IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,615,819
Granted Patent B2
US 12,615,819 · App. 18/457,826 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

Space confined epi for stacked FET

Inventors: Tsung-Sheng Kang (Ballston Lake, NY); Tao Li (Slingerlands, NY); Ruilong Xie (Niskayuna, NY); Nicolas Jean Loubet (Guilderland, NY)
Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
H10D62/121H10D30/43H10D30/6729H10D30/6735H10D30/6757H10D62/151H10D84/85H10W20/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,615,819
App. No.
18/457,826
Granted
Apr 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A microelectronic structure that includes a stacked nanosheet FET transistor that includes an upper nanosheet transistor and a lower nanosheet transistor. The upper nanosheet transistor includes an upper source/drain and the upper source/drain includes an upper tip that is pointed in a first direction. The lower nanosheet transistor includes a lower source/drain and the lower source/drain includes a lower tip pointed in a second direction. The first direction is different than the second direction.

Claims (35)

1 . A microelectronic structure comprising:

a stacked nanosheet FET transistor that includes an upper nanosheet transistor and a lower nanosheet transistor, wherein the upper nanosheet transistor includes an upper source/drain, wherein the upper source/drain includes a upper tip that is pointed in a first direction, wherein the lower nanosheet transistor includes a lower source/drain, wherein the lower source/drain includes a lower tip pointed in a second direction, and wherein the first direction is different than the second direction; and

a spacer that is in direct contact with multiple surfaces of the upper source/drain and in direct contact with multiple surfaces of the lower source/drain.

2 . The microelectronic structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the spacer is located between the upper source/drain and the lower source/drain.

3 . The microelectronic structure of claim 2 , wherein opposite sides of spacer are in direct contact with the upper source/drain or the lower source/drain, respectively.

4 . The microelectronic structure of claim 2 , wherein the spacer further comprises a plurality of vertical segments.

5 . The microelectronic structure of claim 4 , wherein one of the plurality of vertical segments of the spacer is located along vertical sidewall of one of the upper source/drain or the lower source/drains.

6 . The microelectronic structure of claim 4 , wherein one of the plurality of vertical segments of the spacer extends along a sidewall of the upper source/drain and a sidewall of the lower source/drain.

7 . The microelectronic structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first frontside contact connected to the tip of the upper source/drain.

8 . The microelectronic structure of claim 7 , further comprising:

a second frontside contact connected to the lower source/drain.

9 . The microelectronic structure of claim 7 , further comprising:

a backside contact connected to the tip of the lower source/drain.

10 . A microelectronic structure comprising:

a stacked nanosheet FET transistor that includes an upper nanosheet transistor and a lower nanosheet transistor, wherein the upper nanosheet transistor includes an upper source/drain, wherein the upper source/drain includes a upper tip that is pointed in a first direction, wherein the upper source/drain has a first width as measured in parallel with a gate direction, wherein the lower nanosheet transistor includes a lower source/drain, wherein the lower source/drain includes a lower tip pointed in a second direction, wherein the lower source/drain has a second width as measure in parallel with the gate direction, wherein the first direction is different than the second direction, and wherein the second width is larger than the first width; and

a spacer that is in direct contact with multiple surfaces of the upper source/drain and in direct contact with multiple surfaces of the lower source/drain.

11 . The microelectronic structure of claim 10 ,

wherein the spacer is located between the upper source/drain and the lower source/drain.

12 . The microelectronic structure of claim 11 , wherein opposite sides of spacer are in direct contact with the upper source/drain or the lower source/drain, respectively.

13 . The microelectronic structure of claim 11 , wherein the spacer further comprises a plurality of vertical segments.

14 . The microelectronic structure of claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of vertical segments of the spacer is located along vertical sidewall of one of the upper source/drain or the lower source/drains.

15 . The microelectronic structure of claim 13 , wherein one of the plurality of vertical segments of the spacer extends along a sidewall of the upper source/drain and a sidewall of the lower source/drain.

16 . The microelectronic structure of claim 10 , further comprising:

a first frontside contact connected to the tip of the upper source/drain.

17 . The microelectronic structure of claim 16 , further comprising:

a second frontside contact connected to the lower source/drain.

18 . The microelectronic structure of claim 16 , further comprising:

a backside contact connected to the tip of the lower source/drain.

19 . A microelectronic structure comprising:

a first stacked nanosheet FET transistor that includes a first upper nanosheet transistor and a first lower nanosheet transistor, wherein the first upper nanosheet transistor includes a first upper source/drain, wherein the first upper source/drain includes a first upper tip that is pointed in a first direction, wherein the first upper source/drain has a first width as measured in parallel with a gate direction, wherein the lower nanosheet transistor includes a first lower source/drain, wherein the first lower source/drain includes a first lower tip pointed in a second direction, wherein the first lower source/drain has a second width as measure in parallel with the gate direction, and wherein the second width is larger than the first width; and

a second stacked nanosheet FET transistor that includes a second upper nanosheet transistor and a second lower nanosheet transistor, wherein the second upper nanosheet transistor includes a second upper source/drain, wherein the second upper source/drain includes a second upper tip that is pointed in the first direction, wherein the second upper source/drain has a third width as measured in parallel with the gate direction, wherein the second lower nanosheet transistor includes a second lower source/drain, wherein the second lower source/drain includes a second lower tip pointed in the second direction, wherein the second lower source/drain has a fourth width as measure in parallel with the gate direction, wherein the first direction is different than the second direction, and wherein the fourth width is larger than the third width.

20 . The microelectronic structure of claim 19 , further comprising:

a spacer located between the first upper source/drain and the first lower source/drain and the spacer is located between the second upper source/drain and the second lower source/drain, and wherein the spacer is continuous between the first lower source/drain and the second lower source/drain.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: KANG, TSUNG-SHENG; LI, TAO; XIE, RUILONG; LOUBET, NICOLAS JEAN
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064739/0056 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250081550A1 · Mar 6, 2025
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