Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd. (20240120388). TUNABLE STRUCTURE PROFILE simplified abstract

TUNABLE STRUCTURE PROFILE

Organization Name

taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company, ltd.

Inventor(s)

Li-Wei Yin of Hsinchu (TW)

Tzu-Wen Pan of Hsinchu (TW)

Yu-Hsien Lin of Kaohsiung (TW)

Jih-Sheng Yang of Hsinchu (TW)

Shih-Chieh Chao of Taichung (TW)

Chia Ming Liang of Taipei (TW)

Yih-Ann Lin of Hsinchu (TW)

Ryan Chia-Jen Chen of Hsinchu (TW)

TUNABLE STRUCTURE PROFILE - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240120388 titled 'TUNABLE STRUCTURE PROFILE

Simplified Explanation

The patent application describes a method for forming structures with sloping surfaces of a desired profile by etching a gate material to create a recessed surface with horns and a valley, depositing an etch-retarding layer, and performing a second etch process to establish the desired profile.

• Differential etching of gate material to create recessed surface with horns and valley
• Deposition of etch-retarding layer with varying thickness over the recessed surface
• Second etch process to recess the horns and establish desired profile

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in the manufacturing of microelectronics, MEMS devices, and nanostructures where precise control over surface profiles is required.

Problems Solved

This technology solves the problem of forming structures with sloping surfaces of a desired profile with high precision and repeatability.

Benefits

The benefits of this technology include improved control over surface profiles, increased efficiency in manufacturing processes, and the ability to create complex structures with ease.

Potential Commercial Applications

One potential commercial application of this technology could be in the semiconductor industry for the fabrication of advanced integrated circuits with intricate features.

Possible Prior Art

Prior art may include similar methods for forming structures with sloping surfaces, such as techniques involving sacrificial layers and selective etching processes.

How does this method compare to existing techniques for forming structures with sloping surfaces?

This article does not provide a direct comparison to existing techniques, so it is unclear how this method differs or improves upon current practices.

What are the limitations of this method in terms of scalability and cost-effectiveness?

The article does not address the scalability or cost-effectiveness of implementing this method on a larger scale, leaving questions about its practicality for mass production.

Original Abstract Submitted

provided are structures and methods for forming structures with sloping surfaces of a desired profile. an exemplary method includes performing a first etch process to differentially etch a gate material to a recessed surface, wherein the recessed surface includes a first horn at a first edge, a second horn at a second edge, and a valley located between the first horn and the second horn; depositing an etch-retarding layer over the recessed surface, wherein the etch-retarding layer has a central region over the valley and has edge regions over the horns, and wherein the central region of the etch-retarding layer is thicker than the edge regions of the etch-retarding layer; and performing a second etch process to recess the horns to establish the gate material with a desired profile.