IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,557,258
Granted Patent B2
US 12,557,258 · App. 18/601,094 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

Inventors: Tetsu Ohtou (Hsinchu, TW); Ching-Wei Tsai (Hsinchu, TW); Kuan-Lun Cheng (Hsinchu, TW); Yasutoshi Okuno (Hsinchu, TW); Jiun-Jia Huang (Yunlin County, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
H10B10/12H10D62/115H10D62/393H10D84/013H10D84/0147H10D84/0151H10D84/0158H10D84/0167H10D84/017H10D84/0184H10D84/0193H10D84/038H10D84/834H10D84/853H10D84/0188
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,557,258
App. No.
18/601,094
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device incudes a substrate. A first fin and a second fin are over the substrate. An isolation structure is laterally between the first fin and the second fin. A gate structure crosses the first fin and the second fin. A first source/drain epitaxy structure is over the first fin. A second source/drain epitaxy structure is over the second fin. A spacer layer extends from a first sidewall of the first fin to a first sidewall of the second fin along a top surface of the isolation structure.

Claims (40)

1 . A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first fin and a second fin over the substrate;

a gate structure crossing the first fin and the second fin;

a first source/drain epitaxy structure over the first fin;

a second source/drain epitaxy structure over the second fin; and

a spacer layer extending from a sidewall of the first fin to a sidewall of the second fin, wherein the spacer layer is spaced apart from the substrate, wherein the spacer interfaces with both the first fin and the first source/drain epitaxy structure.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure is in contact with a top end of the spacer layer.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the second source/drain epitaxy structure is in contact with another top end of the spacer layer.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first fin comprises a bottom portion and a top portion over the bottom portion, wherein the top portion is narrower than the bottom portion.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the spacer layer is in contact with the top portion of the first fin.

6 . The device of claim 5 , further comprising an isolation structure between the first fin and the second fin, wherein the isolation structure is in contact with the bottom portion of the first fin.

7 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising an isolation structure between the first fin and the second fin, wherein the spacer layer extends along a top surface of the isolation structure.

8 . A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first fin and a second fin over the substrate;

a gate structure crossing the first fin and the second fin;

a first source/drain epitaxy structure over the first fin;

a second source/drain epitaxy structure over the second fin;

a spacer layer extending from a sidewall of the first fin to a sidewall of the second fin; and

a dielectric material over the space layer, wherein a top end of the spacer layer is substantially level with or lower than a top surface of the dielectric material, wherein the spacer layer interfaces with a sidewall and a bottom surface of the dielectric material.

9 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising an isolation structure between the first fin and the second fin, wherein the dielectric material spaced from the dielectric material through the spacer layer.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure is in contact with the spacer layer.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein a top end of the dielectric material is lower than a top end of the first source/drain epitaxy structure.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first fin comprises a bottom portion and a top portion over the bottom portion, wherein the top portion is narrower than the bottom portion.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure forms an interface with a top surface of the bottom portion of the first fin.

14 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the spacer layer comprises a first vertical portion, a second vertical portion, and a lateral portion connecting the first vertical portion and the second vertical portion.

15 . A device, comprising:

a substrate;

a first fin and a second fin over the substrate;

an isolation structure between the first fin and the second fin;

a gate structure crossing the first fin and the second fin;

a first source/drain epitaxy structure over the first fin, wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure covers three sides of the first fin;

a second source/drain epitaxy structure over the second fin; and

a first dielectric material extending from a sidewall of the first source/drain epitaxy structure to a sidewall of the second source/drain epitaxy structure.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure extends to a top end of the first dielectric material.

17 . The device of claim 15 , further comprising a second dielectric material below the first dielectric material, wherein the second dielectric material has an U-shape cross-sectional profile.

18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein a bottom surface of the first dielectric material is lower than a top surface of the first fin.

19 . The device of claim 17 , further comprising an isolation structure between the first fin and the second fin, wherein the second dielectric material extends along a top surface of the isolation structure.

20 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the first source/drain epitaxy structure forms a first interface with a first sidewall of the first fin and a second interface with a second sidewall of the first fin, the first sidewall being opposite to the second sidewall, and the first interface is longer than the second interface.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 20, 2024
From: OHTOU, TETSUO; TSAI, CHING-WEI; CHENG, KUAN-LUN; OKUNO, YASUTOSHI; HUANG, JIUN-JIA
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066834/0434 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17851675 · Jun 28, 2022
Continuation 16876416 · May 18, 2020
Division 15905905 · Feb 27, 2018
Provisional Application 62526432 · Jun 29, 2017
Related Publication 20240215214A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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