# US 12,004,341 B2 · Recessed channel fin integration

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- Number: US 12,004,341 B2
- Document ID: US12004341B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/886,917
- Filed: 2022-08-12
- Published: 2024-02-15
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2022-08-12
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Sangmin Hwang; Si-Woo Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12004341B2

## CPC

- H10B 12/36: {the transistor being a FinFET}
- H10B 12/056: {the transistor being a FinFET}
- H10B 12/50: {Peripheral circuit region structures}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

A variety of applications can include apparatus having a recessed channel FinFET. The recessed channel FinFET can include one or more fin structures between the source region and the drain region, where the one or more fin structures are recessed from a top level of the source region and from a top level of the drain region. The recessed channel FinFET can include a gate recessed from the top level of a source region and a drain region, where the gate can be separated from tip regions of the fin structures by a gate dielectric defining a channel between the source region and the drain region. Recessed channel FinFETs can be structured in a periphery to an array of a memory device and can be fabricated in a process merged with forming access lines to the array.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transistor comprising:
a source region located in a substrate;
a drain region located in the substrate;
one or more fin structures between the source region and the drain region, the one or more fin structures recessed from a top level of the source region and from a top level of the drain region, each fin structure of the one or more fin structures having a tip region; and
a gate recessed from the top level of the source region and the top level of the drain region, the gate separated from the tip region of the one or more fin structures by a gate dielectric defining a channel between the source region and the drain region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transistor of claim 1, wherein a top of the gate is at a level within a lower portion of the source region and the drain region.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The transistor of claim 1, wherein a junction of the source region extends to a level under a top of the gate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The transistor of claim 1, wherein a junction of the source region extends to a level above a top of the gate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The transistor of claim 1, wherein the gate includes one or more of titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, polysilicon, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The transistor of claim 1, wherein the gate dielectric includes a dielectric having a dielectric constant greater than 3.9.

### Claim 7

A memory device comprising:
an array of memory cells; and
circuitry for controlling operation of the array, the circuitry structured in a periphery to the array, the circuitry including a transistor having:
a source region located in a substrate;
a drain region located in the substrate;
fin structures between the source region and the drain region, the fin structures recessed from a top level of the source region and from a top level of the drain region, each fin structure of the fin structures having a tip region; and
a gate recessed from the top level of the source region and from the top level of the drain region, the gate separated from the tip regions of the fin structures by a gate dielectric defining a channel between the source region and the drain region.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The memory device of claim 7, wherein a top of the gate is at a level within a lower portion of the source region and the drain region.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The memory device of claim 7, wherein material of the gate has a same composition as material of access lines to the memory cells of the array.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein the gate includes one or more of titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, tungsten, molybdenum, ruthenium, polysilicon, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The memory device of claim 7, wherein material of an interconnection metal to the gate has a same composition as material of digit lines in the array.

### Claim 12

A method comprising:
forming fin structures between a source region and a drain region in a substrate such that the fin structures are recessed from a top level of the source region and from a top level of the drain region, each fin structure of the fin structures having a tip region;
forming a gate recessed from the top level of the source region and the top level of the drain region; and
forming a gate dielectric on the tip regions of the fin structures such that the gate is separated from the fin structures by the gate dielectric, defining a channel between the source region and the drain region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein forming the fin structures includes forming the fin structures in a periphery to a memory array of a memory device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein forming the fin structures includes forming the fin structures while forming access lines for memory cells of the memory array.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein forming the gate includes forming the gate separately from forming gate structures for the memory cells of the memory array.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the method includes forming the fin structures having a depth or shape different from forming access lines for memory cells of the memory array.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the method includes:
forming the gate as a metal gate; and
forming the gate dielectric with dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than 3.9.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein forming the gate includes forming n+ polysilicon or p+ polysilicon.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein forming the gate dielectric on the tip regions of the fin structures includes:
forming a trench to expose the tip regions of the fin structures;
depositing dielectric material by atomic layer deposition on the exposed tip regions; and
adjusting a thickness of the dielectric material to form the gate dielectric.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the method includes forming material for the gate on the gate dielectric and removing portions of the material for the gate such that a top of the gate is at a selected recessed level.