IP Library Granted Patent US 12,543,347
Granted Patent B2
US 12,543,347 · App. 18/316,005 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Different diffusion break structures for three-dimensional stacked semiconductor device

Inventors: Byounghak Hong (Albany, NY); Seunghyun Song (Albany, NY); Kang-ill Seo (Albany, NY)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10D30/6735H10D62/121H10D84/0188H10D84/038H10D86/201H10D86/215
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,543,347
App. No.
18/316,005
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A multi-stack semiconductor device formed to cover a plurality of gate pitches includes: a 1 st transistor; a 2 nd transistor formed at a right side of the 1 st transistor, and isolated from the 1 st transistor by a 1 st portion of a diffusion break structure; a 3 rd transistor formed vertically above or below the 1 st transistor; and a 4 th transistor formed at a right side of the 3 rd transistor, and isolated from the 3 rd transistor by a 2 nd portion of the diffusion break structure, wherein the 1 st portion and the 2 nd portion of the diffusion break structure are formed of different material compositions or have different physical dimensions.

Claims (59)

1 . A multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a 1 st multi-stack transistor comprising a 1 st lower transistor and a 1 st upper transistor formed above the 1 st lower transistor;

a 2 nd multi-stack transistor comprising a 2 nd lower transistor and a 2 nd upper transistor formed above the 2 nd lower transistor, the 2 nd multi-stack transistor being disposed at a side of the 1 st multi-stack transistor in a 1 st direction; and

a diffusion break structure comprising:

a lower portion that separates the 1 st lower transistor from the 2 nd lower transistor; and

an upper portion that separates the 1 st upper transistor from the 2 nd upper transistor,

wherein the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a material composition different from a material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure,

wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing one of compressive stress and tensile stress applied to the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor, and

wherein the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing another of the compressive stress and the tensile stress applied to the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor.

2 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein one of the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor is one of a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor, and

wherein another of the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor is another of the p-type transistor and the n-type transistor.

3 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises nitride, and the material composition comprises tonen silazene (TOSZ).

4 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises a greater amount of nitride than the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure.

5 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 2 ,

wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is formed across a plurality of gate pitches in the 1 st direction, and

wherein the diffusion break structure occupies a space corresponding to approximately one gate pitch or greater between the 1 st multi-stack transistor and the 2 nd multi-stack transistor in the 1 st direction.

6 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 5 ,

wherein the diffusion break structure forms a double diffusion break (DDB) structure that occupies a space corresponding to approximately two gate structures or dummy gate structures adjacent to each other and an active region therebetween in the 1 st direction, and

wherein the two gate structures or dummy gate structures adjacent to each other are formed between a gate structure of the 1 st multi-stack transistor and a gate structure of the 2 nd multi-stack transistor.

7 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 2 ,

wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is formed to cover a plurality of gate pitches, and

wherein the diffusion break structure forms a single diffusion break (SDB) structure that occupies a space corresponding to approximately one gate structure or dummy gate structure between the 1 st multi-stack transistor and the 2 nd multi-stack transistor in the 1 st direction.

8 . The multi-stack semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein each of the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor is one of a p-type nanosheet transistor and an n-type nanosheet transistor, and

wherein each of the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor is the other of the p-type nanosheet transistor and the n-type nanosheet transistor.

9 . A semiconductor module comprising a processor and at least one semiconductor device on a module substrate, wherein one or more of the processor and the at least one semiconductor device comprises a multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a 1 st multi-stack transistor comprising a 1 st lower transistor and a 1 st upper transistor formed above the 1 st lower transistor;

a 2 nd multi-stack transistor comprising a 2 nd lower transistor and a 2 nd upper transistor formed above the 2 nd lower transistor, the 2 nd multi-stack transistor being disposed at a side of the 1 st multi-stack transistor in a 1 st direction; and

a diffusion break structure comprising:

a lower portion that separates the 1 st lower transistor from the 2 nd lower transistor; and

an upper portion that separates the 1 st upper transistor from the 2 nd upper transistor,

wherein the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a material composition different from a material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure,

wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing one of compressive stress and tensile stress applied to the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor, and

wherein the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing another of the compressive stress and the tensile stress applied to the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor.

10 . The semiconductor module of claim 9 , wherein one of the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor is one of a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor, and

wherein another of the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor is another of the p-type transistor and the n-type transistor.

11 . The semiconductor module of claim 10 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises nitride, and the material composition comprises tonen silazene (TOSZ).

12 . The semiconductor module of claim 10 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises a greater amount of nitride than the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure.

13 . The semiconductor module of claim 10 , wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is formed across a plurality of gate pitches in the 1 st direction, and

wherein the diffusion break structure occupies a space corresponding to approximately one gate pitch or greater between the 1 st multi-stack transistor and the 2 nd multi-stack transistor in the 1 st direction.

14 . The semiconductor module of claim 13 , wherein the diffusion break structure forms a double diffusion break (DDB) structure that occupies a space corresponding to approximately two gate structures or dummy gate structures adjacent to each other and an active region therebetween in the 1 st direction, and

wherein the two gate structures or dummy gate structures adjacent to each other are formed between a gate structure of the 1 st multi-stack transistor and a gate structure of the 2 nd multi-stack transistor.

15 . The semiconductor module of claim 10 ,

wherein the multi-stack semiconductor device is formed to cover a plurality of gate pitches, and

wherein the diffusion break structure forms a single diffusion break (SDB) structure that occupies a space corresponding to approximately one gate structure or dummy gate structure between the 1 st multi-stack transistor and the 2 nd multi-stack transistor in the 1 st direction.

16 . The semiconductor module of claim 10 , wherein each of the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor is one of a p-type nanosheet transistor and an n-type nanosheet transistor, and

wherein each of the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor is the other of the p-type nanosheet transistor and the n-type nanosheet transistor.

17 . An electronic system comprising a processor and at least one memory device that are communicatively coupled by a data bus, wherein one or more of the processor and the at least one memory comprises a multi-stack semiconductor device comprising:

a 1 st multi-stack transistor comprising a 1 st lower transistor and a 1 st upper transistor formed above the 1 st lower transistor;

a 2 nd multi-stack transistor comprising a 2 nd lower transistor and a 2 nd upper transistor formed above the 2 nd lower transistor, the 2 nd multi-stack transistor being disposed at a side of the 1 st multi-stack transistor in a 1 st direction; and

a diffusion break structure comprising:

a lower portion that separates the 1 st lower transistor from the 2 nd lower transistor; and

an upper portion that separates the 1 st upper transistor from the 2 nd upper transistor,

wherein the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a material composition different from a material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure,

wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing one of compressive stress and tensile stress applied to the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor, and

wherein the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure has a characteristic of increasing another of the compressive stress and the tensile stress applied to the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor.

18 . The electronic system of claim 17 , wherein one of the 1 st lower transistor and the 2 nd lower transistor is one of a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor, and

wherein another of the 1 st upper transistor and the 2 nd upper transistor is another of the p-type transistor and the n-type transistor.

19 . The electronic system of claim 18 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises nitride, and the material composition comprises tonen silazene (TOSZ).

20 . The electronic system of claim 18 , wherein the material composition of the lower portion of the diffusion break structure comprises a greater amount of nitride than the material composition of the upper portion of the diffusion break structure.

Continuity (3)
Division 17335834 · Jun 1, 2021
Provisional Application 63163432 · Mar 19, 2021
Related Publication 20230282646A1 · Sep 7, 2023
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