IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,581,927
Granted Patent B2
US 12,581,927 · App. 17/958,295 · Granted Mar 17, 2026

Contact over active gate structures with conductive trench contact taps for advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication

Inventors: Manish Chandhok (Beaverton, OR); Elijah V. Karpov (Portland, OR); Mohit K. Haran (Hillsboro, OR); Reken Patel (Portland, OR); Charles H. Wallace (Portland, OR); Gurpreet Singh (Portland, OR); Florian Gstrein (Portland, OR); Eungnak Han (Portland, OR); Urusa Alaan (Hillsboro, OR); Leonard P. Guler (Hillsboro, OR); Paul A. Nyhus (Portland, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H01L21/76897H01L21/76805H01L21/76895H01L23/535H10D30/024H10D30/6211
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,581,927
App. No.
17/958,295
Granted
Mar 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Contact over active gate (COAG) structures with conductive trench contact taps are described. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a plurality of gate structures above a substrate, each of the gate structures including a gate insulating layer thereon. A plurality of conductive trench contact structures is alternating with the plurality of gate structures, each of the conductive trench contact structures including a trench insulating layer thereon. One of the plurality of conductive trench contact structures includes a conductive tap structure protruding through the corresponding trench insulating layer. An interlayer dielectric material is above the trench insulating layers and the gate insulating layers. A conductive structure is in direct contact with the conductive tap structure of the one of the plurality of conductive trench contact structures.

Claims (55)

1 . An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a semiconductor fin;

a gate structure over the semiconductor fin, the gate structure having a top surface;

a first source or drain structure on the semiconductor fin at a first side of the gate structure;

a second source or drain structure on the semiconductor fin at a second side of the gate structure, the second side opposite the first side;

a first trench contact structure on the first source or drain structure, the first trench contact structure having a first height above the first source or drain structure, and the first trench contact structure having a top surface below the top surface of the gate structure;

a second trench contact structure on the second source or drain structure, the second trench contact structure having a second height above the second source or drain structure, the second height greater than the first height;

a first insulating layer on the gate structure;

a second insulating layer on the first trench contact structure, wherein a top surface of the second insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the first insulating layer, and wherein the top surface of the first insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the second contact structure; and

a conductive trench contact tap coupled to the first trench contact structure, the conductive trench contact tap laterally adjacent to and in contact with the second insulating layer.

2 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the first source or drain structure is a first epitaxial source or drain structure, and the second source or drain structure is a second epitaxial source or drain structure.

3 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the conductive trench contact tap is at a same level as the top surface of the second insulating layer.

4 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gate spacer laterally between the first trench contact structure and the gate structure.

5 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 4 , wherein the gate spacer is in contact with the first trench contact structure and the gate structure.

6 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 4 , wherein the gate spacer is in contact with the second insulating layer and the gate structure.

7 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 4 , wherein the gate spacer has a top surface at a same level as the top surface of the second insulating layer.

8 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 4 , further comprising:

a second gate spacer laterally between the second trench contact structure and the gate structure.

9 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 , wherein the first trench contact structure and the second trench contact structure comprises a conductive liner and a conductive fill.

10 . An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a semiconductor fin having a top;

a gate structure over the semiconductor fin, the gate structure having a top surface;

a first source or drain structure on the semiconductor fin at a first side of the gate structure;

a second source or drain structure on the semiconductor fin at a second side of the gate structure, the second side opposite the first side;

a first trench contact structure on the first source or drain structure, the first trench contact structure having a first height above the top of the fin at a first location vertically over the fin, and the first trench contact structure having a top surface below the top surface of the gate structure;

a second trench contact structure on the second source or drain structure, the second trench contact structure having a second height above the top of the fin at a second location vertically over the fin, the second height greater than the first height;

a first insulating layer on the gate structure;

a second insulating layer on the first trench contact structure, wherein a top surface of the second insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the first insulating layer, and wherein the top surface of the first insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the second contact structure; and

a conductive trench contact tap coupled to the first trench contact structure, the conductive trench contact tap laterally adjacent to and in contact with the second insulating layer, wherein a top surface of the conductive trench contact tap is at a same level as the top surface of the second insulating layer.

11 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 10 , wherein the first source or drain structure is a first epitaxial source or drain structure, and the second source or drain structure is a second epitaxial source or drain structure.

12 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first gate spacer laterally between the first trench contact structure and the gate structure; and

a second gate spacer laterally between the second trench contact structure and the gate structure.

13 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 10 , wherein the first trench contact structure and the second trench contact structure comprises a conductive liner and a conductive fill.

14 . An integrated circuit structure, comprising:

a three-dimensional body having a channel region;

a gate structure surrounding the channel region of the three-dimensional body, the gate structure having a top surface;

a first source or drain structure on the three-dimensional body at a first side of the gate structure;

a second source or drain structure on the three-dimensional body at a second side of the gate structure, the second side opposite the first side;

a first trench contact structure on the first source or drain structure, the first trench contact structure having a first height above the first source or drain structure, and the first trench contact structure having a top surface below the top surface of the gate structure;

a second trench contact structure on the second source or drain structure, the second trench contact structure having a second height above the second source or drain structure, the second height greater than the first height;

a first insulating layer on the gate structure;

a second insulating layer on the first trench contact structure, wherein a top surface of the second insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the first insulating layer, and wherein the top surface of the first insulating layer is at a same level as a top surface of the second contact structure; and

a conductive trench contact tap coupled to the first trench contact structure, the conductive trench contact tap laterally adjacent to and in contact with the second insulating layer.

15 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 14 , wherein the first source or drain structure is a first epitaxial source or drain structure, and the second source or drain structure is a second epitaxial source or drain structure.

16 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 14 , wherein a top surface of the conductive trench contact tap is at a same level as the top surface of the second insulating layer.

17 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 14 , further comprising:

a gate spacer laterally between the first trench contact structure and the gate structure.

18 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 17 , wherein the gate spacer is in contact with the first trench contact structure and the gate structure.

19 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 17 , wherein the gate spacer is in contact with the second insulating layer and the gate structure.

20 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 17 , wherein the gate spacer has a top surface at a same level as the top surface of the second insulating layer.

21 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 17 , further comprising:

a second gate spacer laterally between the second trench contact structure and the gate structure.

22 . The integrated circuit structure of claim 14 , wherein the first trench contact structure and the second trench contact structure comprises a conductive liner and a conductive fill.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 17485190 · Sep 24, 2021
Related Publication 20230101212A1 · Mar 30, 2023
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