# US 10,319,842 B2 · Method of manufacturing semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,319,842 B2 - Document ID: US10319842B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/934,793 - Filed: 2018-03-23 - Published: 2018-07-26 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-23 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Wei-Yang Lo; Shih-Hao Chen; Mu-Tsang Lin; Tung-Wen Cheng - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319842B2 ## CPC - H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]} - H10D 30/62: Fin field-effect transistors [FinFET] - H10D 30/6213: {having rounded corners} - H10D 30/6217: {having non-uniform gate electrodes, e.g. gate conductors having varying doping} - H10D 62/151: {of IGFETs (of IGFETs having LDD or DDD structure H10D30/601; of thin film transistors H10D30/6713)} - H10D 64/021: {using multiple gate spacer layers, e.g. bilayered sidewall spacers} - H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials} - H10P 50/642: {Chemical etching} - H10D 30/797: {being in source or drain regions, e.g. SiGe source or drain} - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a gate stack over a semiconductor fin such that the gate stack exposes the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin exposed by the gate stack is recessed. An epitaxy structure is epitaxially grown on a recessed portion of the semiconductor fin, and the epitaxy structure is etched such that the epitaxy structure has a curved top. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: forming a gate stack over a semiconductor fin such that a portion of the semiconductor fin is uncovered by the gate stack; recessing the portion of the semiconductor fin; epitaxially growing an epitaxy structure on a recessed portion of the semiconductor fin; and etching the epitaxy structure, wherein the etched epitaxy structure has a curved top. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a pair of isolation structures, wherein recessing the semiconductor fin exposes sidewalls of the isolation structures. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the epitaxy structure is between and in contact with the sidewalls of the isolation structures. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the etching the epitaxy structure comprises smoothing a sidewall of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein after the etching the epitaxy structure, a flat portion of the etched epitaxy structure is adjacent the curved top of the etched epitaxy structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein after the etching the epitaxy structure, the curved top of the etched epitaxy structure is between a pair of flat portions of the etched epitaxy structure. ### Claim 7 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: forming a pair of sidewall structures at opposite sides of a semiconductor fin; shaping the sidewall structures; recessing the semiconductor fin to expose the shaped sidewall structures; and epitaxially growing an epitaxy structure on a recessed portion of the semiconductor fin such that the epitaxy structure has a body portion between the shaped sidewall structures and a top portion over the body portion, and a width of the top portion is greater than a width of the body portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the top portion of the epitaxy structure has a curved top. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the shaping the sidewall structures is performed when recessing the semiconductor fin. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the shaping the sidewall structures comprises etching the sidewall structures. ### Claim 11 A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising: forming a gate stack over a semiconductor fin, wherein a portion of the semiconductor fin is uncovered by the gate stack; recessing the portion of the semiconductor fin; epitaxially growing an epitaxy structure on a recessed portion of the semiconductor fin; and rounding a top portion of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the rounding the top portion of the epitaxy structure comprises etching the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the rounding the top portion of the epitaxy structure comprises removing a corner of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a pair of sidewall structures at opposite sides of the portion of the semiconductor fin, wherein rounding the top portion of the epitaxy structure comprises shaping the sidewall structures. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein after the shaping the sidewall structures, upper portions of the sidewall structures have a lesser width than lower portions of the sidewall structures. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising forming a pair of sidewall structures at opposite sides of the portion of the semiconductor fin, and rounding a sidewall of the epitaxy structure by shaping the sidewall structures. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein after the rounding the top portion of the epitaxy structure, a flat portion of the epitaxy structure is adjacent the rounded top portion of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein after the rounding the top portion of the epitaxy structure, the rounded top portion of the epitaxy structure is between a pair of flat portions of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising rounding a sidewall of the epitaxy structure by removing a corner of the epitaxy structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising shaping a sidewall structure, wherein after the shaping a sidewall structure, an upper portion of the sidewall structure has a lesser width than a lower portion of the sidewall structure, and a body portion of the epitaxy structure is in contact with the sidewall structure.