Isolation Insulating Pattern Layout for Mixed-Width Active Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor manufacturing methods face challenges in efficiently forming active patterns with various widths or pitches, which are essential for high-performance MOSFETs, while also increasing manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a semiconductor device structure with a substrate having distinct regions for active patterns of varying widths and pitches, utilizing an isolation insulating pattern with specific bottom surface configurations to facilitate the formation of these patterns, allowing for simultaneous processing of different active patterns using a single exposure process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple exposure processes are used to form active patterns with various widths or pitches, then the manufacturing precision and performance of MOSFETs are improved, but the manufacturing cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into distinct first and second regions with different active pattern configurations. The first region contains active patterns with various widths for different MOSFET performance requirements, while the second region contains active patterns with uniform widths. This spatial segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently while using a single exposure process.
Solution Approach 2:
Different active pattern width characteristics are implemented in different regions of the substrate according to local performance requirements. The first region employs variable width patterns for high-performance applications, while the second region uses uniform width patterns for standard applications, allowing local optimization without requiring different exposure processes throughout the entire substrate.
2Reliability
If multiple exposure processes are used to form active patterns with various widths or pitches, then the performance of MOSFETs is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the formation of different active pattern types into a single exposure process by implementing region-specific patterns on one substrate. This combining approach eliminates the need for separate exposure processes for different pattern types, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to produce high-performance MOSFETs in the first region.
Solution Approach 2:
A single exposure process is designed to handle multiple functions: forming variable width active patterns in the first region for high-performance MOSFETs and uniform width active patterns in the second region for standard MOSFETs. This multi-functional approach reduces the number of required exposure processes and associated manufacturing costs.
3Adaptability or versatility
If active patterns with various widths are formed using conventional methods, then the performance requirements of different MOSFETs are met, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is pre-divided into first and second regions with predetermined active pattern configurations before the exposure process. This preliminary preparation allows the exposure process to directly form the required variable and uniform width patterns in a single pass, eliminating the need for multiple sequential exposure processes and improving manufacturing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a boundary region between first and second regions, first active patterns on the first region, second active patterns on the second region, and an isolation insulating pattern on the boundary region between the first and second active patterns. A width of at least some of the first active patterns have different widths. Widths of the second active patterns may be equal to each other. A bottom surface of the isolation insulating pattern includes a first bottom surface adjacent to a corresponding first active pattern, a second bottom surface adjacent to a corresponding second active pattern, and a third bottom surface between the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface. The third bottom surface is located at a different height from those of the first and second bottom surfaces with respect to a bottom surface of the substrate.