Gate-All-Around Semiconductor Wire Structure for Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in the semiconductor industry is to form reliable semiconductor devices at increasingly smaller sizes due to the complexity and difficulty of fabrication processes as feature sizes decrease, affecting production efficiency and costs.
Innovation Solution
The process involves forming gate all around (GAA) transistor structures using a combination of photolithography and self-aligned processes, including the use of sacrificial layers, spacers, and stressor layers to pattern semiconductor wires and dummy wires, which allows for smaller pitches and improved device density, and the formation of a gate structure that surrounds semiconductor wires made of different materials to reduce area occupation and adjust threshold voltages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If feature sizes continue to decrease to increase functional density, then production efficiency improves and costs lower, but fabrication process difficulty increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication process is divided into multiple self-aligned steps including forming first and second semiconductor wires, creating spacers, and sequential patterning operations. This segmentation allows complex high-density structures to be built through manageable discrete steps, reducing overall process difficulty while achieving small feature sizes
Solution Approach 2:
Sacrificial layers are formed in advance before the actual semiconductor wires are created. These preliminary structures guide subsequent patterning steps and enable self-aligned fabrication, which simplifies the overall process of creating small-featured high-density devices
2Area of stationary object
If feature sizes decrease to increase device density, then area occupation reduces, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication process uses self-aligned patterning where previously formed structures (such as spacers and sacrificial layers) automatically define the position of subsequent features. This self-alignment mechanism eliminates the need for additional alignment precision steps, enabling small feature sizes with reduced area while maintaining manufacturing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent forms three-dimensional structures including vertically stacked semiconductor wires and gate structures that surround wires in multiple dimensions. This dimensional transition allows high device density to be achieved through vertical stacking rather than horizontal scaling, reducing area occupation while avoiding the precision challenges of extreme lateral miniaturization
3Area of stationary object
If gate structure surrounds semiconductor wire to reduce area occupation, then device density increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gate structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it controls the semiconductor wire, provides mechanical support, and acts as an electrical isolation element. This multi-functionality allows the surrounding gate configuration to achieve high device density without proportionally increasing complexity, as a single structure accomplishes multiple objectives
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate having a base portion and a fin portion over the base portion. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate structure over the fin portion and extending across the fin portion. The semiconductor device structure includes a first semiconductor wire over the fin portion and passing through the gate structure. The semiconductor device structure includes a second semiconductor wire over the first semiconductor wire and passing through the gate structure. The gate structure surrounds the second semiconductor wire and separates the first semiconductor wire from the second semiconductor wire. The first semiconductor wire and the second semiconductor wire are made of different materials.