Gate Electrode Protrusion for Semiconductor Contact Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to improve the alignment and electrical stability between the gate electrode and gate contact in semiconductor devices, particularly as the pitch size decreases, affecting element performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a gate structure with a gate electrode that includes a protrusion extending along the boundary between the gate contact and capping pattern, enhancing the contact area and reducing contact resistance, and a method for fabricating this structure involves forming a pre-gate electrode, a gate contact hole, and a gate electrode with a recessed part using the gate contact as a mask, followed by forming a gate capping pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pitch size of the semiconductor device is decreased to increase density, then the device density is improved, but the alignment and electrical stability between contacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode is designed with a protrusion that extends in the vertical dimension toward the gate contact. This dimensional extension increases the overlap area between the gate electrode and gate contact from a simple planar interface to a three-dimensional interface, thereby improving alignment tolerance and electrical stability even as pitch size decreases.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate electrode protrusion is formed in advance during the gate electrode formation process, before the gate contact is created. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that when the gate contact is subsequently formed, it naturally aligns with the protrusion, pre-establishing good alignment and electrical contact without requiring additional alignment steps.
2Reliability
If the gate electrode and gate contact alignment is improved to enhance element performance, then the element performance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode protrusion merges the gate electrode formation process with the gate contact alignment function. Instead of requiring separate alignment steps or additional alignment structures, the protrusion itself serves both as part of the gate electrode and as the alignment feature for the gate contact, thereby reducing overall device complexity while improving performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure on the substrate, and a gate contact in the gate structure. The gate structure includes a gate electrode extending in a first direction and a gate capping pattern on the gate electrode. The gate contact is connected to the gate electrode. The gate electrode includes a protrusion extending along a boundary between the gate contact and the gate capping pattern.