Semiconductor Device Eliminating Break Region Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
The fabrication of semiconductor devices often results in stress on transistors due to break regions formed between them, leading to defects and reduced yield, and attempts to reduce break region width to minimize area lead to unexpected defects or increased device size.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design that eliminates the break region by forming a gate electrode in its place, ensuring no physical separation between active regions and reducing stress on transistors, while maintaining a smaller device area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a break region is formed between transistors to separate active regions, then manufacturing process control is improved, but stress is applied to transistors leading to defects and reduced yield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the break region from the structure between active regions. Instead of having a physical separation (break region) between the first and second active regions, the invention removes this separation entirely, allowing the active regions to be in direct contact. This eliminates the source of stress that was causing transistor failures while maintaining the ability to control doping profiles through other means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the first and second active regions by eliminating the break region between them. The active regions are positioned adjacent to each other in direct contact, creating a continuous structure. This merging removes the harmful stress interface while still allowing independent doping and electrical control of each region through separately formed gate electrodes.
2Area of stationary object
If the width of the break region is reduced to minimize device area, then area is reduced, but unexpected defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention completely extracts/removes the break region from the device structure. Instead of reducing the break region width to minimize area while avoiding defects, the solution is to eliminate the break region entirely. The first and second active regions are formed in direct contact with each other, achieving zero break region width and thus minimizing device area without any associated defects.
3Reliability
If the width of the break region is increased to prevent defects, then reliability is improved, but the area of the entire semiconductor device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the break region entirely from the structure, achieving the most extreme case of reducing break region width. By eliminating the break region completely and allowing direct contact between active regions, the invention achieves both maximum reliability (no stress-induced defects) and minimum device area (zero break region width).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the first and second active regions into a continuous structure by eliminating the break region. This merging achieves the smallest possible device area while simultaneously improving reliability, as there is no break region to generate stress or defects. The separate doping and gate control are maintained through process design rather than physical separation.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a first active region, a second active region, a first gate line disposed to overlap the first and second active regions, a second gate line disposed to overlap the first and second active regions, a first metal line electrically connecting the first and second gate lines and providing a first signal to both the first and second gate lines, a first contact structure electrically connected to part of the first active region between the first and second gate lines, a second contact structure electrically connected to part of the second active region between the first and second gate lines, and a second metal line electrically connected to the first and second contact structures and transmitting a second signal, wherein an overlapped region that is overlapped by the second metal line does not include a break region.