# US 11,443,093 B2 · Semiconductor device

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- Number: US 11,443,093 B2
- Document ID: US11443093B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/557,054
- Filed: 2019-08-30
- Published: 2020-06-25
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-05-26
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Yu-Jen Chen; Ling-Sung Wang; I-Shan Huang; Chan-yu Hung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443093B2

## CPC

- G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
- G03F 1/36: Masks having proximity correction features; Preparation thereof, e.g. optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes
- G03F 1/70: Adapting basic layout or design of masks to lithographic process requirements, e.g., second iteration correction of mask patterns for imaging
- G06F 30/39: Circuit design at the physical level (physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347)
- G06F 30/398: Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] (optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36)
- H10D 64/01326: {Aspects related to lithography, isolation or planarisation of the conductor}
- H10D 64/519: {characterised by their top-view geometrical layouts}
- H10D 84/834: {comprising FinFETs}
- H10D 84/85: Complementary IGFETs, e.g. CMOS
- H10D 89/10: Integrated device layouts
- G03F 1/30: Alternating PSM, e.g. Levenson-Shibuya PSM; Preparation thereof
- G03F 1/32: Attenuating PSM [att-PSM], e.g. halftone PSM or PSM having semi-transparent phase shift portion,; Preparation thereof
- G03F 7/2002: {with visible light or UV light, through an original having an opaque pattern on a transparent support, e.g. film printing, projection printing; by reflection of visible or UV light from an original such as a printed image}
- G03F 7/2037: {Exposure with X-ray radiation or corpuscular radiation, through a mask with a pattern opaque to that radiation}
- G06F 2111/20: Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules
- G06F 2119/18: Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability
- H10B 10/12: {comprising a MOSFET load element}
- H10D 84/0135: {Manufacturing their gate conductors}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/0172: {Manufacturing their gate conductors}
- H10D 84/0193: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10D 84/853: {comprising FinFETs}
- H10P 76/2041: {Photolithographic processes}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

The semiconductor structure includes first and second active regions arranged in a first grid oriented in a first direction. The semiconductor structure further includes gate electrodes arranged spaced apart in a second grid and on corresponding ones of the active regions, the second grid being oriented in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The first and second active regions are separated, relative to the second direction, by a gap. Each gate electrode includes a first segment and a gate extension. Each gate extension extends, relative to the second direction, beyond the corresponding active region and into the gap by a height HEXT, where HEXT≤150 nanometers (nm). Each gate extension, relative to a plane defined by the first and second directions, is substantially rectangular.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor structure comprising:
first and second active regions arranged, wherein each of the first and second active regions has a long axis extending in a first direction;
gate electrodes arranged spaced apart and on corresponding ones of the active regions, wherein each of the gate electrodes has a long axis extending in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
wherein:
the first and second active regions are separated, relative to the second direction, by a gap;
each gate electrode includes a first segment and a gate extension;
each gate extension extends, relative to the second direction, beyond the corresponding active region and into the gap by a height HEXT, where HEXT≤150 nanometers (nm); and
each gate extension, relative to a plane defined by the first and second directions, is substantially rectangular; and
a conductive element having a long axis extending in the first direction, wherein the conductive element is between a gate extension of a first gate electrode of the gate electrodes and a gate extension of a second gate electrode of the gate electrodes, an entirety of the conductive element is beyond the corresponding active region, and a width of the conductive element the first direction increases as a distance from the gate extension increases along an entirety of the conductive element in the second direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein:
the height HEXT is HEXT≤100 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein:
for each gate extension, a width in the first direction, WE, relates to the height HEXT in the second direction such that the width WE is greater than or equal to about HEXT, as follows:
HEXT≤WE.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein:
each first segment extends, relative to the second direction, beyond the corresponding active region to a side of the corresponding active region opposite the gap.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein:
the conductive element has a trapezoidal shape.

### Claim 6

A semiconductor structure comprising:
a first active region extending in a first direction;
a second active region extending in the first direction, wherein the first active region is separated from the second active region in a second direction, and the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
a first gate structure extending in the second direction, wherein the first gate structure comprises a first gate electrode and a first gate extension, the first gate electrode extends over the first active region, the first gate extension extends beyond a boundary of the first active region, in a top view, toward the second active region, and the first gate extension comprises a substantially rectangular first portion;
a second gate structure extending in the second direction, wherein the second gate structure comprises a second gate electrode and a second gate extension, the second gate electrode extends over the second active region, the second gate extension extends beyond a boundary of the second active region, in a top view, toward the first active region, the second gate extension is substantially rectangular, and the first gate electrode is aligned with the second gate electrode;
a third gate structure extending in the second direction, wherein the third gate structure comprises a third gate electrode and a third gate extension, the third gate electrode extends over the first active region, the first gate extension extends beyond the boundary of the first active region, in a top view, toward the second active region, the third gate extension is substantially rectangular, and the third gate electrode is separated from the first gate electrode in the first direction; and
a conductive element extending in the first direction, wherein the conductive element is between the first gate extension and the second gate extension, an entirety of the conductive element is beyond the first active region, and a width of the conductive element in the first direction increases as a distance from the gate extension increases along an entirety of the conductive element in the second direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein a height of the first gate extension in the second direction beyond the boundary of the first active region is less than or equal to 150 nanometers (nm).

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein the conductive element is integral with the first gate extension,
the first portion having a first width in the first direction,
the conductive element has a second width distal from the first active region, and the second width greater than the first width.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the first width is substantially equal to a width of the first gate electrode in the first direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the first portion is between the conductive element and the first gate electrode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the conductive element has trapezoidal shape.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the conductive element has a rounded corner.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor structure of claim 8, wherein the second width increases in a uniform manner as a distance from the first gate electrode increases.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein a width of the first gate extension in the first direction is substantially equal to a width of the first gate electrode in the first direction along an entirety of the first gate extension.

### Claim 15

A semiconductor structure comprising:
a first active region extending in a first direction;
a second active region extending in the first direction, wherein the first active region is separated from the second active region in a second direction, and the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
a first gate structure extending in the second direction, wherein the first gate structure comprises a first gate electrode, a first gate extension and a rear side extension, the first gate electrode extends over the first active region, the first gate extension extends beyond a boundary of the first active region, in a top view, toward the second active region, the rear side extension extends beyond the first active region on a side opposite the second active region, an entirety of the rear side extension has a same width as the first gate electrode in the first direction, and the first gate extension comprises:
a first portion having a first width in the first direction, and
a second portion having a second width in the first direction, wherein the second width is different from the first width, an entirety of the second portion is beyond the first active region, and the second width in the first direction increases as a distance from the gate extension increases along an entirety of the second portion in the second direction; and
a second gate structure extending in the second direction, wherein the second gate structure comprises a second gate electrode and a second gate extension, the second gate electrode extends over the second active region, the second gate extension extends beyond a boundary of the second active region, in a top view, toward the first active region, and the second gate extension comprises:
a third portion having the first width in the first direction, and
a fourth portion having the second width in the second direction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein sidewalls of the first portion are aligned with sidewalls of the third portion.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the second portion has a trapezoidal shape.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the second portion has a rounded corner.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein the first portion is substantially rectangular, and the second portion is non-rectangular.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor structure of claim 15, wherein sidewalls of the first portion are aligned with sidewalls of the first gate electrode.