IP Library Granted Patent US 12,563,796
Granted Patent B2
US 12,563,796 · App. 17/557,676 · Granted Feb 24, 2026

Extended lower source/drain for stacked field-effect transistor

Inventors: Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Chen Zhang (Guilderland, NY); Jingyun Zhang (Albany, NY); Pietro Montanini (Albany, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D62/118H10D30/6713H10D30/6757H10D62/115H10D84/0128H10D84/013H10D84/038
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,563,796
App. No.
17/557,676
Granted
Feb 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments herein include semiconductor structures with an active channel stack having an upper field-effect transistor (FET) and a lower FET vertically stacked below the upper FET The semiconductor structure may also include a dummy stub adjacent to the active channel stack, a lower source/drain (S/D) connected to the active channel stack and laterally extended over the dummy stub, and an upper S/D connected to the active channel stack above the lower S/D.

Claims (36)

1 . A semiconductor structure, comprising:

an active channel stack comprising an upper field-effect transistor (FET) and a lower FET vertically stacked below the upper FET;

a dummy stub adjacent to the active channel stack and protruding between shallow trench isolations (STIs) in a gate region;

a lower source/drain (S/D) connected to the active channel stack and laterally extended over the dummy stub; and

an upper S/D connected to the active channel stack above the lower S/D.

2 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a lower S/D contact located above the dummy stub; and

an upper S/D contact located above the active channel stack.

3 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the active channel stack comprises a fin FET.

4 . The semiconductor structure of claim 3 , further comprising a dielectric liner above the dummy stub, wherein the dielectric liner surrounds a high-κ metal gate and a work-function metal (WFM).

5 . The semiconductor structure of claim 4 , wherein the dielectric liner isolates the high-κ metal gate and the WFM from the lower S/D and the upper S/D.

6 . The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper FET is a nanosheet FET.

7 . The semiconductor structure of claim 6 , further comprising a dielectric isolation structure between the upper FET and the lower FET.

8 . The semiconductor structure of claim 6 , wherein the active channel stack comprises a lateral width that is greater than a lateral width of the the dummy stub.

9 . A method, comprising:

forming an active channel stack and a dummy stack adjacent to the active channel stack;

growing a lower source/drain (S/D) across the active channel stack and the dummy stack;

growing a first top S/D on the active channel stack and a second top S/D on the dummy stack; and

removing the dummy stack except for a dummy stub that protrudes between the shallow trench isolations (STIs).

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the active channel stack comprises forming a fin field-effect transistor (fin FET).

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the dummy stack comprises a fin structure adjacent to the fin FET.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the dummy stack comprises forming a gap within a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure over the dummy stub.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming a dielectric liner in the gap, wherein the dielectric liner surrounds a high-κ metal gate and a work-function metal (WFM).

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming a lower contact through the second top S/D to the lower S/D.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the active channel stack comprises forming a nanosheet field-effect transistor (FET).

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the active channel stack comprises a lateral width that is greater than a lateral width of the dummy stack.

17 . A semiconductor structure, comprising:

an upper source/drain (S/D) electrically connected to an active channel stack;

a lower S/D electrically connected to the active channel stack, wherein the lower S/D comprises:

a first growth between the upper S/D and the active channel stack; and

a second growth between a dummy stub and a contact, wherein the dummy stub protrudes up from the substrate between shallow trench isolations (STIs) in a gate region.

18 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , further comprising:

a lower S/D contact located above the dummy stub; and

an upper S/D contact located above the active channel stack.

19 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , wherein the active channel stack comprises a fin field-effect transistor (fin FET).

20 . The semiconductor structure of claim 17 , wherein the active channel stack comprises a nanosheet field-effect transistor (FET).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2021
From: XIE, RUILONG; ZHANG, CHEN; ZHANG, JINGYUN; MONTANINI, PIETRO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058447/0352 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230197778A1 · Jun 22, 2023
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