Measurement of top contact resistance in vertical field-effect transistor devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020295175-A1
Application number	US-201916352328-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2019
Priority date	Mar 13, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Semiconductor device structures and techniques are provided for measuring contact resistance. A semiconductor device is disclosed including a first source/drain region and a contact disposed on the first source/drain region and configured to supply energy to the semiconductor device. A fin extends between the first source/drain region and a second source/drain region of the semiconductor device. A first contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a first active drain contact is disposed on the first contact material layer. A first sensor drain contact is also disposed on the first contact material layer. A second contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a second active drain contact is disposed on the second contact material layer. A third contact material layer is disposed on the second source/drain region and a second sensor drain contact is disposed on the third contact material layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of measuring contact resistance in a semiconductor device comprising:
supplying energy to a contact connected to a first source/drain region of the semiconductor device, the energy flowing through the semiconductor device to at least a first active drain contact and a second active drain contact of the semiconductor device; measuring a first electrical potential associated with the supplied energy using a first sensing device connected to one of a first contact material layer disposed on a second source/drain region of the semiconductor device and a second contact material layer disposed on the second source/drain region, the first active drain contact being disposed on the first contact material layer, and the second active drain contact being disposed on the second contact material layer; determining a first voltage drop between a voltage of the energy flowing to the first active drain contact and the first electrical potential; measuring a second electrical potential associated with the supplied energy using a second sensing device connected to a third contact material layer disposed on the second source/drain region; determining a second voltage drop between the first electrical potential and the second electrical potential; determining a difference between the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop; and determining a resistance of the second source/drain region based on the determined difference between the first voltage drop and the second voltage drop.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contact material layer is different than the second contact material layer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the third contact material layer is different than the first contact material layer and the second contact material layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the third contact material layer is disposed between the first contact material layer and the second contact material layer along a length of the second source/drain region.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third contact materials extend across a plurality of second source/drain regions comprising the second source/drain region and arranged in a plurality of fins.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplying of energy, sensing of the first electrical potential, sensing of the second electrical potential, determining the voltage, and determining the resistance are performed at an intermediate stage of fabrication of the semiconductor device.

7 . A semiconductor device, comprising:
a first source/drain region; a contact disposed on the first source/drain region and configured to supply energy to the semiconductor device; at least one fin extending between the first source/drain region and a second source/drain region of the semiconductor device; a first contact material layer disposed on the second source/drain region; a first active drain contact disposed on the first contact material layer; a first sensor drain contact disposed on the first contact material layer; a second contact material layer disposed on the second source/drain region; a second active drain contact disposed on the second contact material layer; a third contact material layer disposed on the second source/drain region; and a second sensor drain contact disposed on the third contact material layer.

8 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the first contact material layer is different than the second contact material layer.

9 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the third contact material layer is different than the first contact material layer and the second contact material layer.

10 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the third contact material layer is disposed between the first contact material layer and the second contact material layer along a longitudinal length of the second source/drain region.

11 . The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one fin comprises a plurality of fins, each fin having a respective second source/drain region disposed thereon, wherein the first contact material layer, second contact material layer and third contact material layer each extend across the second source/drain regions disposed on the plurality of fins.

12 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the first drain contact is disposed at a first end portion of the first contact material layer proximate to a first of the fins, and wherein the second drain contact is disposed at a first end portion of the second contact material layer proximate to the first of the fins.

13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein a first sensor contact is disposed at a second end portion of the first contact material layer proximate to a second of the fins, and wherein a second sensor contact is disposed at a second end portion of the second contact material layer proximate to the second of the fins.

14 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the sensor drain contact is disposed on the third contact material layer proximate a third of the fins located between the first of the fins and the second of the fins and spaced from first and second end portions of the third contact material layer.

15 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the first drain contact comprises a plurality of contacts each disposed on the first contact material layer proximate to a corresponding one of the plurality of fins, and wherein the second drain contact comprises a plurality of contacts each disposed on the second contact material layer proximate to a corresponding one of the plurality of fins.

16 . The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the first drain contact, second drain contact, and sensor drain contact are disposed on their respective first, second and third contact material layers proximate the same fin of the plurality of fins.

17 . A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:
forming a vertical field effect transistor device comprising a bottom source/drain region, a plurality of fins, and upper source/drain regions disposed on the plurality of fins; forming a first contact material layer across the upper source/drain regions disposed on the plurality of fins of the vertical field effect transistor device; forming a second contact material layer across the upper source/drain regions disposed on the plurality of fins of the vertical field effect transistor device; forming a third contact material layer across the upper source/drain regions disposed on the plurality of fins of the vertical field effect transistor device forming a first active drain contact and a first sensor drain contact on the first contact material layer; forming a second active drain contact on the second contact material layer; and forming a second sensor drain contact on the third contact material layer.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first, second, and third contact material layers are spaced apart along a longitudinal direction of the plurality of fins.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first active drain contact and the first sensor drain contact are formed at opposite end portions of the first contact material layer.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the second sensor drain contact is formed spaced apart from end portions of the third contact material layer.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Liu Zuoguang
• Southwick Iii Richard Glen
• Miao Xin
• Yeung Chun Wing

Classifications

• H10P74/207 Primary

  Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics · CPC title

• H10P74/277

  Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e.g. circuits in tested chips or circuits in testing wafers · CPC title

• H10D84/0128

  Manufacturing their channels · CPC title

• H10D84/038

  using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe · CPC title

• H10D30/6219

  characterised by the source or drain electrodes · CPC title