Self-Aligned Gate Separation Structure for Consistent Gate Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices undergo high integration, achieving the required transistor performance becomes increasingly difficult due to the challenges in manufacturing process and structure, which affect operational stability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is developed with a self-aligned substructure of a gate separation structure, where the gate electrode is cut to form a final gate separation structure, ensuring consistent width and improved reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high integration is implemented to increase device density, then productivity and integration level improve, but manufacturing precision and operational reliability deteriorate due to difficulty in achieving required transistor performance
Solution Approach 1:
The gate electrode is divided into multiple segments by introducing gate separation structures. This segmentation allows independent control and optimization of each gate electrode portion, improving manufacturing precision by enabling separate processing and alignment for each segment while maintaining high integration density across the device array.
Solution Approach 2:
A substructure of the gate separation structure is formed in advance before the final gate electrode patterning. This preliminary action establishes reference alignment features that guide subsequent gate electrode formation, ensuring consistent positioning and width control even as device dimensions scale down for higher integration.
2Productivity
If high integration is implemented to increase device density, then productivity improves, but reliability deteriorates due to challenges in maintaining operational stability
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the gate electrode into distinct sections separated by gate separation structures, the patent isolates potential failure modes to individual segments. This improves reliability by preventing defect propagation across the entire device while maintaining high integration through compact segment arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate separation structures provide localized structural features at critical interfaces between adjacent transistors. These localized structures enhance operational stability by providing defined electrical isolation and mechanical support at specific locations without affecting the overall high-integration architecture.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional gate structures are used without self-alignment, then ease of manufacture improves, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in maintaining consistent electrode widths
Solution Approach 1:
The substructure of the gate separation structure is formed beforehand to serve as an alignment reference. This preliminary structure guides the subsequent formation of gate electrodes, ensuring that electrode widths and positions are consistent without requiring complex real-time alignment procedures, thus maintaining ease of manufacture while improving precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate separation structure's substructure serves its dual function: it will become part of the final gate separation structure and simultaneously acts as an alignment template for the gate electrodes. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate alignment markers or complex alignment processes, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving precise electrode width control.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device comprises a first active pattern extending in a first direction on a substrate, a second active pattern which extends in the first direction and is adjacent to the first active pattern in a second direction different from the first direction, a field insulating film placed between the first active pattern and the second active pattern, a first gate structure which crosses the first active pattern, extends in the second direction, and includes a first gate electrode and a first gate spacer, a second gate structure which crosses the second active pattern, extends in the second direction, and includes a second gate electrode and a second gate spacer, a gate separation structure placed on the field insulating film between the first gate structure and the second gate structure.