18423648. DIELECTRIC PROTECTION LAYER IN MIDDLE-OF-LINE INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE MANUFACTURING METHOD simplified abstract (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.)

DIELECTRIC PROTECTION LAYER IN MIDDLE-OF-LINE INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE MANUFACTURING METHOD

Organization Name

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Inventor(s)

Kuan-Da Huang of Hsinchu County (TW)

Hao-Heng Liu of Hsinchu City (TW)

Li-Te Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

DIELECTRIC PROTECTION LAYER IN MIDDLE-OF-LINE INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE MANUFACTURING METHOD - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18423648 titled 'DIELECTRIC PROTECTION LAYER IN MIDDLE-OF-LINE INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE MANUFACTURING METHOD

Simplified Explanation

The present disclosure describes an integrated chip with a unique gate capping layer design for improved performance and efficiency.

• The integrated chip includes a gate electrode over a substrate, with source/drain regions on either side of the gate electrode.
• A dielectric layer and an etch stop layer are also present, with a gate capping layer covering the gate electrode and extending from the etch stop layer to the top surface of the gate electrode.
• The gate capping layer has a curved sidewall over the etch stop layer, and a conductive contact overlies each individual source/drain region.
• The width of the conductive contact decreases continuously from the top surface to a point above the gate capping layer, following the curved sidewall of the gate capping layer.

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in the semiconductor industry for the development of advanced integrated circuits with improved performance and efficiency.

Problems Solved

1. Enhanced performance and efficiency of integrated chips. 2. Improved contact design for source/drain regions.

Benefits

1. Increased functionality of integrated chips. 2. Better electrical contact between components. 3. Enhanced overall performance of semiconductor devices.

Potential Commercial Applications

"Advanced Gate Capping Layer Design for Integrated Chips: Improving Performance and Efficiency"

Possible Prior Art

There may be prior art related to gate capping layer designs in integrated circuits, but specific information is not provided in this abstract.

Unanswered Questions

How does the curved sidewall design of the gate capping layer impact the overall performance of the integrated chip?

The abstract mentions a curved sidewall design for the gate capping layer, but it does not elaborate on the specific effects or benefits of this design feature.

What are the specific materials used in the conductive contact and gate capping layer, and how do they contribute to the overall functionality of the integrated chip?

The abstract provides a general overview of the components involved, but it does not delve into the materials or their specific roles in the performance of the integrated chip.

Original Abstract Submitted

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip including a gate electrode over a substrate. A pair of source/drain regions are disposed in the substrate on opposing sides of the gate electrode. A dielectric layer is over the substrate. An etch stop layer is between the gate electrode and the dielectric layer. A gate capping layer overlies the gate electrode, continuously extends from a top surface of the etch stop layer to a top surface of the gate electrode, and comprises a curved sidewall over the top surface of the etch stop layer. A conductive contact overlies an individual source/drain region. A width of the conductive contact continuously decreases from a top surface of the conductive contact to a first point disposed above a lower surface of the gate capping layer. The conductive contact extends along the curved sidewall of the gate capping layer.