1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a single-gate fin field-effect-transistor (FinFET) with an ultra-thin body (UTB).
2. Description of the Prior Art
As known in the art, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) is a type of random access memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit. Typically, DRAM is arranged in a square array of one capacitor and transistor per cell. The transistor, which acts as switching device, comprises a gate and a silicon channel region underneath the gate. The silicon channel region is located between a pair of source/drain regions in a semiconductor substrate and the gate is configured to electrically connect the source/drain regions to one another through the silicon channel region.
A vertical double-gate fin field-effect-transistor (FinFET) has been developed for the next-generation 4F2 DRAM cell (F stands for minimum lithographic feature width). However, difficulties are frequently encountered in attempting to produce the vast arrays of vertical double-gate FinFET devices desired for semiconductor DRAM applications while maintaining suitable performance characteristics of the devices. For example, recently DRAM manufacturers face a tremendous challenge on shrinking the memory cell area as the word line spacing, i.e., the spacing between two adjacent word lines, continues to shrink. The shrinking spacing between two closely arranged word lines leads to undesirable electrical coupling effect for high-speed DRAM applications. Another drawback of the prior art transistor structure is insufficient source/drain contact landing area.
In light of the above, there is a strong need in this industry to provide a novel FinFET structure and the fabrication process therefore to avoid the aforesaid problems.
The present invention aims at resolving or eliminating the electrical coupling effect of the advanced DRAM device, which stems from the continuing scaling of the word line spacing and other shrinking rules of the DRAM device.
As will be seen more clearly from the detailed description below, the claimed single-gate FinFET structure comprises an active fin structure comprising two enlarged head portions and a tapered neck portion that connects the enlarged head portions with an underlying ultra-thin body; two source/drain regions doped in the two enlarged head portions respectively; an insulation region interposed between the two source/drain regions; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the tuning fork-shaped fin structure; and a single-sided sidewall gate electrode disposed on a vertical sidewall of the active fin structure opposite to the trench isolation structure.
According to one aspect of the invention, a single-gate fin field-effect-transistor includes an active fin structure comprising two head portions, each connected to a respective tapered neck portion that connects the head portions with an underlying body between the two neck portions and having an ultra-thin channel region, the two head portions each having an enlarged surface area with respect to the respective tapered neck portion; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the active fin structure; and a sidewall gate electrode disposed on a single side of a vertical sidewall of the active fin structure that is opposite to the trench isolation structure.
According to another aspect of the invention, a single-gate fin field-effect-transistor includes an active fin structure comprising two head portions, each connected to a respective tapered neck portion that connects the head portions with an underlying body between the two neck portions and having an ultra-thin channel region, the two head portions each having an enlarged contact area with respect to the respective tapered neck portion, and each having a width that is greater than that of the body; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the active fin structure; and a sidewall gate electrode disposed on a single side of a vertical sidewall of the active fin structure that is opposite to the trench isolation structure.
According to still another aspect of the invention, a DRAM array includes an array of fin field-effect-transistors comprising two mirror symmetrical single-gate fin field-effect-transistors arranged in two adjacent columns and in the same row of the DRAM array, wherein each of the single-gate fin field-effect-transistors is fabricated in an active fin structure comprising two enlarged head portions and a tapered neck portion that connects the enlarged head portions with an underlying ultra-thin body; a trench isolation structure disposed at one side of the active fin structure; and a single-sided sidewall gate electrode disposed on a vertical sidewall of the active fin structure opposite to the trench isolation structure.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, an array of fin field-effect-transistors includes two mirror symmetrical single-gate fin field-effect-transistors arranged in two adjacent columns and in the same row of the array, each of the two mirror symmetrical single-gate fin field-effect-transistors comprising: an active fin structure comprising an underlying body including a channel region of the array; two head portions above the underlying body, where source/drain regions are formed, wherein the two head portions are enlarged compared to the underlying body; and a tapered neck portion that connects the head portions with the underlying body; a bottle-shaped trench isolation structure disposed between the head portions, the tapered neck portion and the underlying body of two of the active fin structures; and single-sided sidewall gate electrodes disposed on a vertical sidewall of each active fin structure opposite to the trench isolation structure.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
It should be noted that all the figures are diagrammatic. Relative dimensions and proportions of parts of the drawings have been shown exaggerated or reduced in size, for the sake of clarity and convenience in the drawings. The same reference signs are generally used to refer to corresponding or similar features in modified and different embodiments.
In the following description, numerous specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In order to avoid obscuring the present invention, some well-known system configurations and process steps are not disclosed in detail.
Likewise, the drawings showing embodiments of the apparatus are semi-diagrammatic and not to scale and, particularly, some of the dimensions are for the clarity of presentation and are shown exaggerated in the figures. Also, in which multiple embodiments are disclosed and described having some features in common, for clarity and ease of illustration and description thereof, like or similar features will ordinarily be described with like reference numerals.
