Contact Plug Upper Pattern for Lower-Resistance MOSFET Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices are scaled down, the reduction in size leads to deteriorated operating characteristics, particularly in MOSFETs, due to increased electrical resistance and integration challenges.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a contact plug with a unique upper pattern that protrudes from the interlayer insulating layer, having a wider lower region than upper region, which reduces electrical resistance by preventing the line barrier pattern from extending into the interlayer insulating layer, thereby improving electrical characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If MOSFETs are scaled down to reduce device size, then device integration density is improved, but electrical resistance increases and operating characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The contact plug structure is modified locally by adding an upper pattern with a protrusion that has a wider lower region than upper region. This local structural change concentrates the current flow path and reduces electrical resistance at the contact plug, thereby improving operating characteristics without changing the overall device size.
2Reliability
If the contact plug structure is modified to reduce electrical resistance, then electrical characteristics are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The upper pattern of the contact plug is designed with an asymmetric protrusion structure where the lower region width is greater than the upper region width. This asymmetric geometry optimizes current distribution and reduces electrical resistance while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through standard photolithography and etching processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device including an interlayer insulating layer on a substrate; a conductive line on the interlayer insulating layer; and a contact plug penetrating the interlayer insulating layer, the contact plug being connected to the conductive line, wherein the contact plug includes an upper pattern penetrating an upper region of the interlayer insulating layer, the upper pattern protruding upwardly from a top surface of the interlayer insulating layer, the upper pattern includes a first portion penetrating the upper region of the interlayer insulating layer; and a second portion protruding upwardly from the top surface of the interlayer insulating layer, and a width of a lower region of the second portion in a direction parallel to a top surface of the substrate is greater than a width of an upper region of the second portion in the direction parallel to the top surface of the substrate.