Fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure and method for forming the same

• US 10,262,870 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chen, Chang-Yin, Chang, Chai-Wei, Liao, Chia-Yang, Young, Bo-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kraig, William F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman, Khatib A
• Application Number:
  US14/942,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20170005165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28008 Making conductor-insulator-semiconductor electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31111 by chemical means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/31144 using masks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/32137 of silicon-containing layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42376 characterised by the length or the sectional shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66545 using a dummy, i.e. replacement gate in a process wherein at least a part of the final gate is self aligned to the dummy gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66795 with a horizontal current flow in a vertical sidewall of a semiconductor body, e.g. FinFET, MuGFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/785 having a channel with a horizontal current flow in a vertical sidewall of a semiconductor body, e.g. FinFET, MuGFET
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7856 with an non-uniform gate, e.g. varying doping structure, shape or composition on different sides of the fin, or different gate insulator thickness or composition on opposing fin sides H01L29/7855 takes precedence

Abstract

A FinFET device structure and method for forming the same are provided. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure includes a fin structure formed over a substrate and a gate structure traversing over the fin structure. The gate structure includes a gate electrode layer which includes an upper portion above the fin structure and a lower portion below the fin structure. The upper portion has a top surface with a first width, the lower portion has a bottom surface with a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width.

Claims

1. A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure, comprising:

a fin structure formed over a substrate;

a gate structure traversing over the fin structure, wherein the gate structure comprises a gate electrode layer which comprises an upper portion above the fin structure, a lower portion below a top surface of the fin structure, and a bottom portion adjacent to an isolation structure, the upper portion has a top surface with a first width, and the lower portion has a bottom surface with a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width, wherein the top surface is planar and extends from one side of the gate structure to an opposite side of the gate;

structure, wherein the bottom portion has a third width greater than the second width, and a spacer adjacent to the gate structure, wherein a surface of the spacer facing away from the gate structure conforms to a shape of a sidewall of the gate structure from a first surface of the spacer facing the substrate to a second surface of the spacer opposite the first surface.

2. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a virtual interface is formed between the upper portion and the lower portion, wherein the virtual interface is substantially level with a top surface of the fin structure.

3. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the gate electrode layer has vertical sidewalls.

4. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the gate electrode layer has a trapezoidal shape.

5. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion of the gate electrode layer has a first height, and the lower portion of the gate electrode layer has a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height.

6. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an isolation structure formed over the substrate, wherein a portion of the gate structure is formed over the isolation structure.

7. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower portion has a tapered width which is gradually tapered from the bottom surface of the lower portion to a top surface of the lower portion.

8. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower portion of the gate electrode layer has sloped sidewalls.

18. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a source/drain region with a larger width than the fin structure underlying the gate structure.

19. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper portion has a bottom surface of the upper portion opposite the top surface of the upper portion, the bottom surface of the upper portion being at least partially exposed by the lower portion.

9. A fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure, comprising:

a fin structure formed over a substrate;

an isolation structure formed over the substrate, wherein a portion of the fin structure is embedded in the isolation structure;

a first gate structure traversing over the fin structure, wherein a portion of the first gate structure is formed over the isolation structure, wherein the first gate structure comprises a first gate electrode layer which comprises an upper portion above the fin structure and a lower portion in physical contact with the isolation structure below a top surface of the fin structure, and a bottom portion adjacent to the isolation structure, the upper portion has a top surface with a first width and vertical sidewalls, and the lower portion has a bottom surface with a second width and sloped sidewalls, the lower portion having a decreasing width as the lower portion extends from where the lower portion is in contact with the substrate;

the first width is greater than the second width, and the bottom portion has a third width greater than the second width; and

a spacer with a first section adjacent to the lower portion of the first gate structure, the first section having a sidewall facing away from the lower portion of the first gate structure, the sidewall facing away from the lower portion of the first gate structure intersecting the isolation structure at an angle less than 90 degrees and greater than zero degrees.

10. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the upper portion of the first gate electrode layer has a first height, and the lower portion of the first gate electrode layer has a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height.

11. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 9, wherein the upper portion has a top surface with a first width, and the lower portion has a bottom surface with a second width, and the first width is greater than the second width.

12. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a second gate structure traversing over the fin structure, wherein a portion of the first gate structure is formed over the isolation structure; and

an inter-layer dielectric layer (ILD) structure formed between the first gate structure and the second gate structure, wherein the ILD structure comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, and the lower portion is wider than the upper portion.

13. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 12, wherein the upper portion of the ILD structure has a constant width, and the lower portion of the ILD structure has a varied width.

14. The fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 13, wherein the lower portion of the ILD structure has sloped sidewalls which are gradually tapered from a top surface of the lower portion to a bottom surface of the lower portion.

15. A method for forming a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure, comprising:

forming a fin structure over a substrate;

forming an isolation structure over the substrate, wherein a portion of the fin structure is embedded in the isolation structure;

forming a gate structure over the fin structure and the isolation structure, wherein the gate structure comprises a gate electrode layer which comprises an upper portion above the fin structure, a lower portion below a top surface of the fin structure, and a bottom portion adjacent to the isolation structure, the upper portion has a top surface with a first width, the lower portion has a bottom surface with a second width, the first width is greater than the second width, and the bottom portion has a third width greater than the second width;

forming a spacer adjacent to the gate structure, wherein the forming the spacer is performed after the forming the gate structure;

forming an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) structure over the substrate and adjacent to the spacer;

removing the gate structure to form a trench in the ILD structure; and

filling a gate dielectric layer and a gate electrode layer in the trench.

16. The method for forming the fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 15, wherein forming the gate structure over the fin structure and the isolation structure comprises:

forming a gate material over the fin structure and the isolation structure;

forming a hard mask layer over the gate material;

patterning the hard mask layer;

etching the gate material by using the hard mask layer as a mask to form the gate structure.

17. The method for forming the fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device structure as claimed in claim 16, wherein etching the gate material comprises using an etching process, and the etching process is performed at a pressure in a range from about 10 torr to about 100 torr.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the lower portion contacts the isolation structure at an angle of other than 90°

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