US 12,451,390 B2
Trench filling through reflowing filling material
Wen-Yen Chen, Hsinchu (TW); Li-Ting Wang, Hsinchu (TW); Wan-Chen Hsieh, Hsinchu (TW); Bo-Cyuan Lu, New Taipei (TW); Tai-Chun Huang, Hsinchu (TW); Huicheng Chang, Tainan (TW); and Yee-Chia Yeo, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Mar. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/182,485.
Application 18/182,485 is a continuation of application No. 16/939,718, filed on Jul. 27, 2020, granted, now 11,605,555.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/010,916, filed on Apr. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0215758 A1, Jul. 6, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01L 21/762 (2006.01); H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/764 (2006.01); H01L 21/768 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 21/76224 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02532 (2013.01); H01L 21/764 (2013.01); H01L 21/7684 (2013.01); H01L 21/76882 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
forming a first protruding fin and a second protruding fin over a base structure;
depositing a trench-filling material into a trench that is located between the first protruding fin and the second protruding fin, wherein the trench-filling material comprises a metal;
performing a heating process using a heating source to reflow the trench-filling material;
at a same time the heating process is performed, adjusting a temperature of the base structure using a temperature-adjusting unit;
after the heating process, allowing the trench-filling material to solidify; and
patterning the trench-filling material, wherein a remaining portion of the trench-filling material forms a part of a gate stack.