Multi-Fin SiGe MOSFET Layout for Speed-Power Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in designing integrated circuits (ICs) with optimal device speed and power consumption due to the complexity of scaling down processes, particularly in manipulating metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with varying dopant impurities, where germanium-based p-type MOSFETs are sought for high-hole-mobility but require innovative layouts to manage power consumption effectively.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves a layout design for ICs with silicon germanium (SiGe) and silicon (Si) fin structures doped with P-type and N-type impurities, respectively, arranged in specific configurations to form P-channel and N-channel transistors, allowing for adjustable operating speeds and power consumption by activating or disabling fin structures during operation, maintaining high mobility and stress integrity across the fin structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If germanium-based p-type MOSFETs are used to achieve high hole mobility, then device speed is improved, but power consumption increases and layout complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the channel into multiple independent fin structures (first fin structure, second fin structure, third fin structure) that can be selectively activated or disabled. This allows the device to operate with fewer fins at lower speeds to reduce power consumption, or activate all fins for maximum speed when needed, resolving the contradiction between speed and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control of fin structures by introducing conductive lines that can selectively activate or disable individual fins based on operating conditions. This dynamic adaptability allows the device to optimize the balance between speed and power consumption in real-time, rather than being fixed at one operating point.
2Speed
If more fin structures are activated to increase operating speed, then device speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The channel is divided into multiple independently controllable fin structures, each with its own conductive line for selective activation. This segmentation enables the device to activate only the necessary number of fins for the required operating speed, avoiding the power waste of activating all fins at full speed when lower speeds suffice.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters by selectively controlling the electrical state (active/inactive) of individual fin structures based on the desired operating point. This parameter control allows optimization of the speed-power tradeoff by adjusting which fins are active rather than changing the physical structure itself.
3Use of energy by moving object
If fin structures are selectively disabled to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but maintaining stress integrity becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the channel into multiple fins with independent control, allowing selective deactivation of certain fins while maintaining others in the active state to preserve stress integrity. The remaining active fins continue to provide the necessary stress field for proper device operation even when some fins are disabled for power savings.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the channel (different fins) are assigned different functional qualities - some fins are kept active to maintain stress integrity while others can be deactivated for power savings. This local differentiation allows the device to optimize power consumption without compromising the stress field where it is most needed.
4Reliability
If multiple dopant impurities are used to manipulate MOSFET behavior, then device performance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different dopant types (first type dopant, second type dopant, third type dopant) to different fin structures, allowing independent optimization of each fin's electrical characteristics. This segmented doping approach enables precise control of device behavior while using standard semiconductor doping processes, managing manufacturing complexity through modular application of known techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions (fins) are doped with different dopant types and concentrations to create locally optimized electrical properties. This allows each fin to be tailored for specific functions (e.g., higher mobility, different threshold voltages) while using conventional doping processes applied in a localized, selective manner.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit device includes: a first fin structure disposed on a substrate in a first direction; a second fin structure disposed on the substrate and aligned in the first direction; a third fin structure disposed on the substrate and aligned in the first direction; and a first conductive line aligned in a second direction arranged to wrap a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion of the first fin structure, the second fin structure and the third fin structure, respectively. Each of the first fin structure, the second fin structure and the third fin structure has a same type dopant. A first distance between the first fin structure and the second fin structure is different from a second distance between the second fin structure and the third fin structure.