Gap-filling germanium through selective bottom-up growth
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsDe-Wei Yu, Chien-Hao Chen, Ziwei Fang, Yee-Chia Yeo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method includes depositing a silicon layer on a plurality of strips. The silicon layer is etched back to remove top portions of the silicon layer, and to expose some portions of the plurality of strips. Some bottom portions of the silicon layer at bottoms of trenches between the plurality of strips remain after the etching back. A germanium layer is selectively grown from remaining portions of the silicon layer, and exposed portions of the plurality of strips remain exposed after the germanium layer is selectively grown.
Claims20
A structure comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first protruding feature and a second protruding feature protruding above the substrate, wherein the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature are spaced apart from each other;
- a first silicon region between the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature;
- a first germanium region having a portion over and contacting the first silicon region, wherein the first silicon region and the first germanium region are at a same level as the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature;
- and
- a dielectric layer comprising:
- a first sidewall portion on a sidewall of the first protruding feature, wherein the first sidewall portion is between and contacting the first protruding feature and a combined region, and wherein the combined region comprises the first silicon region and the first germanium region.
A structure comprising:
- a base layer;
- a first fin, a second fin, a third fin, and a fourth fin protruding over a top surface of the base layer;
- a first silicon region;
- a first germanium region over and contacting the first silicon region, wherein the first silicon region and the first germanium region are between the first fin and the second fin;
- a second silicon region between the third fin and the fourth fin;
- a second germanium region over and contacting the second silicon region;
- and
- a silicon layer over and contacting the second germanium region, wherein the silicon layer comprises a portion extending between the third fin and the fourth fin.
A structure comprising:
- a base layer;
- a first protruding feature and a second protruding feature over the base layer, wherein the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature are spaced apart from each other;
- a first silicon region between the first protruding feature and the second protruding feature, wherein the first silicon region comprises:
- a first portion at a first corner formed between a top surface of the base layer and a first sidewall of the first protruding feature;
- and
- a second portion at a second corner formed between the top surface of the base layer and a second sidewall of the second protruding feature, wherein the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from each other in a cross-sectional view of the structure;
- and
- a first germanium region comprising:
- a third portion at the first corner;
- and
- a fourth portion at the second corner, wherein the third portion is separated from the fourth portion in the cross-sectional view of the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.