Semiconductor Layout With Region-Specific Isolation Trenches
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and integration demands of semiconductor devices pose challenges in enhancing the reliability, speed, capacity, and functionality, particularly in maintaining the balance between logic and memory cell regions.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a substrate with specific active patterns and device isolation layers that define trenches in logic and memory cell regions, with gate-all-around type transistors in the memory cell region, allowing for improved electrical characteristics and integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the degree of integration of semiconductor devices is increased to meet growing demand, then capacity and functionality are improved, but device complexity increases and fabrication becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is divided into distinct logic cell regions and memory cell regions with different trench depths and isolation layer configurations. Logic regions use shallower trenches while memory regions use deeper trenches, allowing each region to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining overall high integration.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate are given different structural characteristics - logic cell regions have device isolation layers formed to a first depth while memory cell regions have device isolation layers formed to a second depth greater than the first. This local differentiation allows each region to achieve optimal performance for its specific requirements without compromising the other.
2Ease of manufacture
If device isolation layers are formed to uniform depth across logic and memory cell regions, then manufacturing is simplified, but electrical performance of gate-all-around transistors in memory regions is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The device isolation layer formation process is segmented into multiple steps with different etch depths for different regions. Memory cell regions receive deeper isolation layer formation than logic cell regions, enabling gate-all-around transistor performance while maintaining a systematic manufacturing approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The device isolation layer is given different depths in different regions - shallower in logic cell regions and deeper in memory cell regions. This local quality differentiation ensures that memory regions achieve the necessary electrical performance for gate-all-around transistors while logic regions maintain their optimized structure.
3Reliability
If deeper trenches are formed in memory cell regions to support gate-all-around transistors, then electrical characteristics are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The trench depth is locally optimized - memory cell regions have deeper trenches for gate-all-around transistors while logic cell regions have shallower trenches. This local differentiation allows each region to achieve its optimal electrical characteristics without requiring the entire substrate to meet the most stringent depth specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The trench formation process is segmented by region, with memory cell regions receiving deeper etching than logic cell regions. This segmentation allows independent optimization of trench depth for each functional region, reducing the overall manufacturing precision burden compared to uniform deep trenches across the entire substrate.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes first active patterns on a PMOSFET section of a logic cell region of a substrate, second active patterns on an NMOSFET section of the logic cell region, third active patterns on a memory cell region of the substrate, fourth active patterns between the third active patterns, and a device isolation layer that fills a plurality of first trenches and a plurality of second trenches. Each of the first trenches is interposed between the first active patterns and between the second active patterns. Each of the second trenches is interposed between the fourth active patterns and between the third and fourth active patterns. Each of the third and fourth active patterns includes first and second semiconductor patterns that are vertically spaced apart from each other. Depths of the second trenches are greater than depths of the first trenches.