# US 2014/0191314 A1 · Semiconductor device and fabrication method

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- Number: US 2014/0191314 A1
- Document ID: US20140191314A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/077,495
- Filed: 2013-11-12
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
- Applicants: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
- Inventors: XINPENG WANG; STEVEN ZHANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191314A1

## CPC

- H10D 30/62: Fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]
- H10D 30/024: {of fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]}
- H10D 30/6219: {characterised by the source or drain electrodes}
- 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}
- H10W 20/069: {by forming self-aligned vias or self-aligned contact plugs}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods are provided. A fin can be formed on a semiconductor substrate, a gate can be formed across the fin, and sidewall spacers can be formed across the fin on both sides of the gate. A dummy contact can be formed across the fin and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers. After forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, the dummy contact can be removed to form a contact trench. The dummy contact is made of a material having an etch selectivity sufficiently higher than the fin such that the removing of the dummy contact generates substantially no damage to the fin. A conductive material can be filled in the contact trench to form a trench metal contact.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a fin on the semiconductor substrate, a dummy gate across the fin, and sidewall spacers across the fin on both sides of the dummy gate;
forming a source and a drain by an ion implantation in the semiconductor substrate and in the fin that are on both sides of the sidewall spacers;
forming a dummy contact across the fin and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers, after forming the source and the drain;
forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, after forming the dummy contact;
exposing the dummy gate and the dummy contact in a same polishing process of the interlayer dielectric layer;
removing the dummy gate to form a metal gate across the fin;
removing the dummy contact to form a contact trench, wherein the dummy contact is made of a material having an etch selectivity sufficiently higher than the fin such that the removing of the dummy contact generates substantially no damage to the fin; and
filling a conductive material in the contact trench to form a trench metal contact, wherein the trench metal contact is formed across the fin, connecting to the source or the drain, and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein forming the dummy contact includes:
depositing a dummy contact material to cover the semiconductor substrate, the fin, the gate, and the sidewall spacers; and
etching back the dummy contact material to form the dummy contact across the fin and on the both sides of the sidewall spacers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the dummy contact is made of a material including amorphous carbon, photoresist, or a bottom anti-reflection material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the dummy contact to form the contact trench includes:
forming a patterned mask layer on the interlayer dielectric layer to define a position of the dummy contact;
using the patterned mask layer as an etch mask to remove the dummy contact by a dry etching process to form the contact trench; and
removing the patterned mask layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the dry etching process uses an etching gas in a reaction chamber, the etching gas including N2, H2, SO2, CO, CO2, O2, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the trench metal contact is formed in the contact trench by a process including:
depositing the conductive material to cover the interlayer dielectric layer and to fill the contact trench; and
removing a portion of the conductive material above the interlayer dielectric layer to have a remaining conductive material in the contact trench to form the trench metal contact.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including forming a backing layer on a bottom and a sidewall of the contact trench prior to filling the conductive material in the contact trench.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the backing layer is made of a material including titanium nitride, tantalum nitride, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive material or the trench metal contact includes aluminum, tungsten, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including forming a metal silicide on a bottom of the contact trench and across the fin prior to filling the conductive material in the contact trench.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein removing the dummy gate to form the metal gate includes:
removing the dummy gate to form a groove, prior to removing the dummy contact; and
forming a high-K gate dielectric layer in the groove and the metal gate on the high-K gate dielectric layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the metal gate includes Al, Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Ni, Ti, TiN, TaN, Ta, TaC, TaSiN, W, WN, WSi, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further including forming a gate contact on the metal gate and forming a contact plug on the trench metal contact by a process including:
forming a dielectric layer to cover the interlayer dielectric layer, the metal gate, and the trench metal contact;
forming a patterned mask layer on the dielectric layer to define a position of the metal gate and a position of the trench metal contact;
using the patterned mask layer as an etch mask to etch the dielectric layer to form a contact hole on each of the metal gate and the trench metal contact, wherein the etching of the dielectric layer stops at a surface of the metal gate and the trench metal contact; and
filling a conductive material in the contact hole on the metal gate and on the trench metal contact to form the gate contact and the contract plug.

### Claim 14

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
providing a semiconductor substrate;
forming a fin on the semiconductor substrate, a metal gate across the fin, and sidewall spacers across the fin on both sides of the metal gate;
forming a source and a drain by an ion implantation in the semiconductor substrate and in the fin that are on both sides of the sidewall spacers;
forming a dummy contact across the fin and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers, after forming the source and the drain;
forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, after forming the dummy contact;
removing the dummy contact to form a contact trench, wherein the dummy contact is made of a material having an etch selectivity sufficiently higher than the fin such that the removing of the dummy contact generates substantially no damage to the fin; and
filling a conductive material in the contact trench to form a trench metal contact, wherein the trench metal contact is formed across the fin, connecting to the source or the drain, and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein removing the dummy contact to form the contact trench includes:
forming a patterned mask layer on the interlayer dielectric layer to define a position of the dummy contact;
using the patterned mask layer as an etch mask to remove the dummy contact by a dry etching process to form the contact trench; and
removing the patterned mask layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the dry etching process uses an etching gas in a reaction chamber, the etching gas including N2, H2, SO2, CO, CO2, O2, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further including forming a gate contact on the metal gate and forming a contact plug on the trench metal contact by a process including:
forming a dielectric layer to cover the interlayer dielectric layer, the gate, and the trench metal contact;
forming a patterned mask layer on the dielectric layer to define a position of the metal gate and a position of the trench metal contact;
using the patterned mask layer as an etch mask to etch the dielectric layer to form a contact hole on each of the metal gate and the trench metal contact, wherein the etching of the dielectric layer stops at a surface of the metal gate and the trench metal contact; and
filling a conductive material in the contact hole on the metal gate and on the trench metal contact to form the gate contact and the contract plug.

### Claim 18

A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
a fin disposed on the semiconductor substrate, a gate across the fin, and sidewall spacers across the fin on both sides of the gate;
a source and a drain disposed in the semiconductor substrate and in the fin that are on both sides of the sidewall spacers; and
a trench metal contact formed across the fin, connecting to the source or the drain, and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers, wherein the trench metal contact is formed using a dummy contact by:
forming the dummy contact across the fin and on each of the both sides of the sidewall spacers, after forming the source and the drain;
forming an interlayer dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, after forming the dummy contact;
removing the dummy contact to form a contact trench after forming the interlayer dielectric layer, wherein the dummy contact is made of a material having an etch selectivity sufficiently higher than the fin such that the removing of the dummy contact generates substantially no damage to the fin; and
filling a conductive material in the contact trench to form the trench metal contact.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, further including a backing layer disposed on a bottom and a sidewall of the contact trench, wherein the conductive material is disposed on the backing layer, across the fin, and in the contact trench.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, further including a metal silicide disposed on a bottom of the contact trench and across the fin, wherein the conductive material is disposed on the metal silicide and in the contact trench.