Gate Contact Over Active Enabled by Alternative Spacer Scheme and Claw-Shaped Cap
First Claim
1. A method for forming a gate contact over active device, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a device comprising metal gates over an active area of a wafer, and source and drains on opposite sides of the gates offset from the gates by gate spacers;
recessing the metal gates and the gate spacers;
forming etch-selective spacers on top of the recessed gate spacers;
forming gate caps on top of the recessed metal gates in between the etch-selective spacers;
forming source and drain contacts on the source and drains;
forming source and drain caps on top of the source and drain contacts, wherein the etch-selective spacers are present between the gate caps and the source and drain caps and provide etch selectivity to both the gate caps and the source and drain caps; and
forming a metal gate contact that extends through a given one of the gate caps, wherein the etch-selective spacers prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Gate contact over active layout designs are provided. In one aspect, a method for forming a gate contact over active device includes: forming a device including metal gates over an active area of a wafer, and source/drains on opposite sides of the metal gates offset by gate spacers; recessing the metal gates/gate spacers; forming etch-selective spacers on top of the recessed gate spacers; forming gate caps on top of the recessed metal gates; forming source/drain contacts on the source/drains; forming source/drain caps on top of the source/drain contacts, wherein the etch-selective spacers provide etch selectivity to the gate caps and source/drain caps; and forming a metal gate contact that extends through one of the gate caps, wherein the etch-selective spacers prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact. Alternate etch-selective configurations are also provided including a claw-shaped source/drain cap design. A gate contact over active device is also provided.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method for forming a gate contact over active device, the method comprising the steps of:
-
forming a device comprising metal gates over an active area of a wafer, and source and drains on opposite sides of the gates offset from the gates by gate spacers; recessing the metal gates and the gate spacers; forming etch-selective spacers on top of the recessed gate spacers; forming gate caps on top of the recessed metal gates in between the etch-selective spacers; forming source and drain contacts on the source and drains; forming source and drain caps on top of the source and drain contacts, wherein the etch-selective spacers are present between the gate caps and the source and drain caps and provide etch selectivity to both the gate caps and the source and drain caps; and forming a metal gate contact that extends through a given one of the gate caps, wherein the etch-selective spacers prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for forming a gate contact over active device, the method comprising the steps of:
-
forming a device comprising metal gates over an active area of a wafer, and source and drains on opposite sides of the gates offset from the metal gates by gate spacers; recessing the metal gates; forming gate caps on top of the recessed metal gates; recessing the gate spacers selective to the gate caps; forming etch-selective spacers on top of the recessed gate spacers alongside the gate caps; forming source and drain contacts on the source and drains; forming source and drain caps on top of the source and drain contacts, wherein the etch-selective spacers are present between the gate caps and the source and drain caps and provide etch selectivity to both the gate caps and the source and drain caps; and forming a metal gate contact that extends through one of the gate caps, wherein the etch-selective spacers prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for forming a gate contact over active device, the method comprising the steps of:
-
forming a device comprising metal gates over an active area of a wafer, and source and drains on opposite sides of the gates offset from the gates by gate spacers; recessing the gate spacers selective to the metal gates; forming first source and drain cap components on top of the recessed gate spacers; recessing the metal gates selective to the first source and drain cap component; forming gate caps on top of the recessed metal gates; forming source and drain contacts on the source and drains in between the first source and drain cap components, recessing the source and drain contacts; forming second source and drain cap components on top of the recessed source and drain contacts, wherein the first source and drain cap components together with the second source and drain cap components comprise claw-shaped caps over the recessed source and drain contacts; and forming a metal gate contact that extends through one of the gate caps, wherein the claw-shaped caps over the recessed source and drain contacts prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact. - View Dependent Claims (17)
-
-
18. A gate contact over active device, comprising:
-
metal gates over an active area of a wafer; source and drains on opposite sides of the metal gates offset from the metal gates by gate spacers; gate caps on top of the metal gates; an etch-selective material on top of the gate spacers alongside the gate caps which provides etch selectivity to the gate caps; source and drain contacts on the source and drains; source and drain caps on top of the source and drain contacts; and a metal gate contact that extends through a given one of the gate caps, wherein the etch-selective spacers prevent gate-to-source drain shorting by the metal gate contact. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification