Semiconductor Contact Metal Silicide Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor devices face challenges in achieving high reliability, performance, and integration density to meet the demands for fast speed and low power consumption, particularly in field effect transistors.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a substrate with an active pattern, a gate electrode, source/drain regions with a recess region, and a contact connected to the source/drain region, featuring a metal silicide layer and a spacer to enhance electric characteristics, along with device isolation layers and gate spacers to improve integration density and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact is directly connected to the source/drain region without a metal silicide layer, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the electric resistance between the contact and source/drain region increases
Solution Approach 1:
A metal silicide layer is introduced as an intermediary between the contact and the source/drain region. This intermediate layer serves as a transition zone that reduces electric resistance while maintaining electrical connectivity, effectively mediating the electrical interface between two dissimilar materials (contact and semiconductor region).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of multiple materials with different properties: the contact material, the metal silicide layer, and the source/drain region. Each material is selected for its specific properties, and their combination creates a multi-layered contact structure that optimizes both electrical performance and mechanical stability.
2Reliability
If the contact extends deep into the source/drain region without a recess region, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but short circuits between the contact and gate electrode may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The contact structure is segmented into distinct regions: an upper contact portion, a metal silicide layer, and a lower contact portion extending into a recess region of the source/drain region. This segmentation allows the contact to be electrically connected to the source/drain region while maintaining physical separation from the gate electrode through the recess geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by creating a recess region in the source/drain region. This recess structure allows the contact to extend downward into the source/drain region while maintaining horizontal separation from the gate electrode, effectively using the third dimension (depth) to resolve the spatial conflict.
3Reliability
If the source/drain region is formed without a recess region, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the electric resistance between contact and source/drain region increases
Solution Approach 1:
A recess region is preliminarily formed in the source/drain region before the contact is deposited. This preliminary structural preparation creates a pre-defined pathway and interface for the subsequent contact formation, ensuring optimal electrical contact and reducing resistance from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The recess region creates a localized area with different geometric properties compared to the rest of the source/drain region. This local modification concentrates the electrical contact area and optimizes the interface between the contact and source/drain region, improving electrical characteristics in the critical contact zone without affecting the entire device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a semiconductor device including a substrate with an active pattern, a gate electrode crossing the active pattern, a source/drain region in an upper portion of the active pattern at a side of the gate electrode, the source/drain region including a recess region at an upper region thereof, a contact electrically connected to the source/drain region, the contact including a lower portion provided in the recess region, and a metal silicide layer provided at a lower region of the recess region and between the source/drain region and the contact.