Intel corporation (20240105802). INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING GATE CUT PLUGREMOVED FROM TRENCH CONTACT simplified abstract

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING GATE CUT PLUGREMOVED FROM TRENCH CONTACT

Organization Name

intel corporation

Inventor(s)

Leonard P. Guler of Hillsboro OR (US)

Marie Conte of Hillsboro OR (US)

Charles H. Wallace of Portland OR (US)

Robert Joachim of Beaverton OR (US)

Shengsi Liu of Portland OR (US)

Saurabh Acharya of Hillsboro OR (US)

Nidhi Khandelwal of Portland OR (US)

Kyle T. Horak of Portland OR (US)

Robert Robinson of Beaverton OR (US)

Brandon Peters of Darien IL (US)

INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING GATE CUT PLUGREMOVED FROM TRENCH CONTACT - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240105802 titled 'INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURES HAVING GATE CUT PLUGREMOVED FROM TRENCH CONTACT

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes integrated circuit structures with gate cut plugs removed from trench contacts. Here is a simplified explanation:

• Integrated circuit structure with gate cut plugs removed from trench contacts:

   * Vertical stack of horizontal nanowires
   * Gate electrode over the vertical stack
   * Conductive trench contact adjacent to the gate electrode
   * Dielectric sidewall spacer between the gate electrode and the conductive trench contact
   * Gate cut plug extending through the gate electrode and the dielectric sidewall spacer, partially into the conductive trench contact

Potential Applications

The technology described in the patent application could be applied in:

• Advanced semiconductor devices
• High-performance integrated circuits

Problems Solved

The innovation addresses the following issues:

• Improving contact resistance in integrated circuits
• Enhancing the performance of nanowire-based structures

Benefits

The technology offers the following benefits:

• Increased efficiency in integrated circuit design
• Enhanced electrical connectivity in nanowire configurations

Potential Commercial Applications

The technology could find commercial applications in:

• Semiconductor manufacturing industry
• Electronics and telecommunications sector

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art could be the use of gate cut plugs in semiconductor devices to improve contact resistance. However, the specific method of removing gate cut plugs from trench contacts as described in the patent application may be novel.

How does this technology impact the overall power consumption of integrated circuits?

The article does not delve into the potential effects of this technology on power efficiency in integrated circuits. This aspect could be crucial for assessing the overall performance benefits of the innovation.

What are the potential challenges in scaling up this technology for mass production?

The article does not address the scalability of implementing this technology on a large scale for commercial production. Understanding the challenges involved in scaling up could be essential for practical applications of the innovation.

Original Abstract Submitted

integrated circuit structures having gate cut plugs removed from trench contacts, and methods of fabricating integrated circuit structures having gate cut plugs removed from trench contacts, are described. for example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical stack of horizontal nanowires. a gate electrode is over the vertical stack of horizontal nanowires. a conductive trench contact is adjacent to the gate electrode. a dielectric sidewall spacer is between the gate electrode and the conductive trench contact. a gate cut plug extends through the gate electrode and the dielectric sidewall spacer. the gate cut plug extends into but not entirely through the conductive trench contact.