Patents by Inventor Hsiu-Hao Tsao
Hsiu-Hao Tsao 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).
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Patent number: 11961919Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate, where a top portion of the fin comprises a layer stack that includes alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a dummy gate structure over the fin; forming openings in the fin on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure; forming source/drain regions in the openings; removing the dummy gate structure to expose the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material under the dummy gate structure; performing a first etching process to selectively remove the exposed first semiconductor material, where after the first etching process, the exposed second semiconductor material form nanostructures, where each of the nanostructures has a first shape; and after the first etching process, performing a second etching process to reshape each of the nanostructures into a second shape different from the first shape.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2022Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Cheng-Chung Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Shun-Hui Yang, Chen-Huang Huang, An Chyi Wei, Ryan Chia-Jen Chen
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Publication number: 20230361191Abstract: Some implementations described herein provide techniques and semiconductor devices in which a dielectric region is included in a nanostructure transistor. The dielectric region, which may correspond to an air gap, may be located between dielectric spacer layers located along a sidewall of a metal gate structure. Techniques to form the dielectric region may include using a temporary spacer layer between the dielectric spacer layers during manufacturing of the nanostructure transistor. The temporary spacer layer may include a silicon germanium material having a reaction mechanism that allows the temporary spacer layer to be selectively removed without causing damage to the dielectric spacer layers, the metal gate structure, or other portions of the nanostructure transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2022Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Hsu Ming HSIAO, Hsiu-Hao TSAO, Ming-Jhe SIE
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Publication number: 20230268427Abstract: A method, for making a semiconductor device, includes forming a first fin over a substrate. The method includes forming a dummy gate stack on the first fin. The method includes forming a first gate spacer along a side of the dummy gate stack. The first gate spacer includes a first dielectric material. The method includes forming a second gate spacer along a side of the first gate spacer. The second gate spacer includes a semiconductor material. The method includes forming a source/drain region in the first fin adjacent the second gate spacer. The method includes removing at least a portion of the second gate spacer to form a void extending between the first gate spacer and the source/drain region.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hsu Ming Hsiao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Hong Pin Lin, Che-fu Chen, An Chyi Wei, Yi-Jen Chen
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Patent number: 11735651Abstract: A method includes forming a fin on a substrate, forming an insulating material over the fin, recessing the insulating material to form an isolation region surrounding the fin, wherein an upper portion of the fin protrudes above the isolation region, performing a trimming process to reduce a width of the upper portion of the fin, and forming a gate structure extending over the isolation region and the upper portion of the fin.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Chung-Shu Wu, Ying-Ya Hsu, Ching-Yu Pan, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, An Chyi Wei, Yuan-Hung Chiu
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Publication number: 20230187288Abstract: A method includes forming an active region on a substrate, forming a sacrificial gate stack engaging the active region, measuring a gate length of the sacrificial gate stack at a height lower than a top surface of the active region, selecting an etching recipe based on the measured gate length of the sacrificial gate stack, etching the sacrificial gate stack with the etching recipe to form a gate trench, and forming a metal gate stack in the gate trench.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 6, 2023Publication date: June 15, 2023Inventors: Chang-Jhih Syu, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Yu-Jiun Peng
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Publication number: 20230187535Abstract: Semiconductor structures and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The method for manufacturing the semiconductor structure includes forming a fin structure protruding from a substrate, and the fin structure includes first semiconductor material layers and second semiconductor material layers alternately stacked. The method also includes forming a dummy gate structure across the fin structure and forming a gate spacer on a sidewall of the dummy gate structure. The method also includes partially oxidizing the gate spacer to form an oxide layer and removing the oxide layer to form a modified gate spacer. The method also includes removing the first semiconductor material layers to form gaps and forming a gate structure in the gaps to wrap around the second semiconductor material layers and over the second semiconductor material layers to cover the modified gate spacer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2022Publication date: June 15, 2023Inventors: Yu-Jiun Peng, Hsuan-Chih Wu, Cheng-Chung Chang, Shu-Han Chen, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Min-Chia Lee, Kai-Min Chien, Ming-Chang Wen, Kuo-Feng Yu, Chang-Jhih Syu
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Patent number: 11664444Abstract: A method, for making a semiconductor device, includes forming a first fin over a substrate. The method includes forming a dummy gate stack on the first fin. The method includes forming a first gate spacer along a side of the dummy gate stack. The first gate spacer includes a first dielectric material. The method includes forming a second gate spacer along a side of the first gate spacer. The second gate spacer includes a semiconductor material. The method includes forming a source/drain region in the first fin adjacent the second gate spacer. The method includes removing at least a portion of the second gate spacer to form a void extending between the first gate spacer and the source/drain region.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hsu Ming Hsiao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Hong Pin Lin, Che-Fu Chen, An Chyi Wei, Yi-Jen Chen
