# US 12,015,090 B2 · Lightly-doped channel extensions

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- Number: US 12,015,090 B2
- Document ID: US12015090B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/813,975
- Filed: 2022-07-21
- Published: 2022-11-10
- Granted: 2024-06-18
- Earliest claimed: 2020-10-27
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Wei-Jen Lai; Wei-Yuan Lu; Chih-Hao Yu; Chia-Pin Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015090B2

## CPC

- H10D 30/6757: {characterised by the structure of the channel, e.g. transverse or longitudinal shape or doping profile (TFTs having channel structures for preventing kink or snapback effects H10D30/6708; TFTs having lightly-doped source or drain extensions H10D30/6715)}
- H10D 30/026: {having laterally-coplanar source and drain regions, a gate at the sides of the bulk channel, and both horizontal and vertical current flow (of LDMOS H10D30/0289)}
- H10D 30/031: {of thin-film transistors [TFT]}
- H10D 30/501: {FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels}
- H10D 30/6715: {characterised by the doping profiles, e.g. having lightly-doped source or drain extensions}
- H10D 30/6735: {having gates fully surrounding the channels, e.g. gate-all-around}
- 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 62/121: {oriented parallel to substrates}
- 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 64/018: {Spacers formed inside holes at the prospective gate locations, e.g. holes left by removing dummy gates}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- H10D 30/0195: {forming inner spacers between adjacent channels, e.g. changing their shapes or sizes}
- H10D 30/508: {characterised by the relative sizes, shapes or dispositions of the inner spacers}
- H10D 30/6741: {Group IV materials, e.g. germanium or silicon carbide (TFTs having oxide semiconductors H10D30/6755)}
- 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 62/832: being Group IV materials comprising two or more elements, e.g. SiGe
- H10D 62/834: further characterised by the dopants
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. A semiconductor structure according to the present disclosure includes a first channel member and a second channel member disposed over the first channel member, a first channel extension feature coupled to the first channel member, a second channel extension feature coupled to the second channel member, and an inner spacer feature disposed between the first channel extension feature and the second channel extension feature.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a plurality of nanostructures disposed over a substrate;
a plurality of channel extension features, each of the plurality of channel extension features being in direct contact with an end surface of one of the plurality of nanostructures;
a source/drain feature disposed over the substrate and in direct contact with the plurality of channel extension features;
a plurality of inner spacer features interleaving the plurality of nanostructures; and
a bottom epitaxial feature sandwiched between the substrate and the source/drain feature,
wherein the plurality of channel extension features and the bottom epitaxial feature are of a same composition,
wherein the plurality of inner spacer features are in direct contact with the plurality of nanostructures.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise silicon germanium,
wherein the plurality of channel extension features comprise silicon and a p-type dopant,
wherein the plurality of channel extension features are substantially free of germanium.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise silicon,
wherein the plurality of channel extension features comprise silicon and an n-type dopant.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of nanostructures extend lengthwise along a direction,
wherein the plurality of channel extension features are sandwiched between the source/drain feature and the plurality of nanostructures along the direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor structure of claim 4, further comprising:
a gate structure wrapping around each of the plurality of nanostructures,
wherein the plurality of nanostructures comprise a channel length along the direction,
wherein the gate structure comprises a gate length along the direction,
wherein the channel length is greater than the gate length.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor structure of claim 5, further comprising:
a top spacer over the plurality of nanostructures and extending along a sidewall of the gate structure,
wherein the top spacer comprises a first thickness along the direction,
wherein each of the plurality of channel extension features comprises a second thickness along the direction,
wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein the second thickness is between about 2 nm and about 6 nm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the source/drain feature comprises:
a first epitaxial layer in contact with the plurality of channel extension features and the bottom epitaxial feature; and
a second epitaxial layer spaced apart from the plurality of channel extension features and the bottom epitaxial feature by the first epitaxial layer.

### Claim 9

A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a substrate;
a first source/drain feature and a second source/drain feature disposed over the substrate;
a plurality of channel members extending between the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature along a direction;
a first plurality of channel extension features disposed between the first source/drain feature and the plurality of channel members along the direction; and
a first plurality of inner spacer features interleaving and in contact with the first plurality of channel extension features as well as the plurality of channel members.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor structure of claim 9, further comprising:
a bottom epitaxial feature sandwiched between the substrate and the first source/drain feature as well as between the substrate and the second source/drain feature,
wherein the first plurality of channel extension features and the bottom epitaxial feature are of a same composition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor structure of claim 10,
wherein the plurality of channel members comprise silicon germanium,
wherein the first plurality of channel extension features comprise silicon and a p-type dopant,
wherein the first plurality of channel extension features are substantially free of germanium,
wherein the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature comprise silicon germanium and the p-type dopant.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor structure of claim 10,
wherein the plurality of channel members comprise silicon,
wherein the first plurality of channel extension features comprise silicon and an n-type dopant,
wherein the first source/drain feature and the second source/drain feature comprise silicon and an n-type dopant.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The semiconductor structure of claim 9, further comprising:
a gate structure wrapping around each of the plurality of channel members; and
a top spacer over the plurality of channel members and extending along a sidewall of the gate structure.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The semiconductor structure of claim 13,
wherein the top spacer comprises a first thickness along the direction,
wherein each of the first plurality of channel extension features comprises a second thickness along the direction,
wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The semiconductor structure of claim 14, wherein the second thickness is between about 2 nm and about 6 nm.

### Claim 16

A method, comprising:
receiving a workpiece comprising:
a substrate, and
a fin-shaped structure over the substrate and comprising a channel region and a source/drain region adjacent the channel region, wherein the fin-shaped structure comprises a plurality of channel layers interleaved by a plurality of sacrificial layers;
forming a dummy gate stack over the channel region;
recessing the source/drain region to form a source/drain trench that exposes portions of the substrate, sidewalls of the plurality of channel layers and the plurality of sacrificial layers;
selectively and partially recessing the plurality of sacrificial layers to form a plurality of inner spacer recesses;
forming a plurality of inner spacer features in the plurality of inner spacer recesses;
after the forming of the plurality of inner spacer features, selectively trimming the plurality of channel layers to form end surfaces;
selectively depositing a semiconductor layer on the end surfaces and the exposed portions of the substrate to form channel extension features in contact with the end surfaces and bottom epitaxial features on the portions of the substrate;
after the selectively depositing, forming a source/drain feature in the source/drain trench to be in contact with the channel extension features; and
after the forming of the source/drain feature, replacing the dummy gate stack with a gate structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the replacing of the dummy gate stack comprises:
removing the dummy gate stack;
selectively removing the plurality of sacrificial layers in the channel region to release the plurality of channel layers in the channel region as a plurality of channel members; and
forming the gate structure to wrap around each of the plurality of channel members.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises silicon and a p-type dopant.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the channel extension features are in contact with the plurality of inner spacer features.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of inner spacer features comprise silicon oxide, silicon oxycarbonitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, carbon-rich silicon carbonitride, aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, tantalum oxide, yttrium oxide, titanium oxide, or lanthanum oxide.