The term “horizontal” as used herein is defined as a plane parallel to the conventional major plane or primary surface of the semiconductor substrate, regardless of its orientation. The term “vertical” refers to a direction perpendicular to the horizontal as just defined. Terms, such as “on”, “above”, “below”, “bottom”, “top”, “side” (as in “sidewall”), “higher”, “lower”, “over”, and “under”, are defined with respect to the horizontal plane.
The single-gate FinFETs 100 and 200, which are formed in the active fin structures 101 and 201, are indicated by the dotted line and are arranged in close proximity to each other. According to the embodiment of the invention, each single-gate FinFET and a corresponding capacitor element (not shown) can be configured as a DRAM cell with a device area of 4f2 or even smaller. Sidewall word lines 12a, 12b, 14a and 14b, which extend along the reference y-axis, are provided next to each column of transistors.
The sidewall word lines 12a and 12b are embedded in a line-shaped trench 122 and are disposed on two opposite sidewalls of the line shaped trench 122, wherein the sidewall word line 12a that passes the active fin structure 101 acts as a single-sided sidewall gate electrode of the single-gate FinFET 100 and the sidewall word line 14a that passes the active fin structure 201 acts as a single-sided sidewall gate electrode of the single-gate FinFET 200. The line-shaped trenches 122 and 124 may be filled with insulating layer 28 such as silicon oxide or the like. The term “single-sided” refers to that the gate electrode 12a is only formed on one side of the transistor.
By way of example, the single-gate FinFET 100, which is fabricated in the active fin structure 101, comprises two source/drain regions 102 and 104 spaced apart from each other, a recessed, U-shaped channel 110 under the two source/drain regions 102 and 104, the word line 12a that acts as a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric layer 106 between the U-shaped channel 110 and the word line 12a. Likewise, the single-gate FinFET 200, which is fabricated in the active fin structure 201, comprises two source/drain regions 202 and 204 spaced apart from each other, a recessed, U-shaped channel 210 under the two source/drain regions 202 and 204, the word line 14a that acts as a gate electrode, and a gate dielectric layer 206 between the U-shaped channel 210 and the word line 14a.
According to the embodiment of the invention, the single-gate FinFET 100 and the single-gate FinFET 200 are mirror symmetrical to each other with respect to a central plane 150. As can be seen in AA′ cross-section of
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For device isolation, a plurality of line-shaped shallow trench isolation (STI) regions 22 are provided and embedded in the substrate 10 to provide electrical isolation between two adjacent rows of devices. As can be seen in
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The present invention provides ultra-thin body by minimizing the rule C, and the concomitant benefits include: (1) shorter channel resulting in good short-channel behavior and higher driving current; and (2) channel volume inversion resulting in higher mobility (driving current). According to the embodiment of the invention, the rule B is greater than the rule C. In other words, the present invention single-gate FinFET structure provides increased contact landing area while maintaining an ultra-thin body in the channel region.
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To sum up, the present invention provides a FinFET structure and an DRAM array thereof having two heads (108a) facing each other, both heads going into a neck region (108b) that is thinner than the heads, and then going into a body region (108c), which has an isolation trench (24) therein. The body region can be U-shaped or V-shaped. There is a single-sided gate (12a, 14a) on the sidewall that is opposite to the isolation trench region. The heads are doped, meaning their surface area is increased as compared to the prior art.
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According to the embodiment of the invention, each of the line-shaped STI regions 22 extends along the reference x-axis direction. The line-shaped STI regions 22 may be formed by spin-on-dielectric (SOD) gap-fill methods. A lining layer 22a may be formed in the STI trench 21. The lining layer 22a may comprise silicon oxide, silicon nitride or combination thereof. Preferably, the lining layer 22a comprises a silicon oxide layer (not explicitly shown) formed on interior surface of the STI trench 21 and a silicon nitride layer (not explicitly shown) on the silicon oxide layer. The lining layer 22a prevents SOD gap filling material from consuming the substrate 10.
Subsequently, an insulation region 26 is formed in the substrate 10 between two source/drain regions. The insulation region 26 also extends along the reference x-axis direction. Likewise, the insulation region 26 may be formed by SOD gap-fill methods. A lining layer 26a may be formed in the recessed trench 126 for lining the interior surface of the recessed trench 126. The lining layers 22a and 26a can prevent the substrate 10 from silicon consumption during the curing process of the SOD gap filler. Thereafter, the entire surface of the substrate 10 is subjected to polishing process such as chemical mechanical process, and the pad oxide layer 302 and the pad nitride layer 304 are removed.
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According to the embodiment of the invention, the spacer 342 has a bottom width that is substantially equal to the rule B. In other words, the lateral thickness (in reference x-axis direction) of the spacer substantially determines the dimension of the source/drain contact landing area as well as the thickness of the underlying ultra-thin body.
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Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10005773.6 | Jun 2010 | EP | regional |