IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,568,614
Granted Patent B2
US 12,568,614 · App. 18/213,310 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Method of fabricating semiconductor device

Inventor: Eunjung Kim (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
H10B12/053H10B12/315H10B12/482H10B12/488
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,568,614
App. No.
18/213,310
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes: forming a lower structure including a cell array region and an extension region, the cell array region including a first impurity region, a second impurity region and word lines extending in a first direction, and the extension region including an insulating layer; forming a preliminary bit line structure on the lower structure; forming a mask layer on the preliminary bit line structure and the lower structure; forming spacer patterns extending in a second direction, intersecting the first direction, on the mask layer; forming material layers on side surfaces of the spacer patterns, on the extension region; forming mask patterns by patterning the mask layer using the spacer patterns and the material layers as a first etching mask; and forming bit line structures by patterning the preliminary bit line structure using the mask patterns as a second etching mask. Each of the bit line structures includes a first portion formed on the cell array region and a second portion formed on the extension region, and the first portion is narrower than the second portion.

Claims (67)

1 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a lower structure comprising a cell array region and an extension region, the cell array region comprising a first impurity region, a second impurity region and word lines extending in a first direction, and the extension region comprising an insulating layer;

forming a preliminary bit line structure on the lower structure;

forming a mask layer on the preliminary bit line structure and the lower structure;

forming spacer patterns extending in a second direction, intersecting the first direction, on the mask layer;

forming material layers on side surfaces of the spacer patterns, on the extension region;

forming mask patterns by patterning the mask layer using the spacer patterns and the material layers as a first etching mask; and

forming bit line structures by patterning the preliminary bit line structure using the mask patterns as a second etching mask,

wherein each of the bit line structures comprises a first portion formed on the cell array region and a second portion formed on the extension region, and

wherein the first portion is narrower than the second portion.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the mask patterns comprises a first pattern on the cell array region and a second pattern on the extension region, and

wherein the first pattern is narrower than the second pattern.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein a side surface of the first pattern is offset from a side surface of the second pattern.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing the spacer patterns and the material layers used as the first etching mask; and

removing the mask patterns used as the second etching mask.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a side surface of the first portion is offset from a side surface of the second portion.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the preliminary bit line structure on the lower structure comprises:

forming a conductive layer on the lower structure; and

forming a capping layer on the conductive layer.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the forming the conductive layer on the lower structure comprises:

forming a bit line contact hole exposing the first impurity region in the cell array region of the lower structure;

forming a first conductive material layer in the bit line contact hole; and

forming a second conductive material layer on the first conductive material layer.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the spacer patterns comprises:

forming sacrificial patterns on the mask layer;

forming spacer layers on side surfaces of the sacrificial patterns; and

removing the sacrificial patterns.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the spacer patterns comprises:

line portions extending parallel to each other; and

edge portions connecting the line portions adjacent to each other.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the material layers on the spacer patterns comprises forming the material layers using atomic layer deposition (ALD).

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of each of the material layers is in a range from about 10 Å to about 20 Å.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming insulating patterns between the bit line structures adjacent to each other, on the word lines;

forming a hole exposing the second impurity region;

forming a conductive pattern in the hole; and

forming a data storage structure electrically connected to the conductive pattern.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the material layers comprises:

forming a photoresist mask defining an opening that exposes the extension region, on the lower structure; and

depositing the material layers on the side surfaces of the spacer patterns on the extension region, using the photoresist mask as an anti-deposition layer.

14 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a lower structure comprising a cell array region and an extension region;

forming a preliminary bit line structure on the lower structure;

forming a spacer structure that extends in an extension direction from the cell array region to the extension region, on the preliminary bit line structure, the spacer structure having a symmetrical shape with respect to the extension direction, and the spacer structure being narrower in the cell array region than in the extension region; and

forming a bit line structure by patterning the preliminary bit line structure using the spacer structure as an etching mask.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the bit line structure comprises a first portion formed in the cell array region and a second portion formed in the extension region, and

wherein the first portion is narrower than the second portion.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first portion of the bit line structure has a first side,

wherein the second portion of the bit line structure has a second side, and

wherein the first side is offset from the second side.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the lower structure comprises an insulating layer disposed below the preliminary bit line structure, in the extension region.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the spacer structure comprises:

a spacer pattern extending in the extension direction from the cell array region to the extension region and having a predetermined width; and

material layers on side surfaces of the spacer pattern, in the cell array region and the extension region.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the material layers comprise:

a first spacer layer on the side surfaces of the spacer pattern, in the cell array region and the extension region, and

a second spacer layer on the first spacer layer, in the extension region.

20 . A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a lower structure comprising a cell array region and an extension region;

forming a preliminary bit line structure on the lower structure;

forming spacer patterns extending in a direction from the cell array region to the extension region, on the preliminary bit line structure;

sequentially forming a first spacer layer and a second spacer layer on side surfaces of the spacer patterns, in the cell array region and the extension region;

selectively removing the second spacer layer in the cell array region;

forming bit line structures by patterning the preliminary bit line structure using the spacer patterns, the first spacer layer, and the second spacer layer as an etching mask; and

removing the spacer patterns, the first spacer layer, and the second spacer layer,

wherein each of the bit line structures comprises a first portion in the cell array region and a second portion in the extension region, the first portion being narrower than the second portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: KIM, EUNJUNG
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064042/0825 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0077670 · Jun 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230422470A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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