Semiconductor Test Structure With Variable Width Active Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor devices lack effective test structures for identifying optimal active regions and detecting leakage current defects or reliability issues between source/drain regions with different conductivity types.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates test structures with lower active regions of varying widths, including overlapping and non-overlapping regions, and gate structures to evaluate the electrical characteristics and reliability of memory cell arrays, allowing for the detection of defects and optimization of active regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional test structures are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the ability to detect leakage current defects and identify optimal active regions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The test structure is divided into multiple lower active regions with different widths (first, second, third lower active regions) and multiple upper active regions, allowing separate evaluation of different active region configurations. This segmentation enables precise detection of leakage current characteristics in each region type without requiring a single complex monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different lower active regions are designed with different widths to create local variations in the test structure. The first lower active region has a first width, the second has a second width, and the third has a third width, allowing each region to test specific characteristics locally rather than requiring a uniformly complex structure throughout.
2Reliability
If test structures with multiple active regions of different widths are implemented, then detection precision for leakage current defects is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The test structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it tests leakage current between source and drain regions, evaluates optimal active region widths, and assesses transistor characteristics. By making the test structure multi-functional, the patent avoids creating separate specialized test structures for each function, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving comprehensive reliability testing.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple test functions are merged into a single integrated test structure configuration. The different width lower active regions, upper active regions, and gate structures are combined in one unified design that can evaluate various leakage current scenarios and active region optimizations simultaneously, reducing the number of separate manufacturing processes required.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device including a test structure includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of test structures on the semiconductor substrate. The test structures include respective lower active regions extending from the semiconductor substrate in a vertical direction and having different widths, and upper active regions extending from respective lower active regions in the vertical direction. Each of the lower active regions includes first regions and second regions. The first regions overlap the upper active regions and are between the second regions, and the second regions include outer regions and inner regions between the outer regions. The outer regions, located in the lower active regions having different widths, have different widths.