Semiconductor test device and manufacturing method thereof

• US 10,670,641 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2017
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Peng, Cheng-Yi, Ho, Chia-Cheng, Lin, Ming-Shiang, Chang, Chih-Sheng, Diaz, Carlos H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Curtis, Sean
• Application Number:
  US15/683,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20190064238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 324421, 324691, 257288, 257347, 257742, 257743, 257744, 257745, 257758, 257E29121, 257E29139, 257E29144, 438 17, 438157, 438213, 438218, 438219, 438199, 438269
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/16 Measuring impedance of element or network through which a current is passing from another source, e.g. cable, power line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633

Abstract

A semiconductor test device for measuring a contact resistance includes: first fin structures, upper portions of the first fin structures protruding from an isolation insulating layer; epitaxial layers formed on the upper portions of the first fin structures, respectively; first conductive layers formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively; a first contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a first point; a second contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a second point apart from the first point; a first pad coupled to the first contact layer via a first wiring; and a second pad coupled to the second contact layer via a second wiring. The semiconductor test device is configured to measure the contact resistance between the first contact layer and the first fin structures by applying a current between the first pad and the second pad.

Claims

1. A semiconductor test device for measuring a contact resistance, comprising:

first fin structures, upper portions of the first fin structures protruding from an isolation insulating layer;

epitaxial layers formed on the upper portions of the first fin structures, respectively;

first conductive layers formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

a first contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a first point;

a second contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a second point apart from the first point;

a first pad coupled to the first contact layer via a first wiring; and

a second pad coupled to the second contact layer via a second wiring,

wherein the semiconductor test device is configured to measure the contact resistance between the first contact layer and the first fin structures by applying a current between the first pad and the second pad,

wherein the first conductive layers fully cover a top and sides of the epitaxial layers, respectively, and are in direct contact with the isolation insulating layer,

wherein the first fin structures include a left-most fin structure and a right-most fin structure, and

wherein a dielectric layer disposed on the isolation insulating layer is in direct contact with a top of upper portions of the left-most fin structure and the right-most fin structure.

2. The semiconductor test device of claim 1, further comprising:

second fin structures disposed adjacent to the first fin structures, upper portions of the second fin structures protruding from the isolation insulating layer, the epitaxial layers being formed on the upper portions of the second fin structures and the first conductive layers being formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

a third contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers of the second fin structure at a third point; and

a third pad coupled to the third contact layer via a third wiring, wherein;

the third pad is electrically connected to the first fin structure at the first point via a substrate.

3. The semiconductor test device of claim 2, wherein the first conductive layers are silicide layers.

4. The semiconductor test device of claim 2, wherein the first and second contact layers are in contact with the isolation insulating layer.

5. The semiconductor test device of claim 4, wherein each of the first conductive layers includes two or more conductive material layers.

6. The semiconductor test device of claim 2, wherein a total number of the first fin structures is at least 10.

7. The semiconductor test device of claim 2, wherein the upper portions of the first fin structures include multiple layers of different semiconductor materials.

8. A method of measuring a contact resistance using a semiconductor test device, the method including:

providing first fin structures, upper portions of the first fin structures protruding from an isolation insulating layer;

providing epitaxial layers formed on the upper portions of the first fin structures, respectively;

providing first conductive layers formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

providing a first contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a first point;

providing a second contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a second point apart from the first point, wherein the first conductive layers fully cover a top and sides of the epitaxial layers, respectively, and are in direct contact with the isolation insulating layer;

providing a first pad coupled to the first contact layer via a first wiring;

providing a second pad coupled to the second contact layer via a second wiring;

applying a current between the first pad and the second pad so that the current flows through the first fin structures;

measuring a voltage between the first pad and bottoms of the first fin structures at the first point; and

calculating the contact resistance between the first contact layer and the first fin structures,

wherein the first fin structures include a left-most fin structure and a right-most fin structure, and

wherein a dielectric layer disposed on the isolation insulating layer is in direct contact with a top of upper portions of the left-most fin structure and the right-most fin structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the semiconductor test device further includes;

second fin structures disposed adjacent to the first fin structures, upper portions of the second fin structures protruding from the isolation insulating layer, the epitaxial layers being formed on the upper portions of the second fin structures and the first conductive layers being formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

a third contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers of the second fin structure at a third point; and

a third pad coupled to the third contact layer via a third wiring,

the third pad is electrically connected to the first fin structure at the first point via a substrate,

no current flows between the first pad and the third pad, and

the voltage is measured between the first pad and the third pad.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first conductive layers are silicide layers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first conductive layers fully wrap around exposed portions of epitaxial layers, respectively.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first conductive layers are in contact with the isolation insulating layer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein a total number of the first fin structures is at least 10.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first conductive layers fully cover a top and sides of the epitaxial layers, respectively.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second contact layers are in contact with the isolation insulating layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of the first conductive layers includes two or more conductive material layers.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the upper portions of the first fin structures include multiple layers of different semiconductor materials.

18. A semiconductor test device for measuring a contact resistance, comprising:

first fin structures, upper portions of the first fin structures protruding from an isolation insulating layer;

epitaxial layers formed on the upper portions of the first fin structures, respectively;

first conductive layers formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

a first contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers at a first point;

a first pad coupled to the first contact layer via a first wiring;

second fin structures disposed adjacent to the first fin structures, upper portions of the second fin structures protruding from the isolation insulating layer, the epitaxial layers being formed on the upper portions of the second fin structures and the first conductive layers being formed on the epitaxial layers, respectively;

a second contact layer disposed on the first conductive layers of the second fin structure at a second point; and

a second pad coupled to the second contact layer via a second wiring,

wherein a third pad is electrically connected to the first fin structure at the first point via a substrate,

wherein the first conductive layers fully cover a top and sides of the epitaxial layers, respectively, and are in direct contact with the isolation insulating layer,

wherein the first fin structures include a left-most fin structure and a right-most fin structure, and

wherein a dielectric layer disposed on the isolation insulating layer is in direct contact with a top of upper portions of the left-most fin structure and the right-most fin structure.

19. The semiconductor test device of claim 18, wherein the first conductive layers are silicide layers.