# US 12,114,473 B2 · Three-port SRAM cell and layout method

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- Number: US 12,114,473 B2
- Document ID: US12114473B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/828,123
- Filed: 2022-05-31
- Published: 2023-11-30
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-05-31
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Jhon-Jhy Liaw
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114473B2

## CPC

- H10B 10/12: {comprising a MOSFET load element}
- H10B 10/18: {Peripheral circuit regions}
- G11C 11/412: using field-effect transistors only
- G11C 11/413: Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing, timing or power reduction
- G11C 11/419: Read-write [R-W] circuits
- G11C 7/12: Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
- G11C 8/08: Word line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, for word lines
- G11C 8/16: Multiple access memory array, e.g. addressing one storage element via at least two independent addressing line groups
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

Semiconductor devices are provided. A write port circuit is configured to perform a write function according to the write word line and the first and second write bit lines. The first read port circuit is configured to perform first read function according to the first read bit line and the first read word line. The second read port circuit is configured to perform second read function according to the second read bit line and the second read word line. The transistors of the first and second read port circuits share a first active structure extending in the first direction. The first read bit line and the second read bit line extend in the first direction in a first metallization layer, and the first write bit line and the second write bit line extend in the first direction in a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a three-port memory cell, comprising:
a write port circuit configured to perform a write function according to a write word line, a first write bit line and a second write bit line;
a first read port circuit comprising a first read pass-gate transistor and a first read pull-down transistor connected in series, and configured to perform a first read function according to a first read bit line and a first read word line; and
a second read port circuit comprising a second read pass-gate transistor and a second read pull-down transistor connected in series and configured to perform a second read function according to a second read bit line and a second read word line,
wherein the first and second read pass-gate transistors and the first and second read pull-down transistors share a first active structure extending in a first direction,
wherein the first read bit line and the second read bit line extend in the first direction in a first metallization layer over the first active structure, and the first write bit line and the second write bit line extend in the first direction in a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer,
wherein the write word line extends in a second direction in a third metallization layer, and the first read word line and the second read word line extend in the second direction in a fourth metallization layer,
wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the third and fourth metallization layers are different from the first and second metallization layers,
wherein the first metallization layer is the lowest metallization layer, the third metallization layer is formed between the first and second metallization layers, and the second metallization layer is formed between the third and fourth metallization layers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a first VSS conductor extending in the first direction in the first metallization layer,
wherein the first VSS conductor is adjacent the second read bit line,
wherein the second read bit line is disposed between the first VSS conductor and the first read bit line or the first VSS conductor is disposed between the first and second read bit lines.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a second VSS conductor extending in the first direction in the second metallization layer,
wherein the second VSS conductor is disposed between the first and second write bit lines, and the first and second write bit lines are wider than the second VSS conductor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the three-port memory cell further comprises:
a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a third gate structure and a fourth gate structure extending in the second direction,
wherein the first, second, third and fourth gate structures form channel regions of the first read pass-gate transistor, the first read pull-down transistor, the second read pull-down transistor, and the second read pass-gate transistor, respectively,
wherein the second and third gate structures are disposed between the first and fourth gate structures.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first, second, third and fourth gate structures have a gate pitch, and a cell height of the three-port memory cell in the first direction is the same as 4 times the gate pitch.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the write port circuit comprises:
a first write pull-up transistor and a first write pull-down transistor connected in series; and
a second write pull-up transistor and a second write pull-down transistor connected in series,
wherein the first and second write pull-up transistors share a second active structure extending in the first direction, and the first and second write pull-down transistors share a third active structure extending in the first direction,
wherein the third active structure is disposed between the first and second active structures.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first write pull-up transistor, the first write pull-down transistor and the first read pull-down transistor share a first gate structure extending in the second direction, and the second write pull-up transistor, the second write pull-down transistor and the second read pull-down transistor share a second gate structure extending in the second direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the write port circuit further comprises:
a first write pass-gate transistor and a second write pass-gate transistor,
wherein the first and second write pass-gate transistors share the third active structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein a channel width or fin number of the first and second write pull-up transistors is less than that of the first and second write pull-down transistors and the first and second read pull-down transistors.

