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US 2019/0165123 A1Published application
Gate etch back with reduced loading effect
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYi-Chen LO, Jung-Hao CHANG, Li-Te LIN, Pinyen LIN
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Abstract
A method includes following steps. First and second gate electrodes are formed over a substrate, with an ILD layer between the first and second gate electrodes. A first etch operation is performed to etch the first and second gate electrodes. A sacrificial layer is formed across the etched first and second gate electrodes and the ILD layer. A second etch operation is performed to etch the sacrificial layer and the etched the first and second gate electrodes.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- forming first and second gate electrodes over a substrate, with an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer between the first and second gate electrodes;
- performing a first etch operation to etch the first and second gate electrodes;
- forming a sacrificial layer across the etched first and second gate electrodes and the ILD layer;
- and
- performing a second etch operation to etch the sacrificial layer and the etched first and second gate electrodes.
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A method, comprising:
- forming a first gate electrode between first gate spacers over a substrate;
- performing a first etch operation to etch the first gate electrode to form a first trench between the first gate spacers;
- forming a chlorine-containing layer in the first trench using a plasma treatment that uses a chlorine-containing gas and a hydrogen-containing gas;
- and
- performing a second etch operation to remove the chlorine-containing layer and to thin down the first gate electrode.
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A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first gate electrode over the substrate, the first gate electrode comprising a first fill metal and a first work function metal layer wrapping around the first fill metal, the first fill metal comprising a first concave top surface;
- and
- a second gate electrode over the substrate and having a second fill metal and a second work function metal layer wrapping around the second fill metal, the second fill metal comprising a second concave top surface narrower than the first concave top surface,
- wherein a height difference between top ends of the first and second work function metal layers is less than a height difference between top ends of the first and second fill metals.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.