Gate Structure With Multiple Spacers For Leakage Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor manufacturing processes scale down, existing methods are inadequate in preventing electronic leakage and ensuring the integrity of gate structures, leading to potential short circuits and reduced yield.
Innovation Solution
The formation of additional spacers over the sidewalls and top surfaces of floating and control gate structures to protect them from etching processes, preventing exposure and damage during subsequent manufacturing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional spacers are formed over the sidewalls and top surfaces of gate structures, then the protection against etching processes and prevention of electron leakage is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer structure is divided into multiple segments: first spacers formed on sidewalls of control gate structures, second spacers formed on sidewalls of floating gate structures, and third spacers formed to bridge between them. This segmentation allows each spacer type to serve specific protective functions at different locations, comprehensively preventing etching damage and electron leakage while maintaining clear process control
Solution Approach 2:
The spacers are formed in advance before subsequent etching processes that remove portions of the erase gate structure. By establishing these protective spacer structures beforehand, the gate structures are pre-protected against potential damage from later manufacturing steps, preventing both physical damage and electron leakage paths
2Reliability
If multiple spacers are formed to protect gate structures, then the prevention of electron leakage is improved, but the manufacturing time and process duration increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple spacer formation operations are merged into a unified process sequence where first, second, and third spacers are formed in coordinated steps. The spacers are deposited and patterned together rather than as separate isolated operations, reducing total process time while maintaining comprehensive protection against electron leakage across all critical interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer structures serve multiple functions simultaneously: they act as physical barriers against etching damage, provide electrical isolation to prevent electron leakage, and serve as alignment references for subsequent processing steps. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated protection steps, optimizing manufacturing efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Semiconductor structures are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a floating gate structure formed over the substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a dielectric structure formed over the floating gate structure and a control gate structure formed over the dielectric structure. The semiconductor structure further includes a first spacer formed over a lower portion of a sidewall of the control gate structure and an upper spacer formed over an upper portion of the sidewall of the control gate structure. In addition, a portion of the control gate structure is in direct contact with the upper spacer.