Semiconductor Layout Pitch Progression for Gate-Contact Leakage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing integration level of semiconductor devices with reduced gate-contact plug pitch leads to significant leakage issues, necessitating improved design and control of the process window between the gate and contact plug.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device layout structure with fixed pitch between source and drain contact plugs and arithmetic progression in gate pattern regions, along with a test system to analyze and test leakage current, ensuring accurate positioning and reducing overlay errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pitch between gate and contact plug is reduced to increase integration level, then device integration is improved, but leakage current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining multiple fixed pitch values between gate and contact plug patterns before actual device fabrication. These predetermined pitch values are established in the layout design stage to create a process window that prevents leakage current issues from arising during manufacturing, rather than attempting to correct leakage after it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by establishing multiple discrete pitch value options (fixed pitch values) between gate and contact plug patterns. Instead of using a single pitch value, the design allows selection from several predetermined pitch parameters, enabling optimization of the process window to minimize leakage current while maintaining reduced pitch for high integration.
2Productivity
If the pitch between gate and contact plug is reduced, then device integration is improved, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining multiple fixed pitch values between gate and contact plug patterns before actual device fabrication. These predetermined pitch values are established in the layout design stage to create a process window that prevents leakage current issues from arising during manufacturing, rather than attempting to correct leakage after it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by establishing multiple discrete pitch value options (fixed pitch values) between gate and contact plug patterns. Instead of using a single pitch value, the design allows selection from several predetermined pitch parameters, enabling optimization of the process window to minimize leakage current while maintaining reduced pitch for high integration.
3Measurement precision
If more test configurations are added to analyze leakage current, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the test structure into multiple independent device layout sublayers, each containing gate and contact plug patterns with different fixed pitch values. This segmentation allows separate testing and analysis of each pitch configuration's leakage characteristics, enabling precise measurement without requiring a single monolithic complex structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by creating different pitch configurations in different local regions (sublayers) of the test structure. Each sublayer has its own specific pitch characteristics optimized for testing particular aspects of leakage current, allowing targeted analysis of specific pitch-related leakage mechanisms rather than uniform testing throughout the entire structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to the field of semiconductor, and disclose a semiconductor device layout structure, a method for forming the same, and a test system. The semiconductor device layout structure includes: an active layout layer including active pattern regions arranged along a first direction; device layout sublayers, where each of the device layout sublayer includes a gate pattern region; and a plurality of contact plug sets, where each of the contact plug sets includes a source contact plug and a drain contact plug. Along the first direction, in adjacent two gate pattern regions of the device layout sublayers, a pitch between the latter gate pattern region and the corresponding source contact plug and/or the drain contact plug and a pitch between the former gate pattern region and the corresponding source contact plug and/or the drain contact plug form an arithmetic progression.