Patents by Inventor Chun-Hsiung Tsai

Chun-Hsiung Tsai has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11355635
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a first semiconductor fin, a second semiconductor fin, and a first lightly-doped drain (LDD) region. The first semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate. The first semiconductor fin has a top surface and sidewalls. The second semiconductor fin is disposed on the substrate. The first semiconductor fin and the second semiconductor fin are separated from each other at a nanoscale distance. The first lightly-doped drain (LDD) region is disposed at least in the top surface and the sidewalls of the first semiconductor fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Tsai, Kuo-Feng Yu, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Publication number: 20220165624
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a gate structure and a method of forming same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a gate structure over the substrate. The substrate has a first region and a second region. The gate structure extends across an interface between the first region and the second region. The gate structure includes a first gate dielectric layer over the first region, a second gate dielectric layer over the second region, a first work function layer over the first gate dielectric layer, a barrier layer along a sidewall of the first work function layer and above the interface between the first region and the second region, and a second work function layer over the first work function layer, the barrier layer and the second gate dielectric layer. The second work function layer is in physical contact with a top surface of the first work function layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chandrashekhar Prakash Savant, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Patent number: 11342188
    Abstract: A method includes forming a first gate dielectric and a second gate dielectric over a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region, respectively, depositing a lanthanum-containing layer including a first portion and a second portion overlapping the first gate dielectric and the second gate dielectric, respectively, and depositing a hard mask including a first portion and a second portion overlapping the first portion and the second portion of the lanthanum-containing layer, respectively. The hard mask is free from both of titanium and tantalum. The method further includes forming a patterned etching mask to cover the first portion of the hard mask, with the second portion of the hard mask being exposed, removing the second portion of the hard mask and the second portion of the lanthanum-containing layer, and performing an anneal to drive lanthanum in the first portion of the lanthanum-containing layer into the first gate dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Feng Yu, Chun Hsiung Tsai, Jian-Hao Chen, Hoong Shing Wong, Chih-Yu Hsu
  • Publication number: 20220148977
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a conductive feature over the substrate, a dielectric layer over the conductive feature and the substrate, and a structure disposed over and electrically connected to the conductive feature. The structure is partially surrounded by the dielectric layer and includes a first metal-containing layer and a second metal-contain layer surrounded by the first metal-containing layer. The first and the second metal-containing layers include different materials. A lower portion of the first metal-containing layer includes a transition metal or a transition metal nitride and an upper portion of the first metal-containing layer includes a transition metal fluoride or a transition metal chloride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Ru-Shang Hsiao, Chun Hsiung Tsai, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 11329163
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a fin structure is formed. The fin structure includes a stacked layer of first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers disposed over a bottom fin structure, and a hard mask layer over the stacked layer. An isolation insulating layer is formed so that the hard mask layer and the stacked layer are exposed from the isolation insulating layer. A sacrificial cladding layer is formed over at least sidewalls of the exposed hard mask layer and stacked layer. A first dielectric layer is formed, and a second dielectric layer made of a different material than the first dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is recessed, and a third dielectric layer made of a different material than the second dielectric layer is formed on the recessed second dielectric layer, thereby forming a wall fin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Patent number: 11329139
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: providing a substrate comprising a surface; depositing a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer over the substrate; forming a dummy gate electrode over the second dielectric layer; forming a gate spacer surrounding the dummy gate electrode; forming lightly-doped source/drain (LDD) regions in the substrate on two sides of the gate spacer; forming source/drain regions in the respective LDD regions; removing the dummy gate electrode to form a replacement gate; forming an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer over the replacement gate and the source/drain regions; and performing a treatment by introducing a trap-repairing element into at least one of the gate spacer, the second dielectric layer, the surface and the LDD regions at a time before the forming of the source/drain regions or subsequent to the formation of the ILD layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Chun Hsiung Tsai, Kuo-Feng Yu, Yu-Ming Lin, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 11316046