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Publication number: 20230080290Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes providing a semiconductor substrate. Alternating layers of a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer are formed. The first semiconductor layer is formed of a first semiconductor material, the second semiconductor layer formed of a second semiconductor material different from the first semiconductor material. The alternating layers of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer are patterned to form stacks of the alternating layers and to expose lateral edges of the alternating layers in the stacks. Under etch conditions, the lateral edges of the alternating layers in the stacks are exposed to etchant to selectively etch recesses in the lateral edges of the first semiconductor layer such that a size of the recesses is substantially uniform.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2021Publication date: March 16, 2023Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Chung-Shu Wu, Tze-Chung Lin, Shih-Chiang Chen, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Chun-Hung Lee
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Patent number: 11574846Abstract: A method of controlling gate formation of a semiconductor device includes acquiring a correlation between gate critical dimensions (CDs) and etching recipes for forming gate trenches; measuring a gate CD on a target wafer; determining an etching recipe based on the correction and the measured gate CD; and performing an etching process on the target wafer to form a gate trench with the determined etching recipe.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2020Date of Patent: February 7, 2023Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.Inventors: Chang-Jhih Syu, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Yu-Jiun Peng
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Publication number: 20220359735Abstract: A method includes forming a fin on a substrate, forming an insulating material over the fin, recessing the insulating material to form an isolation region surrounding the fin, wherein an upper portion of the fin protrudes above the isolation region, performing a trimming process to reduce a width of the upper portion of the fin, and forming a gate structure extending over the isolation region and the upper portion of the fin.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2022Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Chung-Shu Wu, Ying-Ya Hsu, Ching-Yu Pan, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, An Chyi Wei, Yuan-Hung Chiu
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Publication number: 20220351975Abstract: In an embodiment, a structure includes: a semiconductor substrate; a gate spacer over the semiconductor substrate, the gate spacer having an upper portion and a lower portion, a first width of the upper portion decreasing continually in a first direction extending away from a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second width of the lower portion being constant along the first direction; a gate stack extending along a first sidewall of the gate spacer and the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and an epitaxial source/drain region adjacent a second sidewall of the gate spacer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2022Publication date: November 3, 2022Inventors: Yu-Jiun Peng, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Shu-Han Chen, Chang-Jhih Syu, Kuo-Feng Yu, Jian-Hao Chen, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang
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Publication number: 20220336639Abstract: A method of fabricating a device includes providing a fin having an epitaxial layer stack with a plurality of semiconductor channel layers interposed by a plurality of dummy layers. In some embodiments, the method further includes exposing lateral surfaces of the plurality of semiconductor channel layers and the plurality of dummy layers within a source/drain region of the semiconductor device. In some examples, the method further includes etching the exposed lateral surfaces of the plurality of dummy layers to form recesses and forming an inner spacer within each of the recesses, where the inner spacer includes a sidewall profile having a convex shape. In some cases, and after forming the inner spacer, the method further includes performing a sheet trim process to tune the sidewall profile of the inner spacer such that the convex shape of the sidewall profile becomes a substantially vertical sidewall surface after the sheet trim process.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2021Publication date: October 20, 2022Inventors: Chien-Chih LIN, Hsiu-Hao TSAO, Szu-Chi YANG, Shih-Hao LIN, Yu-Jiun PENG, Chang-Jhih SYU, An Chyi WEI
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Patent number: 11437498Abstract: A method includes forming a fin on a substrate, forming an insulating material over the fin, recessing the insulating material to form an isolation region surrounding the fin, wherein an upper portion of the fin protrudes above the isolation region, performing a trimming process to reduce a width of the upper portion of the fin, and forming a gate structure extending over the isolation region and the upper portion of the fin.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Chung-Shu Wu, Ying-Ya Hsu, Ching-Yu Pan, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, An Chyi Wei, Yuan-Hung Chiu
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Patent number: 11398384Abstract: In an embodiment, a structure includes: a semiconductor substrate; a gate spacer over the semiconductor substrate, the gate spacer having an upper portion and a lower portion, a first width of the upper portion decreasing continually in a first direction extending away from a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second width of the lower portion being constant along the first direction; a gate stack extending along a first sidewall of the gate spacer and the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and an epitaxial source/drain region adjacent a second sidewall of the gate spacer.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 2020Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Yu-Jiun Peng, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Shu-Han Chen, Chang-Jhih Syu, Kuo-Feng Yu, Jian-Hao Chen, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang
