IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,543,338
Granted Patent B2
US 12,543,338 · App. 18/117,405 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Semiconductor device

Inventors: Namkyu Cho (Suwon-si, KR); Jungtaek Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Moonseung Yang (Suwon-si, KR); Sumin Yu (Suwon-si, KR); Seojin Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Seokhoon Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Pankwi Park (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10D30/43H10D30/6735H10D62/115H10D62/121H10D64/258
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,543,338
App. No.
18/117,405
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes an active region extending on a substrate in a first direction, a plurality of channel layers on the active region to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the plurality of channel layers including silicon germanium, a gate structure intersecting the active region and the plurality of channel layers on the substrate to surround the plurality of channel layers, respectively, a source/drain region on the active region on at least one side of the gate structure, the source/drain region in contact with the plurality of channel layers, and a substrate insulating layer disposed between the source/drain region and the substrate. The source/drain region includes a first layer in contact with a side surface of the gate structure, side surfaces of the plurality of channel layers, and an upper surface of the substrate insulating layer.

Claims (59)

1 . A semiconductor device comprising:

an active region extending on a substrate in a first direction;

a plurality of channel layers on the active region to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the plurality of channel layers including silicon germanium (SiGe);

a gate structure intersecting the active region and the plurality of channel layers on the substrate to surround the plurality of channel layers, respectively, the gate structure extending in a second direction;

a source/drain region on the active region on at least one side of the gate structure, the source/drain region in contact with the plurality of channel layers; and

a substrate insulating layer disposed between the source/drain region and the substrate,

wherein the source/drain region includes:

a first layer in contact with a side surface of the gate structure, side surfaces of the plurality of channel layers, and an upper surface of the substrate insulating layer, and

a second layer having a composition different from that of the first layer and spaced apart from the substrate insulating layer by the first layer.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the source/drain region is spaced apart from the substrate by the substrate insulating layer.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:

the source/drain region further includes a third layer on the second layer,

the first layer includes first silicon germanium (SiGe) including germanium (Ge) having a first concentration,

the second layer includes second silicon germanium (SiGe) including germanium (Ge) having a second concentration higher than the first concentration, and

the third layer includes third silicon germanium (SiGe) including germanium (Ge) having a third concentration higher than the second concentration.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of an outer surface of the first layer forms a surface, perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein:

the source/drain region further includes a third layer disposed on the second layer, and

the third layer has a composition different from that of each of the first and second layers.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein the third layer is disposed to completely fill a recessed region of the source/drain region.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein the third layer is spaced apart from the substrate insulating layer by the first and second layers.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a germanium (Ge) concentration of each of the plurality of channel layers is about 15 at % to about 40 at %.

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

an interlayer insulating layer covering the source/drain region; and

a contact plug passing through portions of the interlayer insulating layer and the source/drain region to be connected to the source/drain region.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the contact plug includes a metal-semiconductor compound layer.

11 . A semiconductor device comprising:

an active region extending on a substrate in a first direction;

a plurality of channel layers on the active region to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the plurality of channel layers including silicon germanium (SiGe);

a gate structure intersecting the active region and the plurality of channel layers on the substrate to surround the plurality of channel layers, respectively, the gate structure extending in a second direction;

a source/drain region on the active region on at least one side of the gate structure, the source/drain region in contact with the plurality of channel layers; and

a substrate insulating layer disposed between the source/drain region and the substrate,

wherein the source/drain region includes:

an epitaxial layer in contact with the substrate insulating layer, and

passivation layers in contact with at least portions of the gate structure and the plurality of channel layers, and

wherein the passivation layers are spaced apart from each other in the first direction by the epitaxial layer.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein:

the passivation layers include impurities, and

a concentration of each of the impurities is greater than about 0 at % and less than or equal to about 10 at %.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the epitaxial layer is spaced apart from the gate structure and the plurality of channel layers by each of the passivation layers.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein:

the gate structure includes an upper portion on the uppermost channel layer among the plurality of channel layers, and a lower portion below each of the plurality of channel layers, and

each of the passivation layers includes protrusions protruding toward the gate structure on a level the same as that of the lower portion of the gate structure.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein a width of each of the protrusions in the first direction becomes narrower as a distance to the substrate insulating layer decreases.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein a side surface of the epitaxial layer in contact with the passivation layers includes a portion protruding toward the passivation layers on a level the same as that of the lower portion of the gate structure.

17 . A semiconductor device comprising:

an active region extending on a substrate in a first direction;

a plurality of channel layers on the active region to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, the plurality of channel layers including silicon germanium (SiGe);

a gate structure intersecting the active region and the plurality of channel layers on the substrate to surround the plurality of channel layers, respectively, the gate structure extending in a second direction;

a source/drain region on the active region on at least one side of the gate structure, the source/drain region in contact with the plurality of channel layers; and

a substrate insulating layer disposed between the source/drain region and the substrate,

wherein the source/drain region includes an epitaxial layer in contact with an upper surface of the substrate insulating layer,

wherein at least a portion of a side surface of the epitaxial layer forms a surface, perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate,

wherein a lower surface of the epitaxial layer forms a flat surface, and

wherein a lower surface of a gate dielectric layer surrounding the lowermost gate electrode of the gate structure is in contact with the upper surface of the substrate insulating layer,

wherein the epitaxial layer is a first layer,

wherein the source/drain region further includes a second layer and a third layer isolated and spaced apart from each other by the first layer in the first direction,

wherein the second and third layers are the same layer as each other, and

wherein the first layer has a composition different from that of each of the second and third layers.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2023
From: CHO, NAMKYU; KIM, JUNGTAEK; YANG, MOONSEUNG; YU, SUMIN; JEONG, SEOJIN; KIM, SEOKHOON; PARK, PANKWI
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063491/0824 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0061997 · May 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230378336A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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