Backside Wiring Structure for Semiconductor Through Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, the limited space on the front side of the substrate for forming wirings poses a challenge, necessitating innovative solutions to enhance wiring layout and reduce signal or power loss.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates an active pattern and a gate structure on a substrate, with channels extending through the gate structure and a through contact that spans the substrate and active pattern, allowing for wiring on both the front and back sides of the substrate and reducing signal or power loss by minimizing interfacial resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wirings are formed only on the front side of the substrate, then the wiring structure is simple, but the wiring layout freedom is limited and space becomes scarce as integration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by extending the wiring formation from a single plane (front side) to multiple planes (front side and back side of the substrate). Through contacts are formed to penetrate the substrate, enabling electrical connection between wirings on opposite sides. This spatial expansion resolves the contradiction by providing additional routing paths without overly complicating the overall structure.
2Reliability
If signals pass through channels for transmission, then the wiring path is established, but signal or power loss occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the signal transmission function from the channel structure by providing alternative pathways. Through contacts and back-side wirings create direct electrical connections that bypass the need for signals to traverse through the channel regions, thereby reducing resistive losses and improving signal integrity while maintaining reliable transmission.
3Adaptability or versatility
If through contact is formed with multiple materials, then different functional requirements are met, but interfacial resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by forming the through contact entirely from a single material (e.g., copper or tungsten) rather than using heterogeneous material stacks. This uniform composition eliminates material interfaces within the through contact, thereby minimizing interfacial resistance and improving electrical connection reliability while still fulfilling the required functional demands.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes an active pattern on a substrate, the active pattern extending in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the substrate; a gate structure on the active pattern, the gate structure extending in a second direction parallel to the upper surface of the substrate and crossing the first direction; channels spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, each of the channels extending through the gate structure; a through contact extending through the substrate and the active pattern in the vertical direction, an upper portion and a lower portion of the through contact connected to each other and formed of the same material; a lower wiring on a back side of the substrate, the lower wiring electrically connected to the through contact; and an upper wiring disposed on a front side of the substrate, the upper wiring electrically connected to the upper wiring.