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, an upper fin structure in which first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers are alternately stacked is formed over a lower fin structure, a sacrificial gate structure is formed over the upper fin structure, a source/drain region of the upper fin structure, which is not covered by the sacrificial gate structure, is etched thereby forming a source/drain space, the first semiconductor layers are laterally etched through the source/drain space, an inner spacer made of a dielectric material is formed on an end of each of the etched first semiconductor layers, and a source/drain epitaxial layer is formed in the source/drain space to cover the inner spacer. In etching the source/drain region, a part of the lower fin structure is also etched to form a recess, in which a (111) surface is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Publication number: 20220102482
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a deep trench capacitor (DTC) within the substrate, and an interconnect structure over the DTC and the substrate. The interconnect structure includes a seal ring structure in electrical contact with the substrate, a first conductive via in electrical contact with the DTC, and a first conductive line electrically coupling the seal ring structure to the first conductive via.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Tsai, Shahaji B. More, Yu-Ming Lin, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 11289479
    Abstract: A fin-type field effect transistor comprising a substrate, at least one gate stack and epitaxy material portions is described. The substrate has fins and insulators located between the fins, and the fins include channel portions and flank portions beside the channel portions. The at least one gate stack is disposed over the insulators and over the channel portions of the fins. The epitaxy material portions are disposed over the flank portions of the fins and at two opposite sides of the at least one gate stack. The epitaxy material portions disposed on the flank portions of the fins are separate from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Tsai, Ziwei Fang, Tsan-Chun Wang, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 11276766
    Abstract: A method and structure for doping source and drain (S/D) regions of a PMOS and/or NMOS FinFET device are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes providing a substrate including a fin extending therefrom. In some examples, the fin includes a channel region, source/drain regions disposed adjacent to and on either side of the channel region, a gate structure disposed over the channel region, and a main spacer disposed on sidewalls of the gate structure. In some embodiments, contact openings are formed to provide access to the source/drain regions, where the forming the contact openings may etch a portion of the main spacer. After forming the contact openings, a spacer deposition and etch process may be performed. In some cases, after performing the spacer deposition and etch process, a silicide layer is formed over, and in contact with, the source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun Hsiung Tsai, Cheng-Yi Peng, Yin-Pin Wang, Kuo-Feng Yu, Da-Wen Lin, Jian-Hao Chen, Shahaji B. More
  • Publication number: 20220068650
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a gate dielectric layer is formed over a channel region in a gate space, one or more conductive layers are formed over the gate dielectric layer, a seed layer is formed over the one or more conductive layers, an upper portion of the seed layer is treated by introducing one or more elements selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and fluorine, and a W layer is selectively formed on a lower portion of the seed layer that is not treated to fully fill the gate space with bottom-up filling approach.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Shahaji B. MORE, Chandrashekhar Prakash SAVANT, Chun Hsiung TSAI
  • Patent number: 11264513
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for the fabrication of gate-all-around (GAA) field effect transistors (FETs) with low power consumption. The method includes depositing a first and a second epitaxial layer on a substrate and etching trench openings in the first and second epitaxial layers and the substrate. The method further includes removing, through the trench openings, portions of the first epitaxial layer to form a gap between the second epitaxial layer and the substrate and depositing, through the trench openings, a first dielectric to fill the gap and form an isolation structure. In addition, the method includes depositing a second dielectric in the trench openings to form trench isolation structures and forming a transistor structure on the second epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Patent number: 11251092
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a gate structure and a method of forming same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a gate structure over the substrate. The substrate has a first region and a second region. The gate structure extends across an interface between the first region and the second region. The gate structure includes a first gate dielectric layer over the first region, a second gate dielectric layer over the second region, a first work function layer over the first gate dielectric layer, a barrier layer along a sidewall of the first work function layer and above the interface between the first region and the second region, and a second work function layer over the first work function layer, the barrier layer and the second gate dielectric layer. The second work function layer is in physical contact with a top surface of the first work function layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chandrashekhar Prakash Savant, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Publication number: 20220029024
