← Back to Patent Explorer
US4992848A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Self-aligned contact technology

Assignee: Nokia Bell Labs
•
Filing: 1990-02-20
•
Granted: 1991-02-12
•
Expires: 2010-02-20
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A new self-aligned contact technology is afforded by semiconductor devices having a digitated electrode and a contiguous conductive region that contact first semiconductor regions and second semiconductor regions, respectively. The first semiconductor regions and the second semiconductor regions are formed in a semiconductor substrate, with each second semiconductor region underlying a finger of the digitated electrode. Advantageously, by forming a contiguous conductive region over the first semiconductor regions located between the fingers of the digitated electrode, it is not only possible to contact second semiconductor regions with a common electrode, but also to self-align the common electrode with the digitated electrode. Ohmic shorting between the digitated electrode and the contiguous conductive region is afforded by interposing an insulating region therebetween. Furthermore, with a single common electrode contacting the second semiconductor regions, it is possible, among other things, to effectively reduce the parasitic capacitances of the semiconductor device as well as achieve dimensional scaling since ohmic contact to the conductive region can be made outside the fingers where physical dimensions are of no limitation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Gen M. Chin
  • 👤 Tzu-Yin Chiu
  • 👤 Te-Yin M. Liu
  • 👤 Alexander M. Voshchenkov

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 17:51
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D10/00; H10D10/01; H10D10/051; H10D64/00; H10D64/01; H10D64/011; H10D64/0111; H10D64/0113; H10P; H10P32/00; H10P32/10; H10P32/14; H10P32/1408; H10P32/1414; H10P32/17; H10P32/171; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/482; H10W20/484

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 108 words
A semiconductor device comprising: first semiconductor regions and second semiconductor regions formed in a semiconductor substrate; a digitated electrode having fingers, each finger disposed over only one of said second semiconductor regions; a contiguous conductive region self-aligned with said digitated electrode, said contiguous conductive region at least disposed over portions of said first semiconductor regions positioned between the fingers of said digitated electrode such that a common electrode is formed to electrically contact said first semiconductor regions; and an insulating region interposed between the fingers of said digitated electrode and said contiguous conductive region, said digitated electrode, contiguous conductive region and insulating region being substantially planar and non-overlapping.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 108 words
A semiconductor device comprising: first semiconductor regions and second semiconductor regions formed in a semiconductor substrate; a digitated electrode having fingers, each finger disposed over only one of said second semiconductor regions; a contiguous conductive region self-aligned with said digitated electrode, said contiguous conductive region at least disposed over portions of said first semiconductor regions positioned between the fingers of said digitated electrode such that a common electrode is formed to electrically contact said first semiconductor regions; and an insulating region interposed between the fingers of said digitated electrode and said contiguous conductive region, said digitated electrode, contiguous conductive region and insulating region being substantially planar and non-overlapping.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 1 wherein said contiguous conductive region is polysilicon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 2 wherein said insulating region is an oxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 3 wherein said second semiconductor regions are formed in the surface of said first semiconductor regions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 4 wherein said first semiconductor regions have a conductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of said second semiconductor regions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 28 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 4 wherein said first semiconductor regions have a conductivity type the same as the conductivity type of said second semiconductor regions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 37 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 5 wherein said semiconductor device is a vertical bipolar transistor wherein said first semiconductor regions correspond to multiple emitter fingers and said second semiconductor regions correspond to a base region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 26 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 1 further comprising first and second silicide layers disposed over said digitated electrode and said contiguous conductive region, respectively.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 24 words
The semiconductor device as defined in claim 8 further comprising first and second metalization layers disposed over said first and second silicide layers, respectively.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4319932A Cited
EP0056571A2 Cited
US4521952A Cited
US4453306A Cited
US4729965A Cited
JPS61156878A Cited
US4748490A Cited
JPS62101071A Cited
US4824796A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1994-02-11 1994-08-13 1995-02-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1998-02-11 1998-08-13 1999-02-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2002-02-11 2002-08-13 2003-02-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag