Semiconductor Gate Contact Layout With Region-Specific ILD Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing integration density and decreasing distances between gates in semiconductor devices pose challenges in maintaining operation performance and reliability, particularly in MOS transistors, due to narrowed contact forming regions.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates varying inter-gate spacings and contact widths by employing different interlayer insulating film thicknesses and liner configurations to adjust the size of source/drain contacts, ensuring optimal alignment and stress characteristics across gate structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If integration density is increased and gate distances are decreased, then device functionality and integration are improved, but contact forming regions are narrowed and operation reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different interlayer insulating film thicknesses in different regions: a first thickness in a first region and a second thickness in a second region. This local differentiation allows contact holes in the first region to have adequate forming regions for reliable contacts, while the second region can achieve higher integration density with smaller gate distances, thus resolving the contradiction between integration density and operation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The semiconductor device is divided into multiple regions with different interlayer insulating film thicknesses. The substrate is segmented into a first region and a second region, each with optimized film thickness to address their specific requirements: the first region prioritizes contact reliability while the second region prioritizes integration density
2Area of stationary object
If contact forming regions are narrowed to increase integration, then device size is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of interlayer insulating film thickness to optimize contact formation. By adjusting the film thickness parameter differently in different regions, the patent enables adequate contact hole forming regions even when overall device size is reduced, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while achieving higher integration
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a first region, and a second region, a first gate structure and a second gate structure on the substrate of the first region, a third gate structure and a fourth gate structure on the substrate of the second region, a first interlayer insulating film on the substrate of the first region and including a first lower interlayer insulating film and a first upper interlayer insulating film, a second interlayer insulating film on the substrate of the second region and including a second lower interlayer insulating film and a second upper interlayer insulating film, a first contact between the first gate structure and the second gate structure and within the first interlayer insulating film, and a second contact formed between the third gate structure and the fourth gate structure and within the second interlayer insulating film.