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US 6,204,542 B1Granted
Field effect transistor with improved driving capability
AssigneeKawasaki Steel Corporation
InventorsEita Kinoshita, Yoshitaka Kimura, Shigeo Iida
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The gate width of a field effect transistor is increased to a value greater than a size of an active region by forming an inclined portion of a gate electrode. As a result, the current driving capability of a field effect transistor is increased without degrading the integration density. The driving capability of the transistor can be further effectively increased by forming an expanded portion of the active region at a location corresponding to the inclined portion of the gate electrode thereby reducing the resistance of the diffusion layer.
Claims36
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an isolation region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- an active region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the isolation region, the active region having a perimeter and including a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion and an inclined portion between the main electrode portion and the contact portion, the main electrode portion and the inclined portion being disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially on the isolation region, the inclined portion having an edge and being inclined relative to the main electrode portion, the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode and a boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°,
- wherein the expanded portion of the active region increases a distance from the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode to the perimeter of the active region.
2 more elements
A method of forming a semiconductor device which provides increased driving capability, comprising the steps of:
- forming an active region surrounded by an isolation region in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the active region having a perimeter and including a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- and
- forming a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion and an inclined portion between the main electrode portion and the contact portion, the main electrode portion and the inclined portion being disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially over the isolation region, the inclined portion having an edge and being inclined relative to the main electrode portion, the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode and a boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°,
- wherein the expanded portion of the active region increases a distance from the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode to the perimeter of the active region.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an active region having a perimeter formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the active region comprising a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- and
- a gate electrode comprising an inclined portion having an edge, the inclined portion being disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the edge of the inclined portion and a boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°,
- wherein the expanded portion of the active region increases a distance from the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode to the perimeter of the active region.
2 more elements
A method of forming a semiconductor device which provides increased driving capability, comprising the steps of:
- forming an active region having a perimeter in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the active region comprising a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- forming a gate electrode comprising an inclined portion having an edge, the inclined portion disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the edge of the inclined portion and a boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°;
- wherein the expanded portion of the active region increases a distance from the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode to the perimeter of the active region.
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an active region formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the active region comprising a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- and
- a gate electrode comprising an inclined portion having an edge, the inclined portion disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode and the boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°;
- wherein the active region comprises a channel region below the inclined portion of the gate electrode and a diffusion region on a side of the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode, and wherein
- the diffusion region expands to the expanded portion of the active region so that a resistance of the diffusion region to the channel region is substantially decreased.
3 more elements
A method of forming a semiconductor device which provides increased driving capability, comprising the steps of:
- forming an active region in a surface of a semiconductor substrate, the active region comprising a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to a part of the main edge of the main portion;
- forming a gate electrode comprising an inclined portion having an edge, the inclined portion disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region so that a channel region is formed in the active region below the inclined portion of the gate electrode, the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode and the boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°;
- and
- forming a diffusion region in the active region on a side of the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode, the diffusion region expanding to the expanded portion of the active region so that a resistance of the diffusion region to the channel region is substantially decreased.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an isolation region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- an active region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the isolation region;
- a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion having a contact area for forming a contact to the gate electrode, and a connecting portion for connecting the contact portion to the main electrode portion, the main electrode portion and the connecting portion being disposed at least partially over the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially on the isolation region, the connecting portion being inclined relative to the main electrode portion,
- wherein the active region includes contact areas for forming contacts to the active region on both sides of the main electrode portion of the gate electrode, the contact areas of the active region are aligned in a first direction with a first space;
- and
- one of the contact areas of the active region and the contact area of the gate electrode are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second space.
4 more elements
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an isolation region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- an active region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the isolation region, the active region having a perimeter and comprising a main portion having a substantially straight main edge and an expanded portion attached to the main edge of the main portion;
- a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion having a contact area for forming a contact to the gate electrode, and a connecting portion for connecting the contact portion to the main electrode portion, the main electrode portion and the connecting portion being disposed at least partially over the main portion of the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially over the isolation region, the connecting portion having an edge, the connecting portion being inclined relative to the main portion, the edge of the connecting portion of the gate electrode and a boundary between the main portion and the expanded portion of the active region making a first angle that is substantially less than 90°,
- wherein the active region has contact areas for forming contacts to the active region on both sides of the main electrode portion of the gate electrode, the contact areas of the active region are aligned in a first direction with a first space;
- one of the contact areas of the active region and the contact area of the gate electrode are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second space;
- and
- the expanded portion of the active region increases a distance from the edge of the inclined portion of the gate electrode to a perimeter of the active region.
5 more elements
A method of designing the layout of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
- placing an active region surrounded by an isolation region;
- and
- placing a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion having a contact area for forming a contact to the gate electrode, and a connecting portion for connecting the contact portion to the main electrode portion, the main electrode portion and the connecting portion being disposed at least partially over the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially over the isolation region, the connecting portion being inclined relative to the main electrode portion,
- wherein the active region has contact areas for forming contacts to the active region on both sides of the main electrode portion of the gate electrode, the contact areas of the active region are aligned in a first direction with a first space;
- and
- one of the contact areas of the active region and the contact area of the gate electrode are aligned in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second space.
3 more elements
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising an array of basic cells arranged in a first and a second direction that are perpendicular with each other, each of the basic cells comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate having a surface;
- an isolation region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate;
- an active region in the surface of the semiconductor substrate surrounded by the isolation region;
- a gate electrode including a main electrode portion, a contact portion having a contact area for forming a contact to the gate electrode, and a connecting portion for connecting the contact portion to the main electrode portion, the main electrode portion and the connecting portion being disposed at least partially over the active region, the contact portion being disposed at least partially over the isolation region, the connecting portion being inclined relative to the main electrode portion,
- wherein the active region has contact areas for forming contacts to the active region on both sides of the main electrode portion of the gate electrode, the contact areas of the active region are aligned in the first direction with a first space;
- and
- one of the contact areas of the active region and the contact area of the gate electrode are aligned in the second direction with a second space.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.