### Claim 10

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a three-port memory cell, comprising:
a write port circuit configured to perform a write function according to a write word line, a first write bit line and a second write bit line, and comprising:
a first write pass-gate transistor and a first write pull-up transistor coupled in series between a supply voltage and the first write bit line; and
a second write pass-gate transistor and a second write pull-up transistor coupled in series between the supply voltage and the second write bit line;
a first read port circuit comprising a first read pass-gate transistor and a first read pull-down transistor connected in series between a ground and a first read bit line, and configured to perform a first read function according to a first read word line;
a second read port circuit comprising a second read pass-gate transistor and a second read pull-down transistor connected in series between the ground and a second read bit line, and configured to perform a second read function according to a second read word line; and
a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a third gate structure and a fourth gate structure extending in a second direction,
wherein the first and second read pass-gate transistors and the first and second read pull-down transistors share a first active structure extending in a first direction, the first and second write pass-gate transistors share a second active structure extending in the first direction, and the first and second write pull-up transistors share a third active structure extending in the first direction, and the second active structure is disposed between the first and third active structures,
wherein the first read bit line and the second read bit line extend in the first direction in a first metallization layer over the first active structure, and the first write bit line and the second write bit line extend in the first direction in a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer,
wherein the first, second, third and fourth gate structures form channel regions of the first read pass-gate transistor, the first read pull-down transistor, the second read pull-down transistor, and the second read pass-gate transistor, respectively,
wherein the first write pull-up transistor and the first read pull-down transistor share the second gate structure, and the second write pull-up transistor and the second read pull-down transistor share the third gate structure.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the write word line extends in the second direction in a third metallization layer, and the first read word line and the second read word line extend in the second direction in a fourth metallization layer, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the third and fourth metallization layers are different from the first and second metallization layers.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first metallization layer is the lowest metallization layer, the third metallization layer is formed between the first and second metallization layers, and the second metallization layer is formed between the third and fourth metallization layers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first, second, third and fourth gate structures have a gate pitch, and a cell height of the three-port memory cell in the first direction is the same as 4 times the gate pitch.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the write port circuit further comprises:
a first write pull-down transistor and a second write pull-down transistor,
wherein the first and second write pull-down transistors and the first and second write pass-gate transistors share the second active structure,
wherein the first write pull-up transistor, the first write pull-down transistor and the first read pull-down transistor share the second gate structure, and the second write pull-up transistor, the second write pull-down transistor and the second read pull-down transistor share the third gate structure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second read port circuit further comprises:
a first source/drain contact of the second read pass-gate transistor; and
a first via electrically connecting the first source/drain contact to the second read bit line.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:
a first VSS conductor extending in the first direction in the first metallization layer,
wherein the first VSS conductor is adjacent the second read bit line,
wherein the second read bit line is disposed between the first VSS conductor and the first read bit line.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the three-port memory cell further comprises:
a second source/drain contact shared by the first write pull-down transistor and the first read pull-down transistor; and
a second via electrically connecting the second source/drain contact to the first VSS conductor.

### Claim 18

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a three-port memory cell, wherein the three-port memory cell comprises:
a write port circuit;
a first read port circuit comprising a first read pass-gate transistor and a first read pull-down transistor connected in series; and
a second read port circuit comprising a second read pass-gate transistor and a second read pull-down transistor connected in series,
wherein the first and second read pass-gate transistors and the first and second read pull-down transistors share a first active structure extending in a first direction;
forming a first read bit line and a second read bit line that extend in the first direction in a first metallization layer over the first active structure;
forming a write word line that extends in a second direction in a second metallization layer over the first metallization layer;
forming a first write bit line and a second write bit line that extend in the first direction in a third metallization layer over the second metallization layer;
forming a first read word line and a second read word line that extend in the second direction in a fourth metallization layer over the third metallization layer; and
forming a first VSS conductor that extends in the first direction in the first metallization layer,
wherein the first VSS conductor is adjacent the second read bit line,
wherein the second read bit line is disposed between the first VSS conductor and the first read bit line or the first VSS conductor is disposed between the first and second read bit lines,
wherein the write port circuit is configured to perform a write function according to the write word line, the first write bit line and the second write bit line,
wherein the first read port circuit is configured to perform a first read function according to the first read bit line and the first read word line, and the second read port circuit is configured to perform a second read function according to the second read bit line and the second read word line.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:
forming a second VSS conductor that extends in the first direction in the third metallization layer,
wherein the second VSS conductor is disposed between the first and second write bit lines, and the first and second write bit lines are wider than the second VSS conductor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the three-port memory cell further comprises:
a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a third gate structure and a fourth gate structure extending in the second direction,
wherein the first, second, third and fourth gate structures form channel regions of the first read pass-gate transistor, the first read pull-down transistor, the second read pull-down transistor, and the second read pass-gate transistor, respectively,
wherein the second and third gate structures are disposed between the first and fourth gate structures.