COBALT FILL FOR GATE STRUCTURES

Organization Name

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.

Inventor(s)

COBALT FILL FOR GATE STRUCTURES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18674066 titled 'COBALT FILL FOR GATE STRUCTURES

Simplified Explanation: The patent application describes a method for forming a gate structure in a semiconductor device by filling a trench with cobalt using various deposition processes.

An interlayer dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate.
A trench is created in the interlayer dielectric layer, exposing the semiconductor substrate's surface.
An interfacial layer is formed at the bottom of the trench.
A dielectric layer is deposited within the trench.
A work function metal layer is added on top of the dielectric layer.
An in-situ nitride layer is formed on the work function metal layer.
Cobalt is deposited in two stages to fill the trench.
An electrochemical plating process is used to complete the filling of the trench with cobalt.

Key Features and Innovation:

Formation of a gate structure using cobalt filling in a trench.
Sequential deposition processes for cobalt layer formation.
Use of in-situ nitride layer for improved performance.
Electrochemical plating for efficient filling of the trench.

Potential Applications:

Semiconductor manufacturing.
Integrated circuit fabrication.
Memory device production.

Problems Solved:

Enhancing gate structure formation.
Improving conductivity in semiconductor devices.
Increasing efficiency of trench filling processes.

Benefits:

Enhanced performance of semiconductor devices.
Improved reliability of gate structures.
Cost-effective manufacturing processes.

Commercial Applications: The technology can be applied in the production of advanced semiconductor devices, leading to improved performance and reliability in various electronic applications.

Questions about Gate Structure Formation: 1. How does the use of cobalt in gate structure formation improve device performance? 2. What are the advantages of the in-situ nitride layer in this process?

Frequently Updated Research: Ongoing research focuses on optimizing the deposition processes and materials used in gate structure formation to further enhance semiconductor device performance.

Original Abstract Submitted

A method for forming a gate structure includes forming a trench within an interlayer dielectric layer (ILD) that is disposed on a semiconductor substrate, the trench exposing a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, forming an interfacial layer at a bottom of the trench, forming a dielectric layer within the trench, forming a work function metal layer on the dielectric layer, forming an in-situ nitride layer on the work function metal layer in the trench, performing a first cobalt deposition process to form a cobalt layer within the trench, performing a second cobalt deposition process to increase a thickness of the cobalt layer within the trench, and performing an electrochemical plating (ECP) process to fill the trench with cobalt.