Semiconductor Devices with Localized Gate Insulator Nitrogen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor devices face challenges in easily controlling and fabricating transistors with different threshold voltages, which is essential for various applications but often requires complex and costly processes.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device design includes a substrate with specific nitrogen concentrations and thicknesses of gate insulating layers, along with varying amounts of work function control materials like lanthanum or aluminum, to achieve distinct threshold voltages in transistors, allowing for easier fabrication and control of transistor thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to fabricate transistors with different threshold voltages, then transistor threshold control is achieved, but the fabrication process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing nitrogen at different concentrations into specific regions of the gate insulating layer. Different areas of the semiconductor device have gate insulating layers with tailored nitrogen concentrations (first concentration in first area, second concentration in second area), which creates locally optimized threshold voltages for different transistor types without requiring different fabrication processes across the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by varying the nitrogen concentration parameter within the gate insulating layer. By controlling the nitrogen concentration to be different in different areas (first concentration vs. second concentration), the threshold voltage of transistors is adjusted accordingly, enabling easy fabrication of transistors with different threshold voltages through a single fabrication process.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to fabricate transistors with different threshold voltages, then transistor threshold control is achieved, but fabrication costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fabrication of different transistor types into a single integrated process. By incorporating nitrogen at different concentrations into the gate insulating layer during one fabrication sequence, the patent simultaneously creates transistors with different threshold voltages without requiring separate fabrication lines or additional processing steps, thereby reducing overall fabrication costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the nitrogen concentration parameter spatially within the gate insulating layer to achieve different threshold voltages. This parameter variation is implemented through a unified fabrication approach that controls nitrogen incorporation during gate insulating layer formation, eliminating the need for multiple fabrication processes and reducing costs.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform gate insulating layers are used, then fabrication is simplified, but threshold voltage control of transistors is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by creating gate insulating layers with spatially varying nitrogen concentrations. The gate insulating layer has a first concentration in a first area and a second concentration in a second area, allowing different transistor regions to have optimized threshold voltages while still using a uniform fabrication approach for the entire device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the nitrogen concentration parameter across different regions of the gate insulating layer. This enables the fabrication process to produce transistors with a range of threshold voltages by controlling the nitrogen concentration parameter, thereby increasing adaptability without complicating the overall fabrication methodology.
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
This approach enables the relatively easy fabrication of transistors with different threshold voltages at lower costs, improving the control and efficiency of semiconductor device performance.
Implementation Method 1
First and second nitrogen concentrations of the first and second gate insulating layers, respectively, may be higher than third and fourth nitrogen concentrations of the third and fourth gate insulating layers, respectively
Implementation Method 2
the first through fourth gate insulating layers, the first through fourth work function layers, and the first through fourth gate metals may be included in first through fourth transistors, respectively. Moreover, the first through fourth transistors may have different first through fourth threshold voltages, respectively
Data Source
AI summary
Semiconductor devices are provided. A semiconductor device includes a substrate including first through fourth areas. Moreover, first through fourth gate insulating layers are on the first through fourth areas, respectively. Amounts of work function control materials in the first through fourth gate insulating layers, nitrogen concentrations in the first through fourth gate insulating layers, and/or thicknesses of the first through fourth gate insulating layers vary among the first through fourth gate insulating layers. Methods for fabricating semiconductor devices are also provided.