Semiconductor Plug Structure With Protrusions for Larger Substrate Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor devices with trench gate structures face challenges in achieving high density and reliability due to increased complexity in manufacturing processes, particularly in enhancing the contact area between plug structures and substrates, which affects electrical connections and operational performance.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a method where a stop layer is formed on a spacer to act as a lateral etching mask, creating a plug hole that extends towards a conductive layer structure or gate line, resulting in a plug structure with a protrusion member that increases the contact area between the plug and the substrate, thereby improving electrical connections and operational efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional trench gate structures are used to increase carrier channel length, then current leakage is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the plug structure by introducing protrusion members that extend from the plug body toward the gate line, dividing the contact interface into multiple regions (side wall contact and bottom contact). This segmentation allows the plug to maintain reliable electrical connection while simplifying the overall manufacturing process by using standard etching and deposition techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional vertical plug structure to a multi-dimensional structure with protrusion members extending horizontally toward the gate line. This dimensional change increases the contact area between the plug and the substrate without requiring more complex manufacturing processes, as the protrusions are formed through controlled etching and filling operations.
2Reliability
If plug structures are enlarged to increase contact area, then electrical connection is improved, but device density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating protrusion members only in specific regions where electrical connection is needed, rather than uniformly enlarging the entire plug structure. The protrusions extend locally toward the gate line to enhance contact area, while the rest of the plug maintains its compact size to preserve device density.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion members are nested within the space between the plug body and the gate line, utilizing the available vertical and horizontal space efficiently. This nesting approach allows the plug structure to expand into unused space without occupying additional lateral area that would reduce device density.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional plug structures are used, then manufacturing process is simple, but contact area between plug and substrate is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by forming a stop layer on the spacer before etching the plug hole. This stop layer serves as a lateral etching mask that defines the extent of the protrusion members, ensuring they extend to the optimal position toward the gate line without requiring complex real-time control during etching.
Solution Approach 2:
The stop layer acts as an intermediary element between the spacer and the plug hole etching process. It mediates the etching depth and lateral extent of the protrusion members, allowing simple manufacturing processes to achieve precise contact area enhancement without direct complex control of the etching parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
In a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same, the semiconductor device includes a substrate, conductive layer structures, plug structures, spacers and stop layers. The plug structures are disposed between two of the conductive layer structures in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The spacers are disposed between the conductive layer structures and the plug structures. The stop layers are disposed on the spacers between the conductive layer structures and the plug structures and has a bottommost surface disposed between a bottom surface of the conductive layer structures and a bottom surface of the spacers. The plug structures comprise at least one protrusion member extending from the bottommost surface toward the conductive layer structure and disposed between the stop layer and the substrate. Accordingly, contact area between the plug structures and the substrate can be increased.