IP Library Granted Patent US 12,557,352
Granted Patent B2
US 12,557,352 · App. 17/455,938 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Forksheet transistor device with air gap spine

Inventors: Ashish Agrawal (Hillsboro, OR); Christopher M. Neumann (Portland, OR); Seung Hoon Sung (Portland, OR); Marko Radosavljevic (Portland, OR); Jack T. Kavalieros (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H10D62/116H10D30/024H10D30/62
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,557,352
App. No.
17/455,938
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques are provided herein to form a forksheet device with an air gap spine. The air gap may be devoid of gas, or not. In an example, the device includes a first semiconductor body laterally extending from a first side of a void (air gap) and having an end surface that defines part of the first side of the void, and a second semiconductor body laterally extending from a second side of the void and having an end surface that defines part of the second side of the void. A first gate structure is on the first semiconductor body, and a second gate structure is on the second semiconductor body. In some cases, a spacer structure is between a source or drain region and the corresponding gate structure, the spacer structure including one or more portions of the void. The void may be created with a backside process, post-device formation.

Claims (55)

1 . An integrated circuit comprising:

a void;

a first set of two or more semiconductor bodies each laterally extending from a first side of the void such that the void directly abuts at least one of the first set of two or more semiconductor bodies;

a second set of two or more semiconductor bodies each laterally extending from a second side of the void such that the void directly abuts at least one of the second set of two or more semiconductor bodies;

a first gate structure on the two or more semiconductor bodies of the first set; and

a second gate structure on the two or more semiconductor bodies of the second set.

2 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein:

each of the two or more semiconductor bodies of the first set has an end surface that defines a portion of the first side of the void; and

each of the two or more semiconductor bodies of the second set has an end surface that defines a portion of the second side of the void.

3 . The integrated circuit of claim 2 , wherein the end surfaces of the semiconductor bodies of the first and second sets are first end surfaces, and wherein:

each of the two or more semiconductor bodies of the first set has a second end surface opposite the first end surface and that that is in contact with the first gate structure; and

each of the two or more semiconductor bodies of the second set has a second end surface opposite the first end surface and that that is in contact with the second gate structure.

4 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , comprising:

a first source region and a first drain region, each in contact with the two or more semiconductor bodies of the first set, such that the two or more semiconductor bodies of the first set are between the first source region and the first drain region; and

a second source region and a second drain region, each in contact with the two or more semiconductor bodies of the second set, such that the two or more semiconductor bodies of the second set are between the second source region and the second drain region.

5 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , comprising:

a source region or drain region to one side of the first gate structure and in contact with the first set of two or more semiconductor bodies; and

a spacer structure between the source or drain region and the first gate structure, the spacer structure including dielectric material.

6 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , comprising:

a source region or drain region to one side of the first gate structure and in contact with the first set of two or more semiconductor bodies; and

a spacer structure between the source or drain region and the first gate structure, the spacer structure including one or more portions of the void.

7 . The integrated circuit of claim 6 , wherein the void is devoid of gas.

8 . The integrated circuit of claim 6 , comprising a contact structure on the source region or drain region.

9 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first set of two or more semiconductor bodies and the first gate structure are part of a p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor structure, and the second set of two or more semiconductor bodies and the second gate structure are part of an n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor structure.

10 . The integrated circuit of claim 9 , wherein the PMOS transistor structure and the NMOS transistor structure are part of a forksheet device.

11 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , comprising a first contact structure on the first gate structure and a second contact on the second gate structure.

12 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first gate structure includes a high-k gate dielectric and a p-type gate electrode, and the second gate structure includes the high-k gate dielectric and an n-type gate electrode.

13 . The integrated circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first set of two or more semiconductor bodies comprise a first semiconductor material, and the second set of two or more semiconductor bodies comprise a second semiconductor material compositionally different from the first semiconductor material.

14 . A fork sheet device comprising:

a void;

a first semiconductor body laterally extending from a first side of the void and having an end surface that defines part of the first side of the void such that the void directly abuts the end surface of the first semiconductor body;

a second semiconductor body laterally extending from a second side of the void and having an end surface that defines part of the second side of the void such that the void directly abuts the end surface of the second semiconductor body;

a first gate structure on the first semiconductor body; and

a second gate structure on the second semiconductor body.

15 . The fork sheet device of claim 14 , wherein the first gate structure includes one or more surfaces that define part of the first side of the void, and the second gate structure includes one or more surfaces that define part of the second side of the void.

16 . The fork sheet device of claim 14 , comprising:

a first source region and a first drain region, each in contact with the first semiconductor body, such that the first semiconductor body is between the first source region and the first drain region; and

a second source region and a second drain region, each in contact with the second semiconductor body, such that the second semiconductor body is between the second source region and the second drain region.

17 . The fork sheet device of claim 14 , comprising:

a source region or drain region to one side of the first gate structure and in contact with the first semiconductor body; and

a spacer structure between the source or drain region and the first gate structure, the spacer structure including one or more portions of the void.

18 . An integrated circuit comprising:

a void;

a first semiconductor body laterally extending from a first side of the void and having a first end surface that defines part of the first side of the void such that the void directly abuts the first end surface of the first semiconductor body;

a second semiconductor body laterally extending from a second side of the void and having a first end surface that defines part of the second side of the void such that the void directly abuts the first end surface of the second semiconductor body;

a first gate structure on a second end surface of the first semiconductor body, the first gate structure including one or more surfaces that define part of the first side of the void;

a second gate structure on a second end surface of the second semiconductor body, the second gate structure including one or more surfaces that define part of the second side of the void;

a first source region and a first drain region, each in contact with the first semiconductor body, such that the first semiconductor body is between the first source region and the first drain region; and

a second source region and a second drain region, each in contact with the second semiconductor body, such that the second semiconductor body is between the second source region and the second drain region.

19 . The integrated circuit of claim 18 , comprising:

a first spacer structure between the first source or drain region and the first gate structure, the first spacer structure including dielectric material; and

a second spacer structure between the second source or drain region and the second gate structure, the second spacer structure including dielectric material.

20 . The integrated circuit of claim 18 , comprising:

a first spacer structure between the first source or drain region and the first gate structure, the first spacer structure including one or more portions of the void; and

a second spacer structure between the second source or drain region and the second gate structure, the second spacer structure including one or more portions of the void.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2021
From: AGRAWAL, ASHISH; NEUMANN, CHRISTOPHER M.; SUNG, SEUNG HOON; RADOSAVLJEVIC, MARKO; KAVALIEROS, JACK T.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058217/0172 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230163168A1 · May 25, 2023
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