# US 10,872,969 B2 · Semiconductor device with combined fin-edge-cut and fin-major-cut and method of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 10,872,969 B2
- Document ID: US10872969B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/552,274
- Filed: 2019-08-27
- Published: 2020-04-02
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shih-Ming Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872969B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10D 30/6211: {having fin-shaped semiconductor bodies integral with the bulk semiconductor substrates}
- H10D 84/0133: {Manufacturing common source or drain regions between multiple IGFETs}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10P 50/695: {characterised by the process involved to create the mask, e.g. lift-off masks or sidewalls or to modify the mask}
- H10P 76/2043: {using an anti-reflective coating}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a pad oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate. A hard mask layer is formed over the pad oxide layer. An anti-reflective layer (ARL) is formed over the hard mask layer. A first photoresist layer is formed over the ARL. The first photoresist layer is patterned and the hard mask layer and ARL are removed. Remaining portions of the first photoresist layer and the ARL are removed, and a patterned hard mask layer is formed. The pad oxide layer and the semiconductor substrate are etched to obtain a plurality of fins. A bottom layer is formed over and between the fins. A middle layer is formed over the bottom layer and a second photoresist layer is formed on the middle layer. The second photoresist layer is patterned to form an opening and a spacer is formed in an opening formed in the second photoresist layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a pad oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a hard mask layer over the pad oxide layer;
forming an anti-reflective layer over the hard mask layer;
forming a first photoresist layer over the anti-reflective layer;
patterning a portion of the first photoresist layer and removing portions of the hard mask layer and anti-reflective layer exposed by the patterned first photoresist layer;
removing remaining portions of the first photoresist layer and the anti-reflective layer, thereby forming a patterned hard mask layer;
performing a first etching operation to remove portions of the pad oxide layer exposed by the patterned hard mask layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the patterned hard mask layer, thereby obtaining a plurality of fins;
forming a bottom layer over and between the fins;
forming a middle layer over the bottom layer;
forming a second photoresist layer on the middle layer;
patterning a portion of the second photoresist layer to form an opening in the second photoresist layer; and
forming a spacer along a periphery of the opening, the spacer contacting sidewalls of the opening.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
forming a first plug in portions of the opening not occupied by the spacer;
removing the spacer;
performing a second etching operation to remove portions of the bottom layer and the middle layer, and fins underneath portions of opening exposed due to removal of spacer, thereby forming trenches;
forming second plugs in the trenches;
removing the first plug;
performing a third etching operation to remove portions of bottom layer, middle layer, and fins between the second plugs; and
removing the second plugs and remaining portions of the second photoresist layer, bottom layer, and middle layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the anti-reflective layer includes an organic film, an etch barrier layer, and a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC), and forming the anti-reflective layer comprises:
forming the organic film over the hard mask layer;
forming the etch barrier layer over the organic film; and
forming the BARC over the etch barrier layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the etch barrier layer comprises silicon oxynitride.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the hard mask layer includes silicon nitride.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises silicon.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
removing portions of the bottom layer, the middle layer and the fins below portions of the opening not occupied by the spacer, thereby forming a trench;
forming a plug in the trench;
removing the spacer;
removing portions of the bottom layer, the middle layer and the fins below portions of an opening exposed by removal of the spacer; and
removing the plug, and remaining portions of the second photoresist layer, bottom layer, and the middle layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein removing portions of the bottom layer, the middle layer, and the fins below portions of the opening not occupied by the spacer creates groups of fins on opposing sides of the trench.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein removing the spacer includes removing the spacer to create an edge-cut.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein removing portions of the fins below portions of the opening exposed by removal of the spacer includes removing one or more fins from the groups of fins on opposing sides of the trench.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein removing the one or more fins from the groups of fins removes the one or more fins directly below the edge-cut.

### Claim 12

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a pad oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a hard mask layer over the pad oxide layer;
forming an anti-reflective layer over the hard mask layer;
forming a first photoresist layer over the anti-reflective layer;
patterning a portion of the first photoresist layer and removing portions of the hard mask layer and the anti-reflective layer exposed by the first photoresist layer;
removing remaining portions of the first photoresist layer and the anti-reflective layer, thereby forming a patterned hard mask layer;
performing a first etching operation to remove portions of the pad oxide layer exposed by the patterned hard mask layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the patterned hard mask layer, thereby obtaining a plurality of fins;
forming a bottom layer over and between the fins;
forming a middle layer over the bottom layer;
forming a second photoresist layer on the middle layer;
patterning a portion of the second photoresist layer to form an opening in the second photoresist layer;
forming a spacer along a periphery of the opening, the spacer contacting sidewalls of the opening;
removing portions of the bottom layer, the middle layer, and the fins below portions of the opening not occupied by the spacer, thereby forming a trench;
forming a plug in the trench;
removing the spacer;
removing portions of the bottom layer, the middle layer, and the fins below portions of the opening exposed by removal of the spacer; and
removing the plug, and remaining portions of the second photoresist layer, the bottom layer, and the middle layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the anti-reflective layer includes an organic film, an etch barrier layer, and a bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC), and forming the anti-reflective layer comprises:
forming the organic film over the hard mask layer;
forming the etch barrier layer over the organic film; and
forming the BARC over the etch barrier layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the etch barrier layer comprises silicon oxynitride (SiON).

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the hard mask layer includes silicon nitride.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises silicon.

### Claim 17

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a pad oxide layer on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a hard mask layer over the pad oxide layer;
forming an organic film over the hard mask layer;
forming an etch barrier layer over the organic film;
forming a bottom anti-reflective coating over the etch barrier layer;
forming a first photoresist layer over the bottom anti-reflective coating;
patterning a portion of the first photoresist layer and removing portions of the bottom anti-reflective coating, the etch barrier layer, the organic film, and the hard mask layer exposed by the patterned first photoresist layer;
removing remaining portions of the first photoresist layer and the bottom anti-reflective coating, the etch barrier layer, and the organic film, thereby forming a patterned hard mask layer;
performing a first etching operation to remove the pad oxide layer exposed by the patterned hard mask layer and a portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed by the patterned hard mask layer, thereby obtaining a plurality of fins;
forming a trilayer resist over the fins, wherein an uppermost layer of the trilayer resist is a photosensitive layer;
patterning a portion of the photosensitive layer to form an opening in the photosensitive layer; and
forming a spacer along a periphery of the opening, the spacer contacting sidewalls of the opening.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
forming a first plug in portions of the opening not occupied by the spacer;
removing the spacer;
performing a second etching operation to remove portions of the trilayer resist and fins underneath portions of opening exposed by removal of spacer, thereby forming trenches;
forming second plugs in the trenches;
removing the first plug;
performing a third etching operation to remove portions of the trilayer resist and fins between the second plugs; and
removing the second plugs and remaining portions of the trilayer resist.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein performing the second etching operation to remove fins underneath the portions of opening exposed by removal of the spacer creates groups of fins on opposing sides of a central group of fins and separated from the central group of fins by the trenches.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein performing the third etching operation to remove fins between the second plugs removes the central group of fins.