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Publication number: 20220209023Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate, where a top portion of the fin comprises a layer stack that includes alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a dummy gate structure over the fin; forming openings in the fin on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure; forming source/drain regions in the openings; removing the dummy gate structure to expose the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material under the dummy gate structure; performing a first etching process to selectively remove the exposed first semiconductor material, where after the first etching process, the exposed second semiconductor material form nanostructures, where each of the nanostructures has a first shape; and after the first etching process, performing a second etching process to reshape each of the nanostructures into a second shape different from the first shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2022Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Cheng-Chung Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Shun-Hui Yang, Chen-Huang Huang, An Chyi Wei, Ryan Chia-Jen Chen
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Patent number: 11282967Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate, where a top portion of the fin comprises a layer stack that includes alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a dummy gate structure over the fin; forming openings in the fin on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure; forming source/drain regions in the openings; removing the dummy gate structure to expose the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material under the dummy gate structure; performing a first etching process to selectively remove the exposed first semiconductor material, where after the first etching process, the exposed second semiconductor material form nanostructures, where each of the nanostructures has a first shape; and after the first etching process, performing a second etching process to reshape each of the nanostructures into a second shape different from the first shape.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2020Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Cheng-Chung Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Shun-Hui Yang, Chen-Huang Huang, An Chyi Wei, Ryan Chia-Jen Chen
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Publication number: 20210376114Abstract: A method, for making a semiconductor device, includes forming a first fin over a substrate. The method includes forming a dummy gate stack on the first fin. The method includes forming a first gate spacer along a side of the dummy gate stack. The first gate spacer includes a first dielectric material. The method includes forming a second gate spacer along a side of the first gate spacer. The second gate spacer includes a semiconductor material. The method includes forming a source/drain region in the first fin adjacent the second gate spacer. The method includes removing at least a portion of the second gate spacer to form a void extending between the first gate spacer and the source/drain region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2021Publication date: December 2, 2021Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hsu Ming Hsiao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Hong Pin Lin, Che-fu Chen, An Chyi Wei, Yi-Jen Chen
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Publication number: 20210249271Abstract: In an embodiment, a structure includes: a semiconductor substrate; a gate spacer over the semiconductor substrate, the gate spacer having an upper portion and a lower portion, a first width of the upper portion decreasing continually in a first direction extending away from a top surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second width of the lower portion being constant along the first direction; a gate stack extending along a first sidewall of the gate spacer and the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and an epitaxial source/drain region adjacent a second sidewall of the gate spacer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 11, 2020Publication date: August 12, 2021Inventors: Yu-Jiun Peng, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Shu-Han Chen, Chang-Jhih Syu, Kuo-Feng Yu, Jian-Hao Chen, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang
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Publication number: 20210202756Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate, where a top portion of the fin comprises a layer stack that includes alternating layers of a first semiconductor material and a second semiconductor material; forming a dummy gate structure over the fin; forming openings in the fin on opposing sides of the dummy gate structure; forming source/drain regions in the openings; removing the dummy gate structure to expose the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material under the dummy gate structure; performing a first etching process to selectively remove the exposed first semiconductor material, where after the first etching process, the exposed second semiconductor material form nanostructures, where each of the nanostructures has a first shape; and after the first etching process, performing a second etching process to reshape each of the nanostructures into a second shape different from the first shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2020Publication date: July 1, 2021Inventors: Cheng-Chung Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Ming-Jhe Sie, Shun-Hui Yang, Chen-Huang Huang, An Chyi Wei, Ryan Chia-Jen Chen
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Publication number: 20210183713Abstract: A method of controlling gate formation of a semiconductor device includes acquiring a correlation between gate critical dimensions (CDs) and etching recipes for forming gate trenches; measuring a gate CD on a target wafer; determining an etching recipe based on the correction and the measured gate CD; and performing an etching process on the target wafer to form a gate trench with the determined etching recipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Inventors: Chang-Jhih Syu, Chih-Hao Yu, Chang-Yun Chang, Hsiu-Hao Tsao, Yu-Jiun Peng