Semiconductor Active Pattern Support During Trench Gap Filling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The scaling down of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) in semiconductor devices leads to deterioration in operational properties, necessitating improved reliability and fabrication methods to maintain performance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a substrate featuring trenches, insulating patterns, and active patterns with stepwise portions, where the trenches are filled with oxide and nitride layers, and a method involving the formation of protection and sacrificial layers to enhance structural integrity and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If MOSFETs are scaled down to meet increasing demand for smaller pattern size, then the pattern size and design rule are reduced, but the operational properties of the semiconductor device deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A protection layer is formed to conformally cover top surfaces of active patterns and bottom surfaces and inner side surfaces of trenches before the gap-filling process. This preliminary protective measure prevents bending or breaking of active patterns during subsequent manufacturing steps, allowing successful scaling while maintaining operational reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The protection layer acts as an intermediary between the active patterns and the gap-filling materials (oxide and nitride layers). This intermediate structure provides mechanical support and stress distribution, enabling the active patterns to withstand the filling process without damage while maintaining device performance
2Length of moving object
If MOSFETs are scaled down, then the pattern size is reduced, but the structural integrity during fabrication deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The protection layer is formed in advance to conformally cover the active patterns and trench surfaces before gap-filling. This preliminary structural reinforcement provides mechanical strength to the scaled-down patterns, preventing bending or breaking during the fabrication process
Solution Approach 2:
The device structure combines multiple materials including the protection layer, oxide layers, nitride layers, and active patterns to create a composite structure. This composite approach provides both mechanical strength for structural integrity and the necessary electrical properties for device function at scaled dimensions
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. In the semiconductor device, a supporting pattern may be used to fix upper portions of active patterns, when a gap-filling process is performed to fill a region between active patterns, and thus, it may be possible to prevent or reduce the likelihood of the active patterns from being bent or fallen. Thus, it may be possible to reduce failure of the semiconductor device and/or to improve reliability of the semiconductor device.