Semiconductor Barrier Pattern for Overlay Shift Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
As integration density of electronic components increases, the complexity and length of interconnections in 3D integration pose challenges for maintaining stable and efficient electrical properties in semiconductor devices, particularly in reducing process variation and enhancing device performance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device structure is formed with a first barrier pattern surrounding channel patterns, source electrodes, drain electrodes, and insulation patterns, which improves electrical properties and stability by using a self-aligned process that reduces overlay shift in photolithography and minimizes the number of masks required, thereby enhancing consistency and cost-effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If integration density of electronic components is increased, then more components can be integrated into a given area, but process variation increases and device electrical properties become less stable
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional regions by introducing a barrier pattern that divides the active component area from surrounding regions. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each region's electrical properties while maintaining high integration density, thereby reducing overall process variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier pattern is formed in advance before subsequent wiring and interconnection layers are deposited. This preliminary action establishes stable electrical boundaries early in the fabrication process, preventing cumulative variation from affecting final device performance in high-density configurations.
2Productivity
If integration density is increased through 3D integration, then interconnection length is decreased and bandwidth is increased, but device complexity and wiring complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier pattern segments the device structure into distinct zones, simplifying the wiring routing strategy for 3D integration. By creating clear boundaries between active components and interconnection regions, the complexity of managing multiple interconnection layers is reduced while maintaining short connection lengths and high bandwidth.
3Reliability
If barrier pattern is formed to surround active components, then electrical properties and stability are improved, but number of masks and photolithography steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier pattern formation is merged with existing photolithography steps used for active component patterning. By combining these functions into a single mask and exposure step, the electrical stability benefits of the barrier pattern are achieved without increasing the total number of masks or photolithography cycles required for device fabrication.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a semiconductor device and method of forming the same. The semiconductor device includes active components and a first barrier pattern. The active components are on a substrate. Each of the active components includes base insulation patterns on the substrate, gate electrodes on the substrate and spaced apart from each other with the base insulation patterns interposed therebetween, a gate dielectric layer on the gate electrodes and the base insulation patterns, a channel pattern on the gate dielectric layer, source electrodes on the channel pattern and spaced apart from each other, a drain electrode on the channel pattern and between the source electrodes, and second insulation patterns between the source electrodes and the drain electrode. The first barrier pattern disposed on the gate dielectric layer surrounds the channel patterns, the source electrodes, the drain electrodes, and the second insulation patterns of each of the active components.