Nanostructure Channel Layout for Reliable GAA Semiconductor Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The semiconductor industry faces challenges in forming reliable semiconductor devices at increasingly smaller sizes due to the complexity and difficulty of fabrication processes as feature sizes decrease, leading to issues with device reliability and performance.
Innovation Solution
The formation of semiconductor device structures using FinFETs with patterned fins and gate all-around (GAA) transistor structures, employing double-patterning or multi-patterning processes, and the use of nanostructure stacks, spacer structures, and specific materials like high-k dielectric layers and work function metals to enhance device performance and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If feature sizes are decreased to increase functional density, then production efficiency is improved and costs are lowered, but fabrication process complexity and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication process is divided into multiple patterning steps (e.g., self-aligned dual-patterning) where each step creates a portion of the final pattern. This segmentation allows achievement of smaller feature sizes with controlled complexity by breaking down the challenging single-step patterning into manageable sequential steps, each with its own optimization parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
Mandrel structures and spacer layers are formed in advance before the final active pattern is created. These preliminary structures serve as templates that guide subsequent etching steps, allowing precise feature formation without requiring direct patterning at the final dimension, thus reducing the difficulty of the critical patterning step.
2Quantity of substance
If feature sizes are decreased to increase functional density, then more devices per chip area are achieved, but device reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Gate structures are formed that wrap around or surround the channel region (gate-all-around configuration), with multiple material layers nested within each other (e.g., high-k dielectric nested within metal gate, or multiple spacer layers). This nested architecture provides enhanced control over the channel at all surfaces, improving device reliability through better electrical control while maintaining small feature sizes for high functional density.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple material systems are combined in the device structure, including high-k dielectric materials combined with metal gate materials, or different semiconductor materials (e.g., SiGe source/drain with silicon channel). These composite material structures provide optimized electrical characteristics and mechanical stability that enhance device reliability at scaled dimensions.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional materials are used in scaled devices, then manufacturing is simpler, but device performance deteriorates due to increased resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameters are changed by introducing high-k dielectric materials with higher permittivity values and metal gate materials with optimized work functions. These parameter changes enable reduced gate leakage and improved threshold voltage control, enhancing device performance without significantly complicating the manufacturing process, as the deposition techniques (ALD, PVD) are standard semiconductor fabrication methods.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes a first nanostructure over the substrate. The first nanostructure has a first channel direction, and the first channel direction is [1 0 0], [−1 0 0], [0 1 0], or [0 −1 0]. The semiconductor device structure includes a gate stack over the substrate and surrounding the first nanostructure. The semiconductor device structure includes a first source/drain structure and a second source/drain structure over the substrate and over opposite sides of the gate stack.