Vertical Gate-All-Around Transistors for Short-Channel Effect Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transistors face short-channel effects due to scaled-down gate lengths, leading to compromised control over current flow and performance degradation, which existing multi-gate transistor architectures like FinFETs and gate-all-around structures aim to mitigate but with limitations.
Innovation Solution
The development of vertical gate-all-around (VGAA) field effect transistors with nanowires made of III-V semiconductor material, where gate stacks wrap around vertical channels, providing improved gate control and maintaining high ON current through epitaxial growth methods that avoid surface damage and lithography-related limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If gate length is scaled down to increase switching speed, then switching speed is improved, but short-channel effects worsen and gate control is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar gate structures to three-dimensional gate-all-around structures that wrap around the channel in multiple dimensions. This vertical and radial gating provides superior electrostatic control over the channel, effectively suppressing short-channel effects while maintaining scaled-down gate lengths for high switching speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The gate structure is nested around the channel region, with the gate electrode completely surrounding the channel in a wrap-around configuration. This nested arrangement ensures that the gate controls the channel from all directions, maximizing control efficiency and minimizing short-channel effects.
2Reliability
If multi-gate transistor architecture is used to improve gate control, then short-channel effects are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transistor structure is segmented into distinct functional regions including the channel, gate electrode, gate dielectric, source region, and drain region. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while working together to provide superior gate control with reduced short-channel effects.
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
The VGAA configuration effectively reduces short-channel effects, enhances gate control, and maintains high ON current, improving transistor performance by using epitaxial growth to form nanowires that are not limited by lithography and etch process shortcomings.
Implementation Method 1
a gate dielectric and a gate electrode fully encircle the channel region. This configuration delivers a good control of the channel
Implementation Method 2
nanowires made of III-V semiconductor material, where gate stacks wrap around vertical channels, providing improved gate control and maintaining high ON current through epitaxial growth methods
Data Source
AI summary
Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. A template layer is formed on a substrate, the template layer having a recess therein. A plurality of nanowires is formed in the recess. A gate stack is formed over the substrate, the gate stack surrounding the plurality of nanowires.