region comprises etching the substrate to form the fin structures and the planar portions.
18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein removing the portion of the planar portions comprises forming the second openings with a substantially anisotropic etching process.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein removing the portion of the planar portions comprises etching the planar portions so that top surfaces of the planar portions are above top surfaces of the fin structures.
20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein removing the portion of the planar portions comprises etching the planar portions so that top surfaces of the planar portions are below top surfaces of the fin structures.