3D Semiconductor Contact Plug Structure to Prevent Electrical Bridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
The integration limit of semiconductor devices with single-layer memory cells on a substrate and the need for improved operational reliability in three-dimensional semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device structure featuring a first contact plug with varying widths, surrounded by multiple spacers to maintain distance and prevent electrical bridges, and a manufacturing method involving sacrificial layers and spacer formations to enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If memory cells are stacked in three dimensions to increase integration density, then the degree of integration is improved, but the risk of electrical bridges between contact plugs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces spacers as intermediary structures between contact plugs to maintain proper spacing and prevent electrical bridges. The first spacer surrounds the first contact plug, and the second spacer surrounds the second contact plug, acting as protective barriers that ensure reliable electrical isolation while allowing high-density three-dimensional stacking of memory cells
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the contact plug structure into multiple segmented components with different width characteristics. The first contact plug has a first width and the second contact plug has a second width, allowing each contact plug to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining proper spacing through the spacer structures
2Adaptability or versatility
If contact plugs are formed with different widths for functional optimization, then device functionality is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by forming contact plugs with different widths at different locations according to their specific functional requirements. The first contact plug has a first width optimized for its connection needs, while the second contact plug has a second width optimized for its connection needs, allowing each structure to have the precise dimensions required for its specific function
3Reliability
If multiple spacers are formed to ensure proper spacing, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the first spacer and second spacer are positioned in different spatial layers and can be formed through sequential processing steps. This nested arrangement allows multiple spacer structures to coexist without excessive complexity, as each spacer serves a specific isolation function for its corresponding contact plug in the three-dimensional stack
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a first contact plug penetrating a source structure, the first contact plug having a first portion having a first width and a second portion having a second width that is larger than the first width, a stack formed on the source structure and the first contact plug, a second contact plug penetrating the stack, the second contact plug connected to the first contact plug, a first spacer surrounding the first portion and the second portion of the first contact plug, and a second spacer surrounding the first spacer to surround the second portion of the first contact plug.