# US 12,002,875 B2 · Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacture

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,002,875 B2
- Document ID: US12002875B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/068,257
- Filed: 2022-12-19
- Published: 2023-04-20
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Wei-Siang Yang; Ming-Hua Yu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002875B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10D 30/797: {being in source or drain regions, e.g. SiGe source or drain}
- H10D 30/019: {of FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels}
- H10D 30/501: {FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels}
- H10D 30/6211: {having fin-shaped semiconductor bodies integral with the bulk semiconductor substrates}
- H10D 62/151: {of IGFETs (of IGFETs having LDD or DDD structure H10D30/601; of thin film transistors H10D30/6713)}
- 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 84/013: {Manufacturing their source or drain regions, e.g. silicided source or drain regions}
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10D 84/83135: {the IGFETs characterised by having different gate conductor materials or different gate conductor implants}
- H10D 84/8314: {the IGFETs characterised by having gate insulating layers with different properties}
- H10D 84/853: {comprising FinFETs}
- H10P 14/24: using chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
- H10P 14/3411: {Silicon, silicon germanium or germanium}
- H10P 14/3442: {N-type}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming semiconductor devices are described herein. A method includes forming a first fin and a second fin in a substrate. A low concentration source/drain region is epitaxially grown over the first fin and over the second fin. The material of the low concentration region has less than 50% by volume of germanium. A high concentration contact landing region is formed over the low concentration regions. The material of the high concentration contact landing region has at least 50% by volume germanium. The high concentration contact landing region has a thickness of at least 1 nm over a top surface of the low concentration source/drain region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprises:
a substrate having a first fin and a second fin;
an isolation region over the substrate between the first fin and the second fin;
a first semiconductor region over the first fin;
a second semiconductor region over the second fin, wherein the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region comprise a first concentration of germanium;
a third semiconductor region over the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region, the third semiconductor region comprises a second concentration of germanium greater than the first concentration, wherein the third semiconductor region separates the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region; and
a source/drain contact, wherein at least a portion of the source/drain contact is in contact with the third semiconductor region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first concentration of germanium is less than 50% by volume germanium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the second concentration of germanium is at less 50% by volume germanium.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein the third semiconductor region comprises an extension region located between sidewalls of the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the third semiconductor region extends under the first semiconductor region on a first side of the first fin, wherein the first side of the first fin faces the second fin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the third semiconductor region has a depth between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region that is in a range between 10 nm and 50 nm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region are separated by a distance in a range between about 0 nm and about 30 nm.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device comprises:
a substrate having a first fin and a second fin;
an isolation region over the substrate between the first fin and the second fin;
a first merged source/drain region over the first fin and the second fin, the first merged source/drain region comprising:
a first epitaxial region over the first fin, the first epitaxial region comprising silicon germanium with a first concentration of germanium;
a second epitaxial region over the second fin, the second epitaxial region comprising silicon germanium with the first concentration of germanium, the first fin being spaced apart from the second fin; and
a contact landing epitaxial region extending continuously over the first epitaxial region and the second epitaxial region, wherein the contact landing epitaxial region has a second concentration of germanium, wherein the second concentration of germanium is greater than the first concentration of germanium; and
a source/drain contact extending into the contact landing epitaxial region, wherein a portion of the contact landing epitaxial region separates the source/drain contact from the first epitaxial region and the second epitaxial region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device of claim 8, further comprising:
a third epitaxial region over the first epitaxial region, the third epitaxial region comprising silicon germanium with a third concentration of germanium that is greater than the first concentration of germanium; and
a fourth epitaxial region over the second epitaxial region, the fourth epitaxial region comprising silicon germanium with the third concentration of germanium, wherein the contact landing epitaxial region is formed over the third epitaxial region and the fourth epitaxial region.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the second concentration of germanium is greater than the third concentration of germanium.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein a first height of the third epitaxial region above the first epitaxial region is in a range between 1 nm and 30 nm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein a second height of contact landing epitaxial region above the third epitaxial region is in a range between 1 nm and 40 nm.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device of claim 12, wherein a third height of the first epitaxial region above the first fin is in a range between 10 nm and 50 nm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein a ratio of the second height to the third height is between 0.1:1 and 3:1.

### Claim 15

A semiconductor device comprises:
a substrate having a first fin and a second fin;
a first merged source/drain region over the first fin and the second fin, the first merged source/drain region comprising:
a first source/drain region over the first fin, wherein the first source/drain region comprises a first semiconductor material having a first concentration of germanium;
a second source/drain region over the second fin, wherein the second source/drain region comprises a second semiconductor material having a second concentration of germanium; and
a contact landing region over the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, the contact landing region comprises a third semiconductor material having a third concentration of germanium, wherein the third concentration of germanium is greater than the first concentration of germanium and the second concentration of germanium, the contact landing region having a first height of at least 1 nm over top surfaces of the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region, wherein the contact landing region separates the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region; and
a source/drain contact, wherein at least a portion of the source/drain contact is in contact with the contact landing region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the first semiconductor material, second semiconductor material, and the third semiconductor material comprise silicon germanium.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the contact landing region extends along a downward facing facet of the first source/drain region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein a depth of the contact landing region along a centerline between the first source/drain region and the second source/drain region is between 10 nm and 50 nm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor device of claim 15, further comprising forming a third source/drain region over the first source/drain region, wherein the third source/drain region comprises a fourth semiconductor material having a fourth concentration of germanium, wherein the fourth concentration of germanium is greater than the first concentration of germanium.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein a ratio of a maximum concentration of germanium in the contact landing region to a maximum concentration of germanium in the third source/drain region is in a range between 1:1 and 2:1.