IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,557,269
Granted Patent B2
US 12,557,269 · App. 18/354,648 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Semiconductor device

Inventors: Dong Soo Kim (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Yoon Jae Nam (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Mun Gi Sim (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
H10B12/34H10B12/053
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,557,269
App. No.
18/354,648
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device includes: a substrate including a trench; a bottom gate electrode suitable for gap-filling a lower portion of the trench and including a silicon-doped first metal nitride; and a top gate electrode formed over the bottom gate electrode, and including a silicon-doped second metal nitride having a higher silicon content than a silicon content of the bottom gate electrode and having a higher ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content than a ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content of the bottom gate electrode.

Claims (36)

1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including a trench;

a bottom gate electrode suitable for gap-filling a lower portion of the trench and including a silicon-doped first metal nitride; and

a top gate electrode formed over the bottom gate electrode, and including a silicon-doped second metal nitride having a higher silicon content than a silicon content of the bottom gate electrode and having a higher ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content than a ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content of the bottom gate electrode.

2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-doped first metal nitride has a silicon content of greater than 0% and less than 1%.

3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the metal content to the nitrogen content of the silicon-doped first metal nitride is 1 or more.

4 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-doped first metal nitride has:

a ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content of 1 or more, and

a silicon content of greater than 0% and less than 1%.

5 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-doped second metal nitride has a silicon content of greater than 1% and less than 5%.

6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-doped second metal nitride has a higher ratio of a crystal grain direction <100> to a crystal grain direction <111> than a higher ratio of a crystal grain direction <100> to a crystal grain direction <111> of the silicon-doped first metal nitride.

7 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the silicon-doped first metal nitride and the silicon-doped second metal nitride include titanium nitride.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the top gate electrode includes:

a first top gate electrode of a liner type and

a second top gate electrode of a bulk type which is formed over the first top gate electrode and has bottom and side surfaces covered by the first top gate electrode.

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the first top gate electrode is the silicon-doped second metal nitride.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes a lower resistance material than the first top gate electrode.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes the same material as a material of the bottom gate electrode.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes titanium nitride or molybdenum.

13 . A semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate including a trench;

a bottom gate electrode suitable for gap-filling a lower portion of the trench; and

a top gate electrode formed over the bottom gate electrode, and including a silicon-doped metal nitride having a higher metal content than a nitrogen content.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-doped metal nitride has a silicon content of greater than 1% and less than 5%.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-doped metal nitride has a ratio of a metal content to a nitrogen content of greater than 1, and

a silicon content of greater than 1% and less than 5%.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the silicon-doped metal nitride includes silicon-doped titanium nitride.

17 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the top gate electrode includes:

a first top gate electrode of a liner type and

a second top gate electrode of a bulk type which is formed over the first top gate electrode and has bottom and side surfaces covered by the first top gate electrode.

18 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the first top gate electrode is the silicon-doped metal nitride.

19 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes a lower resistance material than the first top gate electrode.

20 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes the same material as a material of the bottom gate electrode.

21 . The semiconductor device of claim 17 , wherein the second top gate electrode includes titanium nitride or molybdenum.

22 . The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the bottom gate electrode includes:

a single layer structure or a stacked structure of one or more selected from a group including molybdenum, ruthenium, a stacked structure of molybdenum nitride and molybdenum, and a stacked structure of titanium nitride and molybdenum.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2023
From: KIM, DONG SOO; NAM, YOON JAE; SIM, MUN GI
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 064306/0269 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0188614 · Dec 29, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240224506A1 · Jul 4, 2024
References Cited (4)
US 8710583B2 · Ananthan et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9748248B2 · Kang · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 10147727B2 · Goswami et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20220415793A1 · Kim · 2022 [cited by examiner]