Gate Isolation Structure for Leakage-Resistant Semiconductor Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices are scaled down, they become susceptible to short channel effects and tunneling effects, impacting their operating characteristics, and existing methods struggle to maintain performance and integration while addressing these challenges.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a substrate with active regions, device isolation layers, gate electrodes, and insulating patterns, including a concave top surface device isolation layer and gate cutting patterns, which helps in reducing capacitor/gate leakage current and improving electrical characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gate electrodes and cutting patterns are formed deeply in scaled-down semiconductor devices, then integration density increases, but leakage current increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A liner layer is formed on the device isolation layer before forming the gate electrode and cutting pattern. This preliminary protective layer prevents the gate structure from extending too deeply into the isolation layer, thereby preventing leakage current paths from forming while still allowing high integration density through proper scaling of other device dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The device isolation layer acts as an intermediary barrier between the gate electrode and the active region. By controlling the depth and properties of this isolation layer, the patent prevents direct contact between the gate and active region that would cause leakage, while still enabling close spacing for high integration.
2Productivity
If device sizes are reduced to increase integration, then productivity improves, but short channel effects and tunneling effects worsen performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different structural qualities to different regions: the gate electrode has controlled depth and angle in specific areas to prevent leakage, while the active region maintains scaled dimensions for high integration. The liner layer provides localized protection at the interface between gate and isolation layer, allowing global scaling without local performance degradation.
3Manufacturing precision
If gate electrodes extend deeply into device isolation layer, then manufacturing precision is improved for alignment, but harmful leakage current is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful deep extension of gate electrodes into a beneficial alignment feature. The liner layer provides a visible interface for precise alignment during manufacturing, while simultaneously blocking leakage current paths. What could be harmful (deep gate extension) becomes useful for alignment when combined with the protective liner.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate including first and second active regions, a first active pattern on the first active region, a second active pattern on the second active region, a device isolation layer filling a trench between the first active pattern and the second active pattern, the device isolation layer having a concave top surface, a first gate electrode in the first active region, a second gate electrode in the second active region, a gate cutting pattern disposed between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode and separating the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode, and an insulating pattern between the gate cutting pattern and the concave top surface of the device isolation layer.