IP Library Granted Patent US 9,070,710
Granted Patent B2
US 9,070,710 · App. 13/912,218 · Granted Jun 30, 2015

Semiconductor process

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,070,710
App. No.
13/912,218
Granted
Jun 30, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor process includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. At least a fin-shaped structure is formed on the substrate and a gate structure partially overlapping the fin-shaped structure is formed. Subsequently, a dielectric layer is blanketly formed on the substrate, and a part of the dielectric layer is removed to form a first spacer on the fin-shaped structure and a second spacer besides the fin-shaped structure. Furthermore, the second spacer and a part of the fin-shaped structure are removed to form at least a recess at a side of the gate structure, and an epitaxial layer is formed in the recess.

Claims (27)

1. A semiconductor process, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming at least a fin-shaped structure in the substrate;

forming a gate structure partially overlapping the fin-shaped structure;

blanketly forming a dielectric layer on the substrate;

removing a part of the dielectric layer to form a first spacer on the fin-shaped structure and a second spacer besides the fin-shaped structure;

simultaneously removing the second spacer and a part of the fin-shaped structure to form at least a recess at a side of the gate structure, wherein a part of the first spacer is removed during the formation of the recess to form a remaining first spacer; and

forming an epitaxial layer in the recess.

2. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the first spacer partially overlaps the fin-shaped structure.

3. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the first spacer surrounds the gate structure and overlaps a part of the fin-shaped structure adjacent to the gate structure.

4. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the second spacer is aligned with the fin-shaped structure before forming the recess.

5. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the second spacer surrounds the fin-shaped structure and does not cover the gate structure and the first spacer.

6. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the gate structure comprises a gate dielectric layer, a gate electrode and a cap layer.

7. The semiconductor process according to claim 6 , wherein a part of the first spacer is removed during the formation of the recess to form a remaining first spacer, and the remaining first spacer surrounds an interface between the cap layer and the gate electrode.

8. The semiconductor process according to claim 7 , wherein after forming the recess, an interval between a top of the remaining first spacer and a top of the cap layer is substantially smaller than 200 Angstroms (Å).

9. The semiconductor process according to claim 6 , wherein the gate electrode comprises a polysilicon layer.

10. The semiconductor process according to claim 9 , further comprising performing a replacement metal gate (RMG) process to replace the polysilicon layer with a metal layer.

11. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein a first etching process is performed to remove a part of the dielectric layer to form the first spacer and the second spacer, and a second etching process is performed to remove the second spacer and a part of the fin-shaped structure to form the recess.

12. The semiconductor process according to claim 11 , wherein a first etchant used in the first etching process is different form a second etchant used in the second etching process.

13. The semiconductor process according to claim 12 , wherein the first etchant comprises fluoromethane (CH 3 F), and the second etchant comprises hydrogen bromide (HBr).

14. The semiconductor process according to claim 12 , wherein a removing rate of a material of the dielectric layer by the first etchant is substantially higher than a removing rate of a material of the dielectric layer by the second etchant.

15. The semiconductor process according to claim 12 , wherein a ratio of a removing rate of the dielectric layer to a removing rate of the fin-shaped structure by the first etchant is substantially higher than a ratio of a removing rate of the dielectric layer to a removing rate of the fin-shaped structure by the second etchant.

16. The semiconductor process according to claim 15 , wherein a material of the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride, and a material of the fin-shaped structure comprises silicon.

17. The semiconductor process according to claim 16 , wherein the first etchant has a ratio of the removing rate of the dielectric layer to the removing rate of the fin-shaped structure around 10:1.

18. The semiconductor process according to claim 16 , wherein the second etchant has a ratio of the removing rate of the dielectric layer to the removing rate of the fin-shaped structure between 1:5 and 1:10.

19. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate or a bulk silicon substrate.

20. The semiconductor process according to claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial layer comprises silicon-germanium (SiGe) epitaxial layer, silicon-carbon (SiC) epitaxial layer or silicon-phosphorous (SiP) epitaxial layer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2021
From: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: MARLIN SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056991/0292 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2013
From: FU, SSU-I; CHEN, CHENG-GUO; HUNG, YU-HSIANG; CHANG, CHUNG-FU; LIN, CHIEN-TING
To: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
Reel/Frame 030563/0806 →