IP Library Granted Patent US 12,557,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,557,367 · App. 18/365,832 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Source/drain regions formed using metal containing block masks

Inventors: Hui-Lin Huang (Hsinchu, TW); Li-Li Su (Chubei, TW); Yee-Chia Yeo (Hsinchu, TW); Chii-Horng Li (Zhubei, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H10D84/017H01L21/0259H01L21/0332H01L21/28518H10D30/031H10D30/6713H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/021H10D62/118H10D64/017H10D64/018H10D64/62H10D84/0167H10D84/0172H10D84/0184H10D84/0186H10D84/038H10D84/85
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,557,367
App. No.
18/365,832
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes etching a first recess adjacent a first dummy gate stack and a first fin; etching a second recess adjacent a second dummy gate stack and a second fin; and epitaxially growing a first epitaxy region in the first recess. The method further includes depositing a first metal-comprising mask over the first dummy gate stack, over the second dummy gate stack, over the first epitaxy region in the first recess, and in the second recess; patterning the first metal-comprising mask to expose the first dummy gate stack and the first epitaxy region; epitaxially growing a second epitaxy region in the first recess over the first epitaxy region; and after epitaxially growing the second epitaxy region, removing remaining portions of the first metal-comprising mask.

Claims (51)

1 . A device comprising:

a first fin extending upwards from a semiconductor substrate;

a shallow trench isolation region adjacent the first fin;

a fin spacer directly over and directly contacting a top surface of the shallow trench isolation region;

a first epitaxial source/drain region extending into the first fin, wherein the first epitaxial source/drain region comprises:

a first epitaxy region; and

a second epitaxy region over the first epitaxy region, wherein the second epitaxy region comprises a different material than the first epitaxy region;

a first metal residue between the first epitaxial source/drain region and the shallow trench isolation region along a first line parallel to a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first metal residue directly contacts the second epitaxy region, wherein the fin spacer overlaps the first metal residue, and wherein the shallow trench isolation region is disposed between the first metal residue and the fin spacer along a second line perpendicular to the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a gate over the first fin.

2 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second fin, wherein the shallow trench isolation region is between the first fin and the second fin;

a second epitaxial source/drain region extending into the second fin; and

a second metal residue between the second epitaxial source/drain region and the shallow trench isolation region, wherein the first metal residue and the second metal residue are each disposed between the first fin and the second fin, the first metal residue and the second metal residue are separated by the shallow trench isolation region, and a bottommost point of the first metal residue is lower than a bottommost point of the second metal residue.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the second metal residue and the first metal residue each comprise aluminum.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein an aluminum concentration in a first region is greater than 10 19 at/cm 3 , wherein the first region has a first lateral boundary extending through the first fin and a second lateral boundary extending through the second fin.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first fin comprises a plurality of nanostructures, and wherein the gate is disposed around each of the plurality of nanostructures.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first metal residue comprises hafnium.

7 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the second metal residue and the first metal residue each comprise aluminum.

8 . A device comprising:

a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region, wherein the first source/drain region comprises:

a first epitaxy region; and

a second epitaxy region over and having a higher dopant concentration than the first epitaxy region;

a first metal residue at a first sidewall of the first source/drain region, wherein the first metal residue is further disposed between the first epitaxy region and the second epitaxy region at a physical upper interface between the first epitaxy region and the second epitaxy region, the first metal residue contacting the second epitaxial region;

a first semiconductor region extending between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region; and

a first gate structure over and along sidewalls of the first semiconductor region, wherein the first metal residue is disposed between the first epitaxy region and the second epitaxy region in a cross-sectional view that is parallel to a lengthwise dimension of the first gate structure, and wherein the physical upper interface between the first epitaxy region and the second epitaxy region that the first metal residue is disposed at is also disposed in the cross-sectional view that is parallel to the lengthwise dimension of the first gate structure.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the first metal residue is aluminum residue or hafnium residue.

10 . The device of claim 8 further comprising a shallow trench isolation region extending along the first sidewall of the first source/drain region, wherein the first metal residue is disposed between the second epitaxy region and the shallow trench isolation region.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the first metal residue contacts the shallow trench isolation region.

12 . The device of claim 8 further comprising:

a third source/drain region and a fourth source/drain region, the third source/drain region having an opposite conductivity type than the first source/drain region, wherein the third source/drain region comprises:

a third epitaxy region; and

a fourth epitaxy region over and having a higher dopant concentration than the third epitaxy region;

a second metal residue at a first sidewall of the third source/drain region, wherein the second metal residue is further disposed between the third epitaxy region and the fourth epitaxy region;

a second semiconductor region extending between the third source/drain region and the fourth source/drain region; and

a second gate structure over and along sidewalls of the second semiconductor region.

13 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the second metal residue is an aluminum residue or a hafnium residue.

14 . The device of claim 12 , wherein the second metal residue is made of a same metal element as the first metal residue.

15 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the physical upper interface between the first epitaxy region and the second epitaxy region is disposed at a lower level than a top surface of the shallow trench isolation region in a cross-sectional view.

16 . A device comprising:

a first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin protruding from a substrate;

a shallow trench isolation region between the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin;

a first source/drain region extending into the first semiconductor fin, the first source/drain region comprising a second epitaxial material atop a first epitaxial material;

a second source/drain region extending into the second semiconductor fin;

a first metal residue between the first source/drain region and a sidewall of the shallow trench isolation region along a line that is parallel to a top surface of the substrate, the sidewall of the shallow trench isolation region being a closest sidewall to the first semiconductor fin; and

a second metal residue between the second source/drain region and the shallow trench isolation region along the line that is parallel to a top surface of the substrate, wherein the first metal residue and the second metal residue are disposed between the first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin, wherein the shallow trench isolation region extends continuously from the first metal residue to the second metal residue, wherein a bottommost point of the first metal residue is disposed at a lower level than a bottommost post of the second metal residue, wherein a metal element of the first metal residue and the second metal residue has a first concentration in a first region of the device, the first region of the device is bounded by a first line extending through the first semiconductor fin and a second line extending through the second semiconductor fin, and the first concentration is at least greater than 10 19 at/cm 3 .

17 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the metal element is aluminum or hafnium.

18 . The device of claim 16 , wherein the first metal residue is disposed at a boundary between the first epitaxial material and the second epitaxial material.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the second source/drain region comprises:

a third epitaxy region; and

a fourth epitaxy region over and contacting the third epitaxy region, wherein the second metal residue is disposed at a boundary between the third epitaxy region and the fourth epitaxy region.

20 . The device of claim 18 , wherein a crystalline structure of the first epitaxial material is closer to a crystalline structure of the first semiconductor fin than a crystalline structure of the second epitaxial material is to the crystalline structure of the first semiconductor fin.

Continuity (3)
Division 17232898 · Apr 16, 2021
Provisional Application 63145605 · Feb 4, 2021
Related Publication 20230377989A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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