Semiconductor Contact Structure With Gap-Fill Barrier for Stable Interconnects
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices trend towards higher integration and smaller sizes, stable connections between reduced-size transistors and their corresponding wiring layers and contacts become increasingly challenging, affecting the reliability of these devices.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design that includes a contact structure with a contact conductive layer and a gap-fill pattern, where the gap-fill pattern consists of multiple layers, including a first gap-fill layer with a metal-containing insulating material and a second gap-fill layer with a silicon-containing insulating material, and a barrier structure surrounding the lower region of the side surface of the second conductive layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the size of transistor and wiring layers is reduced to increase integration degree, then the integration density is improved, but the connection stability between wiring layers and contacts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The contact structure is segmented into multiple functional layers: a contact conductive layer, a gap-fill pattern with multiple insulating layers, and a barrier structure. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specific function optimally, ensuring stable connections even as overall dimensions are reduced for higher integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap-fill pattern comprises multiple insulating layers with different materials (first insulating material including metal element, second insulating material including silicon element). This composite structure provides both mechanical support and electrical isolation, enhancing connection stability in miniaturized devices.
2Reliability
If the contact conductive layer is formed with a recess to improve connection, then the connection area is increased, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recess is formed locally in the contact conductive layer only where needed for connection, while the rest of the structure maintains its standard configuration. The gap-fill pattern is applied conformally only to the recessed region, providing enhanced connection locally without unnecessarily complicating the entire device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess is pre-formed in the contact conductive layer before subsequent layer deposition. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and contact area establishment early in the manufacturing process, simplifying subsequent steps while maintaining connection stability.
3Reliability
If multiple insulating layers are added to the gap-fill pattern to protect the contact structure, then the protection capability is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap-fill pattern is segmented into multiple insulating layers with distinct materials and functions. The first insulating layer provides primary protection, while the second insulating layer adds enhanced protection and planarization. This segmentation allows for targeted material selection and process optimization, managing manufacturing complexity through functional differentiation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different insulating materials with specific properties (metal element-containing and silicon element-containing materials) are used in different layers to optimize protection while controlling manufacturing complexity through parameter selection rather than structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device including a first conductive layer on a substrate, a second conductive layer on the first conductive layer, a contact structure between the first and second conductive layers, and a barrier structure surrounding a lower region of a side surface of the second conductive layer, wherein the contact structure includes a contact conductive layer having a first upper surface portion and a second upper surface extending from the first upper surface portion and being concave, and a gap-fill pattern fills a space between the second upper surface portion and the second conductive layer and includes a first gap-fill insulating layer including a metal element and a second gap-fill insulating layer including a silicon element, and the barrier structure includes a first etch stop layer and a barrier layer that include same materials as the first insulating material and the second insulating material, respectively, may be provided.