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a fin structure is formed. The fin structure includes a stacked layer of first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers disposed over a bottom fin structure, and a hard mask layer over the stacked layer. An isolation insulating layer is formed so that the hard mask layer and the stacked layer are exposed from the isolation insulating layer. A sacrificial cladding layer is formed over at least sidewalls of the exposed hard mask layer and stacked layer. A first dielectric layer is formed, and a second dielectric layer made of a different material than the first dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is recessed, and a third dielectric layer made of a different material than the second dielectric layer is formed on the recessed second dielectric layer, thereby forming a wall fin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Shahaji B. MORE, Chun Hsiung TSAI
  • Patent number: 11233140
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including a field effect transistor (FET), a sacrificial region is formed in a substrate, and a trench is formed in the substrate. A part of the sacrificial region is exposed in the trench. A space is formed by at least partially etching the sacrificial region, an isolation insulating layer is formed in the trench and the space, and a gate structure and a source/drain region are formed. An air spacer is formed in the space under the source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chun Hsiung Tsai, Clement Hsingjen Wann, Kuo-Feng Yu, Yi-Tang Lin, Yu-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11232943
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a structure having a substrate, a conductive feature over the substrate, and a dielectric layer over the conductive feature. The method further includes forming a hole in the dielectric layer to expose the conductive feature; forming a first metal-containing layer on sidewalls of the hole; and forming a second metal-containing layer in the hole and surrounded by the first metal-containing layer. The first and the second metal-containing layers include different materials. The method further includes applying a first chemical to recess the dielectric layer, resulting in a top portion of the first and the second metal-containing layers protruding above the dielectric layer; and applying a second chemical having fluorine or chlorine to the top portion of the first metal-containing layer to convert the top portion of the first metal-containing layer into a metal fluoride or a metal chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ru-Shang Hsiao, Chun Hsiung Tsai, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 11227951
    Abstract: A FinFET device and a method of forming the same are disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, a FinFET device includes a substrate having at least one fin, a gate stack across the at least one fin, a strained layer aside the gate stack and a silicide layer over the strained layer. The strained layer has a boron surface concentration greater than about 2E20 atom/cm3 within a depth range of about 0-5 nm from a surface of the strained layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Tsai, Chien-Tai Chan, Ziwei Fang, Kei-Wei Chen, Huai-Tei Yang
  • Publication number: 20210408230
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for the fabrication of gate-all-around (GAA) field effect transistors (FETs) with low power consumption. The method includes depositing a first and a second epitaxial layer on a substrate and etching trench openings in the first and second epitaxial layers and the substrate. The method further includes removing, through the trench openings, portions of the first epitaxial layer to form a gap between the second epitaxial layer and the substrate and depositing, through the trench openings, a first dielectric to fill the gap and form an isolation structure. In addition, the method includes depositing a second dielectric in the trench openings to form trench isolation structures and forming a transistor structure on the second epitaxial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shahaji B. MORE, Chun Hsiung TSAI
  • Publication number: 20210407862
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a gate structure and a method of forming same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a gate structure over the substrate. The substrate has a first region and a second region. The gate structure extends across an interface between the first region and the second region. The gate structure includes a first gate dielectric layer over the first region, a second gate dielectric layer over the second region, a first work function layer over the first gate dielectric layer, a barrier layer along a sidewall of the first work function layer and above the interface between the first region and the second region, and a second work function layer over the first work function layer, the barrier layer and the second gate dielectric layer. The second work function layer is in physical contact with a top surface of the first work function layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Shahaji B. More, Chandrashekhar Prakash Savant, Chun Hsiung Tsai
  • Patent number: 11211492
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a field effect transistor (FET). The FET includes a channel region and a source/drain region disposed adjacent to the channel region. The FET also includes a gate electrode disposed over the channel region. The FET is an n-type FET and the channel region is made of Si. The source/drain region includes an epitaxial layer including Si1-x-yM1xM2y, where M1 is one or more of Ge and Sn, and M2 is one or more of P and As, and 0.01?x?0.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Yi Peng, Carlos H. Diaz, Chun Hsiung Tsai, Yu-Ming Lin