# US 12,002,717 B2 · Semiconductor device and method

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- Number: US 12,002,717 B2
- Document ID: US12002717B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/068,075
- Filed: 2022-12-19
- Published: 2023-04-20
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-14
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shahaji B. More
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002717B2

## CPC

- H10D 84/017: {Manufacturing their source or drain regions, e.g. silicided source or drain regions}
- H10D 30/797: {being in source or drain regions, e.g. SiGe source or drain}
- H10D 62/116: {adjoining the input or output regions of field-effect devices, e.g. adjoining source or drain regions}
- H10D 62/151: {of IGFETs (of IGFETs having LDD or DDD structure H10D30/601; of thin film transistors H10D30/6713)}
- H10D 84/013: {Manufacturing their source or drain regions, e.g. silicided source or drain regions}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/0184: {Manufacturing their gate sidewall spacers}
- H10D 84/0188: {Manufacturing their isolation regions}
- H10D 84/0193: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10D 84/8312: {the IGFETs characterised by having different source or drain region structures, e.g. IGFETs having symmetrical source or drain regions integrated with IGFETs having asymmetrical source or drain regions}
- H10D 84/853: {comprising FinFETs}
- H10B 10/18: {Peripheral circuit regions}
- H10D 30/43: having one-dimensional [1D] charge carrier gas channels, e.g. quantum wire FETs or transistors having 1D quantum-confined channels
- H10D 62/121: {oriented parallel to substrates}
- H10D 62/822: comprising only Group IV materials heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge heterojunctions
- H10D 64/017: {using dummy gates in processes wherein at least parts of the final gates are self-aligned to the dummy gates, i.e. replacement gate processes}
- H10D 64/021: {using multiple gate spacer layers, e.g. bilayered sidewall spacers}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

An embodiment device includes: first fins protruding from an isolation region; second fins protruding from the isolation region; a first fin spacer on a first sidewall of one of the first fins, the first fin spacer disposed on the isolation region, the first fin spacer having a first spacer height; a second fin spacer on a second sidewall of one of the second fins, the second fin spacer disposed on the isolation region, the second fin spacer having a second spacer height, the first spacer height greater than the second spacer height; a first epitaxial source/drain region on the first fin spacer and in the first fins, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a first width; and a second epitaxial source/drain region on the second fin spacer and in the second fins, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a second width, the first width greater than the second width.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
forming a first fin and a second fin protruding from an isolation region;
depositing a first dielectric layer on the first fin;
depositing a second dielectric layer on the second fin;
patterning the first dielectric layer to form first fin spacers adjacent the first fin and on the isolation region, the first fin spacers having a first spacer height;
patterning the second dielectric layer to form second fin spacers adjacent the second fin and on the isolation region, the second fin spacers having a second spacer height, the first spacer height being greater than the second spacer height;
growing a first epitaxial source/drain region in the first fin and on the first fin spacers, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a first width, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a convex top surface;
growing a second epitaxial source/drain region in the second fin and on the second fin spacers, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a second width, the first width being less than the second width, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a concave top surface; and
depositing a dielectric material on the convex top surface of the first epitaxial source/drain region and on the concave top surface of the second epitaxial source/drain region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first epitaxial source/drain region is grown in the first fin without merging, the second fin is one of a plurality of second fins protruding from the isolation region, and the second epitaxial source/drain region is grown in each of the second fins.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first epitaxial source/drain region comprises p-type dopants and the second epitaxial source/drain region comprises n-type dopants.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the patterning the first dielectric layer and the growing the first epitaxial source/drain region are performed while masking the second dielectric layer and the second fin, and wherein the patterning the second dielectric layer and the growing the second epitaxial source/drain region are performed while masking the first dielectric layer and the first fin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the patterning the first dielectric layer and the growing the first epitaxial source/drain region are performed before the patterning the second dielectric layer and the growing the second epitaxial source/drain region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the first spacer height to the second spacer height is in a range of 1 to 2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the convex top surface of the first epitaxial source/drain region is recessed below a first top surface of the first fin, and the concave top surface of the second epitaxial source/drain region is recessed below a second top surface of the second fin.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
forming a first source/drain contact extending through the dielectric material, the first source/drain contact coupled to the first epitaxial source/drain region; and
forming a second source/drain contact extending through the dielectric material, the second source/drain contact coupled to the second epitaxial source/drain region.

### Claim 9

A device comprising:
a first fin extending from a substrate;
a second fin extending from the substrate;
a first fin spacer on a first sidewall of the first fin, the first fin spacer having a first spacer height;
a second fin spacer on a second sidewall of the second fin, the second fin spacer having a second spacer height, the first spacer height being greater than the second spacer height;
a first epitaxial source/drain region on the first fin spacer and in the first fin, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a first width, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a convex top surface; and
a second epitaxial source/drain region on the second fin spacer and in the second fin, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a second width, the first width being greater than the second width, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a concave top surface, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a same number of semiconductor material layers as the second epitaxial source/drain region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the convex top surface of the first epitaxial source/drain region is raised a first raised height above a first top surface of the first fin, the concave top surface of the second epitaxial source/drain region is raised a second raised height above a second top surface of the second fin, and the first raised height is greater than the second raised height.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein a ratio of the first raised height to the second raised height is in a range of 1.5 to 2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9 further comprising:
a third fin extending from the substrate;
a fourth fin extending from the substrate;
a third fin spacer on a third sidewall of the third fin, the third fin spacer having a third spacer height;
a fourth fin spacer on a fourth sidewall of the fourth fin, the fourth fin spacer having a fourth spacer height, the third spacer height being greater than the fourth spacer height;
a third epitaxial source/drain region on the third fin spacer and in the third fin, the third epitaxial source/drain region having a third width, the third epitaxial source/drain region having a convex top surface; and
a fourth epitaxial source/drain region on the fourth fin spacer and in the fourth fin, the fourth epitaxial source/drain region having a fourth width, the fourth width being greater than the third width, the fourth epitaxial source/drain region having a concave top surface, the third epitaxial source/drain region having a same number of semiconductor material layers as the fourth epitaxial source/drain region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the fourth spacer height is greater than the first spacer height.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the first epitaxial source/drain region comprises p-type dopants and the second epitaxial source/drain region comprises n-type dopants.

### Claim 15

A device comprising:
a first fin extending from a substrate;
a second fin extending from the substrate;
a first epitaxial source/drain region in the first fin, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a first width, the first epitaxial source/drain region having a convex top surface, the convex top surface raised above a first top surface of the first fin;
a second epitaxial source/drain region in the second fin, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a second width, the first width being greater than the second width, the second epitaxial source/drain region having a concave top surface, the concave top surface raised above a second top surface of the second fin;
first fin spacers on first sidewalls of the first epitaxial source/drain region and the first fin, the first fin spacers having a first spacer height; and
second fin spacers on second sidewalls of the second epitaxial source/drain region and the second fin, the second fin spacers having a second spacer height, the first spacer height being greater than the second spacer height.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the convex top surface of the first epitaxial source/drain region is raised a first raised height above the first top surface of the first fin, the concave top surface of the second epitaxial source/drain region is raised a second raised height above the second top surface of the second fin, and the first raised height is greater than the second raised height.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15 further comprising:
a third fin extending from the substrate;
a fourth fin extending from the substrate;
a third epitaxial source/drain region in the third fin, the third epitaxial source/drain region having a third width, the third epitaxial source/drain region having a convex top surface;
a fourth epitaxial source/drain region in the fourth fin, the fourth epitaxial source/drain region having a fourth width, the fourth width being greater than the third width, the fourth epitaxial source/drain region having a concave top surface;
third fin spacers on third sidewalls of the third epitaxial source/drain region and the third fin, the third fin spacers having a third spacer height; and
fourth fin spacers on fourth sidewalls of the fourth epitaxial source/drain region and the fourth fin, the fourth fin spacers having a fourth spacer height, the third spacer height being greater than the fourth spacer height.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein the fourth spacer height is greater than the first spacer height.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the first epitaxial source/drain region comprises p-type dopants and the second epitaxial source/drain region comprises n-type dopants.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein the first fin spacers comprise inner fin spacers and outer fin spacers, the inner fin spacers and the outer fin spacers having different heights.