Driving Transistors with Shared Source Drain for High Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Highly integrated semiconductor devices face limitations in manufacturing due to reduced process margins and difficulty in optimizing characteristics of components like driving circuits and memory cells when minimum line widths are scaled down to several tens of nanometers.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor device design featuring a driving transistor with three transistors sharing a common source/drain, optimized for high integration, where each transistor has independent source/drains and a specific gate pattern configuration, allowing for control of a high voltage and reduced area occupation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If simple scaling down is used for high integration, then integration density increases, but process margins are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration densityVSAvoidprocess margins

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple driving transistors (at least three) share a common source/drain region, merging previously separate components into a unified structure. This consolidation reduces the total area required for driving transistors while maintaining their individual functionality through shared infrastructure, thereby increasing integration density without proportionally reducing process margins

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Length of moving object

If minimum line width is reduced to several tens of nanometers, then device size decreases, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveminimum line widthVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The driving active region is segmented into a common portion and multiple branch portions, with each branch accommodating individual source/drains. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each transistor path while sharing the common source/drain infrastructure, reducing manufacturing complexity despite reduced minimum line widths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If individual source/drains are provided for each transistor, then transistor independence is improved, but area occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransistor independenceVSAvoidarea occupation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

At least three individual source/drains are merged into a single common source/drain region, allowing each transistor to maintain independent control through its own gate while sharing the source/drain infrastructure. This merging reduces area occupation while preserving transistor independence for individual operation and control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8059469B2Semiconductor device including driving transistors

Publication Date: 2011.11.15 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A semiconductor device includes a driving active region defined in a substrate and at least three driving transistors disposed at the driving active region. The driving transistors share one common source/drain, and each of the driving transistors includes individual source/drains being independent from each other. The common source/drain and the individual source/drains are disposed in the driving active region.