IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,550,427
Granted Patent B2
US 12,550,427 · App. 17/936,416 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Vertical inverter formation on stacked field effect transistor (SFET)

Inventors: Min Gyu Sung (Latham, NY); Julien Frougier (Albany, NY); Kangguo Cheng (Schenectady, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Chanro Park (Clifton Park, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D84/856H01L21/02603H10D30/014H10D30/43H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D62/121H10D84/0167H10D84/017H10D84/0186H10D84/0188H10D84/038H10D88/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,550,427
App. No.
17/936,416
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to stacked field effect transistors (SFETs) having integrated vertical inverters. In a non-limiting embodiment, a first nanosheet is vertically stacked over a second nanosheet. A common gate is formed around a channel region of the first and second nanosheets. A top source or drain region is formed in direct contact with the first nanosheet and a bottom source or drain region is formed in direct contact with the second nanosheet. A first portion of the top source or drain region is shorted to a first portion of the bottom source or drain region to define a common source or drain region. A second portion of the top source or drain region is electrically coupled to a second portion of the bottom source or drain region in series through the first nanosheet, the common source or drain region, and the second nanosheet.

Claims (36)

1 . A method for forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a first nanosheet vertically stacked over a second nanosheet;

forming a common gate around a channel region of the first nanosheet and a channel region of the second nanosheet;

forming a top source or drain region in direct contact with the first nanosheet; and

forming a bottom source or drain region in direct contact with the second nanosheet;

wherein a first portion of the top source or drain region is shorted to a first portion of the bottom source or drain region via a direct epitaxy contact growth of the first portion of the top source or drain region on a surface of the first portion of the bottom source or drain region to define a common source or drain region; and

wherein a second portion of the top source or drain region is electrically coupled to a second portion of the bottom source or drain region in series through the first nanosheet, the common source or drain region, and the second nanosheet.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a first nanosheet stack comprising the first nanosheet and one or more additional first nanosheets; and

forming a second nanosheet stack comprising the second nanosheet and one or more additional second nanosheets.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a stacked field effect transistor.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the stacked field effect transistor comprises a complementary stacked field effect transistor comprising an nFET and a pFET.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first nanosheet stack defines a portion of one of the nFET and the pFET and the second nanosheet stack defines a portion of the other one of the nFET and the pFET.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming a middle dielectric isolation structure between the first nanosheet and the second nanosheet, the middle dielectric isolation structure in direct contact with the common source or drain region.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the top source or drain region comprises a first doping type and the bottom source or drain region comprises a second doping type opposite the first doping type.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first sidewall of the first nanosheet is coplanar to a first sidewall of the second nanosheet, and wherein a second sidewall of the first nanosheet is recessed with respect to a second sidewall of the second nanosheet.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a bottom source or drain contact on a surface of the bottom source or drain region.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming an isolation structure between the bottom source or drain contact and the top source or drain region, wherein a portion of the isolation structure is between the bottom source or drain contact and the common gate.

11 . A semiconductor device comprising:

a first nanosheet vertically stacked over a second nanosheet;

a common gate formed around a channel region of the first nanosheet and a channel region of the second nanosheet;

a top source or drain region in direct contact with the first nanosheet; and

a bottom source or drain region in direct contact with the second nanosheet;

wherein a first portion of the top source or drain region is shorted to a first portion of the bottom source or drain region via direct epitaxy contact between the first portion of the top source or drain region and a surface of the first portion of the bottom source or drain region to define a common source or drain region; and

wherein a second portion of the top source or drain region is electrically coupled to a second portion of the bottom source or drain region in series through the first nanosheet, the common source or drain region, and the second nanosheet.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , further comprising:

a first nanosheet stack comprising the first nanosheet and one or more additional first nanosheets; and

a second nanosheet stack comprising the second nanosheet and one or more additional second nanosheets.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor device comprises a stacked field effect transistor.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the stacked field effect transistor comprises a complementary stacked field effect transistor comprising an nFET and a pFET.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein the first nanosheet stack defines a portion of one of the nFET and the pFET and the second nanosheet stack defines a portion of the other one of the nFET and the pFET.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further comprising a middle dielectric isolation structure between the first nanosheet and the second nanosheet, the middle dielectric isolation structure in direct contact with the common source or drain region.

17 . The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein the top source or drain region comprises a first doping type and the bottom source or drain region comprises a second doping type opposite the first doping type.

18 . The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein a first sidewall of the first nanosheet is coplanar to a first sidewall of the second nanosheet, and wherein a second sidewall of the first nanosheet is recessed with respect to a second sidewall of the second nanosheet.

19 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , further comprising a bottom source or drain contact on a surface of the bottom source or drain region.

20 . The semiconductor device of claim 19 , further comprising an isolation structure between the bottom source or drain contact and the top source or drain region, wherein a portion of the isolation structure is between the bottom source or drain contact and the common gate.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2022
From: SUNG, MIN GYU; FROUGIER, JULIEN; CHENG, KANGGUO; XIE, RUILONG; PARK, CHANRO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061251/0208 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240113117A1 · Apr 4, 2024
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