Semiconductor Dummy Gate Stress Engineering
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in semiconductor manufacturing is the difficulty in achieving effective micro-patterning for miniaturized semiconductor devices, which affects their performance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring specific patterns and structures, including active regions, normal gates, dummy gates, and contacts with particular spacings and materials, is implemented to enhance performance by applying compressive or tensile stress to improve carrier mobility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If micro-patterning is pursued for miniaturized semiconductor devices, then device size is reduced, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gate structure is segmented into normal gates and dummy gates with different functions. The dummy gates are positioned to overlap the isolation layer while the normal gates are positioned over active regions, allowing independent optimization of each segment's function and simplifying the manufacturing process for miniaturized devices
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the gate structure are assigned different properties: normal gates are positioned to control channels in active regions while dummy gates overlap the isolation layer to apply stress locally. This local differentiation allows the device to achieve miniaturization while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through region-specific functional optimization
2Productivity
If device size is reduced for miniaturization, then integration density increases, but performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the gate structure by introducing dummy gates with different positions and dimensions than normal gates. The dummy gates are configured to apply mechanical stress to the channel region, changing the electrical characteristics and improving carrier mobility, thereby maintaining performance despite device miniaturization
Solution Approach 2:
The gate structure employs a composite configuration combining normal gates and dummy gates made of different materials or with different structural properties. This composite approach allows the normal gates to provide primary control while dummy gates provide stress-induced performance enhancement, achieving both miniaturization and performance maintenance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design improves the performance of semiconductor devices by optimizing the stress applied to channel regions, thereby enhancing carrier mobility and device performance.
Implementation Method 1
The dummy contact may include a metallic material that applies compressive stress to the first active region disposed under the first normal gate
Implementation Method 2
The dummy contact may include a metallic material that applies tensile stress to the first active region disposed under the first normal gate
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a semiconductor device to which a pattern structure for performance improvement is applied. The semiconductor device includes first and second active regions spaced apart from each other in a first direction with an isolation layer interposed therebetween, a first normal gate formed on the first active region to extend in a second direction crossing the first direction, a first dummy gate having a portion overlapping with one end of the isolation layer and the other portion overlapping with the first active region and spaced apart from the first normal gate in the first direction, a second dummy gate having a portion overlapping with the other end of the isolation layer and the other portion overlapping with the second active region, a first normal source/drain contact formed on a source/drain region between the first normal gate and the first dummy gate, and a dummy contact formed on the isolation layer so as not to overlap with the first and second dummy gates and having a different size from the first normal source/drain contact.