IP Library Granted Patent US 12,588,491
Granted Patent B2
US 12,588,491 · App. 18/361,666 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Power rail and signal line arrangement in integrated circuits having stacked transistors

Inventors: Chih-Liang Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Guo-Huei Wu (Hsinchu, TW); Ching-Wei Tsai (Hsinchu, TW); Shang-Wen Chang (Hsinchu, TW); Li-Chun Tien (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
H01L23/5286H10D62/118H10D62/119H10D84/0149H10D84/038H10D84/83
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,588,491
App. No.
18/361,666
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit device includes a first-type transistor having a channel region in a first-type active-region semiconductor structure and a second-type transistor having a channel region in a second-type active-region semiconductor structure which is stacked with the first-type active-region semiconductor structure. In the integrated circuit, a front-side power rail and a front-side signal line in a front-side conductive layer extend in the first direction is, and a back-side power rail and a back-side signal line in a back-side conductive layer also extend in the first direction. The front-side conductive layer is above the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, while the back-side conductive layer is below the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure.

Claims (53)

1 . An integrated circuit device comprising:

a substrate;

a first-type active-region semiconductor structure extending in a first direction at a front side of the substrate;

a first-type transistor having a channel region in the first-type active-region semiconductor structure;

a second-type active-region semiconductor structure extending in the first direction at the front side of the substrate and stacked with the first-type active-region semiconductor structure;

a second-type transistor having a channel region in the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, wherein the first-type transistor and the second-type transistor are stacked over one another and form one complementary pair of transistors;

a front-side power rail and a front-side signal line each extending in the first direction in a front-side conductive layer which is above the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, wherein the front-side power rail is connected to a source terminal of the first-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors and is configured to maintain a first supply voltage; and

a back-side power rail and a back-side signal line each extending in the first direction in a back-side conductive layer at a back side of the substrate, wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail overlap each other when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer, wherein the back-side power rail is connected to a source terminal of the second-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors and is configured to maintain a second supply voltage, and wherein the back-side conductive layer is a single layer, wherein the back-side signal line is either configured to receive a voltage change at a drain terminal of the second-type transistor or configured to apply a voltage change to a gate terminal of the second-type transistor, and wherein the back-side signal line and the back-side power rail are in a same conductive layer.

2 . The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first gate-conductor, extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, intersecting the first-type active-region semiconductor structure at the channel region of the first-type transistor.

3 . The integrated circuit device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a first source conductive segment, extending in the second direction, intersecting the first-type active-region semiconductor structure at a source region of the first-type transistor, and conductively connected to the front-side power rail through a first via-connector.

4 . The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail are aligned with each other along boundaries when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer.

5 . The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-sheet.

6 . The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-wire.

7 . An integrated circuit device comprising:

a substrate;

a first-type active-region semiconductor structure extending in a first direction at a front side of the substrate;

first-type transistors each having a channel region in the first-type active-region semiconductor structure;

a second-type active-region semiconductor structure, extending in the first direction at the front side of the substrate, stacked with the first-type active-region semiconductor structure;

second-type transistors each having a channel region in the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, wherein a first-type transistor and a second-type transistor are stacked over one another and form one complementary pair of transistors;

a front-side power rail extending in the first direction in a front-side conductive layer above the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, wherein the front-side power rail is connected to a source terminal of the first-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors;

a front-side signal line extending in the first direction in the front-side conductive layer, wherein the front-side signal line is configured to receive a first voltage change at a drain terminal of one of the first-type transistors;

a back-side power rail extending in the first direction in a back-side conductive layer at a back side of the substrate, wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail overlaps with each other when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer, and wherein the back-side power rail is connected to a source terminal of the second-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors; and

a back-side signal line extending in the first direction in the back-side conductive layer, wherein the back-side signal line is configured to receive a second voltage change at a drain terminal of one of the second-type transistors, and wherein the back-side signal line and the back-side power rail are in a same conductive layer.

8 . The integrated circuit device of claim 7 , wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail are aligned with each other along boundaries when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer.

9 . The integrated circuit device of claim 7 , wherein the first-type active-region semiconductor structure is underneath the second-type active-region semiconductor structure.

10 . The integrated circuit device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-sheet.

11 . The integrated circuit device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-wire.

12 . An integrated circuit device comprising:

a substrate;

a first-type active-region semiconductor structure extending in a first direction at a front side of the substrate;

a second-type active-region semiconductor structure extending in the first direction at the front side of the substrate and stacked with the first-type active-region semiconductor structure;

a first source conductive segment, extending in a second direction, intersecting the first- type active-region semiconductor structure at a source region of a first-type transistor, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

a second source conductive segment, extending in the second direction, intersecting the second-type active-region semiconductor structure at a source region of a second-type transistor, wherein the first-type transistor and the second-type transistor are stacked over one another and form one complementary pair of transistors;

a front-side power rail and a front-side signal line each extending in the first direction in a front-side conductive layer which is above the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure; and

a back-side power rail and a back-side signal line each extending in the first direction in a back-side conductive layer at a back side of the substrate, wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail overlap each other when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer, wherein the back-side conductive layer is a single layer, wherein the back-side signal line is either configured to receive a voltage change at a drain terminal of the second-type transistor or configured to apply a voltage change to a gate terminal of the second-type transistor, and wherein the back-side signal line and the back-side power rail are in a same conductive layer;

a first via-connector connected between the front-side power rail and the first source conductive segment which is connected to the source region of the first-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors; and

a second via-connector connected between the back-side power rail and the second source conductive segment which is connected to the source region of the second-type transistor in the one complementary pair of transistors.

13 . The integrated circuit device of claim 12 , further comprising:

a first gate-conductor, extending in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, intersecting the first-type active-region semiconductor structure at a channel region of the first-type transistor.

14 . The integrated circuit device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a drain conductive segment, extending in the second direction, intersecting ene or both of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure.

15 . The integrated circuit device of claim 12 , wherein the front-side power rail and the back-side power rail are aligned with each other along boundaries when viewed in a direction that is normal to the front-side conductive layer and the back-side conductive layer.

16 . The integrated circuit device of claim 12 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-sheet.

17 . The integrated circuit device of claim 12 , wherein each of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure includes at least one nano-wire.

18 . The integrated circuit device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a second gate-conductor, extending in the second direction, intersecting the second-type active-region semiconductor structure at the channel region of the second-type transistor.

19 . The integrated circuit device of claim 18 , further comprising:

a second source conductive segment, extending in the second direction, intersecting the second-type active-region semiconductor structure at a source region of the second-type transistor, and conductively connected to the back-side power rail through a second via-connector.

20 . The integrated circuit device of claim 13 , further comprising:

a second gate-conductor, extending in the second direction, intersecting the second-type active-region semiconductor structure at a channel region of the second-type transistor; and

a drain conductive segment, extending in the second direction, intersecting one or both of the first-type active-region semiconductor structure and the second-type active-region semiconductor structure, and conductively connected to the front-side signal line or the back-side signal line through a third via-connector.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 28, 2023
From: CHEN, CHIH-LIANG; WU, GUO-HUEI; TSAI, CHING-WEI; CHANG, SHANG-WEN; TIEN, LI-CHUN
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 064427/0009 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17390177 · Jul 30, 2021
Related Publication 20230387013A1 · Nov 30, 2023
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