Semiconductor Active Fin Diffusion Prevention Pattern Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices face instability and electrical shorts due to local layout effects (LLE) and leakage currents caused by diffusion prevention patterns, particularly in areas with varying widths between neighboring conductive structures, which existing technologies fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a unique diffusion prevention pattern design that extends through central portions of active fins and contacts ends of adjacent fins, along with an insulation pattern that reduces parasitic source/drain layers, allowing for reduced instability and electrical shorts, and enables formation in both PMOS and NMOS regions to minimize leakage currents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a diffusion prevention pattern is formed by removing gate structure and active fins, then electrical isolation between neighboring cells is achieved, but the width of active region decreases causing instability in active fin characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by forming a fill pattern specifically in the boundary area between neighboring cells where the active region width decreases. This fill pattern locally compensates for the reduced active fin count in the boundary region, maintaining consistent active fin characteristics across different regions without affecting other areas of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetry by forming the fill pattern only in the boundary area between cells, while leaving other areas with different configurations. The fill pattern is strategically placed to compensate for the specific geometric constraints in the boundary region, creating an asymmetric solution that addresses the local problem without requiring symmetric changes throughout the entire device.
2Reliability
If diffusion prevention pattern is formed in boundary areas, then electrical short between cells is prevented, but leakage current occurs due to varying width of active region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the width of the active region in the boundary area through the fill pattern. By adjusting the active region width parameter locally, the patent maintains consistent electrical characteristics and prevents leakage current that would otherwise result from the varying width caused by the diffusion prevention pattern.
3Reliability
If active fins are removed to form diffusion prevention pattern, then cell isolation is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to precise alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming the fill pattern in the boundary area during the manufacturing process, before final device operation. This preliminary structural preparation simplifies subsequent manufacturing steps by pre-compensating for the active region width variation, reducing the need for additional corrective processing steps.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes first group active fins and a first diffusion prevention pattern. The first group active fins are spaced apart from each other in a second direction, and each of the first group active fins extends in a first direction different from the second direction on a first region of a substrate including the first region and a second region. The first diffusion prevention pattern extends on the first region of the substrate in the second direction through the first group active fins. The first group active fins include first and second active fins. The first diffusion prevention pattern extends through a central portion of the first active fin in the first direction to divide the first active fin, and extends through and contacts an end of the second active fin in the first direction.