Dummy Fin Protection for Semiconductor Fin Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of semiconductor devices poses challenges in forming fin-shaped structures with narrow widths and close spacing, leading to physical limitations and processing difficulties, particularly in protecting fin structures from damage during etching and ion implantation processes.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving the formation of dummy fins on the end sides of fin groups, which are used to protect the fin structures from damage during processing steps like etching and ion implantation, and are subsequently removed to ensure electrical isolation and maintain device performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the width of fin-shaped structures is narrowed and spacing is reduced to achieve miniaturization, then device density increases, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to physical limitations and processing difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
Dummy fins are formed in advance during the same etching process as the real fins, before subsequent processing steps. These preliminary structures serve as protective placeholders that prevent damage to the actual fins during ion implantation and other manufacturing processes, thereby improving manufacturing precision while maintaining miniaturization benefits
Solution Approach 2:
Dummy fins act as intermediary protective structures between the processing equipment and the real fins. They absorb or deflect harmful effects during ion implantation and etching processes, mediating the interaction between manufacturing processes and delicate fin structures, thus preserving fin integrity without requiring larger dimensions
2Reliability
If dummy fins are added to protect fin groups from damage during processing, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The formation of dummy fins is merged with the existing fin formation process. Both real fins and dummy fins are created in the same etching step using a single patterned hard mask, combining two functions (structure formation and protection) into one process sequence, thereby improving reliability without proportionally increasing process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Dummy fins are temporarily created to provide protection during critical processing steps, then selectively removed in a subsequent cleanup etching step. This temporary structure approach allows reliability improvement through protection while recovering from the added complexity by eliminating the dummy fins after they have served their protective purpose
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The dummy fins effectively shield the fin groups from damage, enhancing the quality and reliability of semiconductor devices by preventing physical deformation and electrical interference during manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
a pattern transferring process is performed, to transfer the patterns of the fin hard masks and the fin hard masks into the substrate
Implementation Method 2
an ion implantation process is performed on the fin groups, the dummy fins and the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a manufacturing method for forming a semiconductor structure, in which first, a substrate is provided, a hard mask is disposed on the substrate, the hard mask is then patterned to form a plurality of fin hard masks and a plurality of dummy fin hard masks, afterwards, a pattern transferring process is performed, to transfer the patterns of the fin hard masks and the fin hard masks into the substrate, so as to form a plurality of fin groups and a plurality of dummy fins. Each dummy fin is disposed on the end side of one fin group, and a fin cut process is performed, to remove each dummy fin.