Patent Abstract:
A method includes forming a plurality of fins in a semiconductor substrate using a common patterning process. A conductive layer is formed above the plurality of fins. A mask is formed above the conductive layer. The conductive layer is etched using the mask to define trenches in the conductive layer. A first insulating layer is formed above the conductive layer and in the trenches. First and second contacts are formed connected to respective ends of the conductive layer.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Generally, the present disclosure relates to highly sophisticated semiconductor structures, in particular to a resistor which is structured so as to use a reduced surface, and to a manufacturing method thereof. Further, the disclosure relates to the integration of such resistors in a manufacturing flow also optionally comprising the manufacturing of vertically arranged transistors, such as FinFETS. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The fabrication of advanced integrated circuits, such as CPUs, storage devices, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and the like, requires the formation of a large number of circuit elements on a given chip area according to a specified circuit layout. Among the various elements, resistors are often needed. 
         [0005]    Planar resistors, obtained by depositing a film of material onto the wafer, have been known. The deposited material may be of several kinds, but resistors, in particular those at the gate level, have generally been manufactured from polysilicon. 
         [0006]    In view of further device scaling based on well-established materials, new transistor configurations have been proposed, in which a “three dimensional” architecture is provided in an attempt to obtain a desired channel width, while, at the same time, superior controllability of the current flow through the channel is preserved. To this end, so-called FinFETs have been proposed in which a thin sliver or fin of silicon is formed in a thin active layer of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or a standard silicon substrate, wherein, on both sidewalls and, if desired, on a top surface, a gate dielectric material and a gate electrode material are provided, thereby realizing a multiple gate transistor whose channel may be fully depleted. 
         [0007]    FinFETs generally require the use of so-called high-k metal gates, implying that the material for the gate insulator is a high-k material and that a metal is used for the gate itself. This, in turn, implies that the polysilicon, which was previously employed for the manufacturing of resistors at the gate level, may not be available in the process flow any longer, and may be replaced by the metal used for the gate. 
         [0008]    Metal is, however, less suitable for realizing resistors, in particular resistors having high resistance values, as metal generally has a conductivity higher than polysilicon. 
         [0009]    As the resistors are generally realized by a flat layer of material, the larger area resulting from the use of metal instead of polysilicon has a directly negative impact on the surface area of the wafer occupied by the resistor. As the surface area of the wafer used by each chip is directly related to the price thereof, it is important to limit use of a wafer&#39;s surface area as much as possible. 
         [0010]    Even if a material other than metal is used for the gate of the FinFET and for the resistor, or for the resistor alone, a flat resistor still has the disadvantage of using a large surface area, thus increasing the costs for the chip carrying the resistor. 
         [0011]    In view of the situation described above, the present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and manufacturing techniques thereof comprising a resistor which is configured so as to occupy a small wafer&#39;s surface area and optionally to be made at the same level of a transistor gate. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later. 
         [0013]    Generally, the present disclosure solves the above-mentioned problems by using a vertically structured meander resistor. In particular, the resistor may be provided with a plurality of vertical resistive surfaces, connected to each other in a meander manner. In an embodiment provided with, for instance, three vertical surfaces, the top section of a first vertical surface is connected to the top section of a neighboring second vertical surface, while the bottom section of the second vertical surface is connected to the bottom of a third vertical surface, neighboring the second vertical surface. In this manner, the resistor realized by the three vertical surfaces, more precisely starting at the bottom of the first vertical surface and ending at the top of the third vertical surface, has a length corresponding to the combined length of the three vertical surfaces, while the area occupied on the wafer&#39;s horizontal surface is only corresponding to the thickness of the three vertical surfaces, and to the length of the parts connecting the first to the second and the second to the third vertical surfaces. 
         [0014]    In other words, as the resistor develops in the vertical direction instead of the horizontal one, it is possible to achieve any desired length with minimum surface area consumption. This may not only compensate for the increased length necessary due to the use of a metallic layer instead of a polysilicon one, but can also result in a vertical meander metallic resistor according to the present invention occupying a surface area smaller than a horizontal polysilicon resistor having the same nominal resistance value. 
         [0015]    One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a plurality of fins in a semiconductor substrate using a common patterning process. A conductive layer is formed above the plurality of fins. A mask is formed above the conductive layer. The conductive layer is etched using the mask to define trenches in the conductive layer. A first insulating layer is formed above the conductive layer and in the trenches. First and second contacts are formed connected to respective ends of the conductive layer. 
         [0016]    Another illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a plurality of fins in a semiconductor substrate using a common patterning process. A first insulating layer is formed above the plurality of fins. A conductive layer is formed above the first insulating layer. A mask is formed above the conductive layer. The conductive layer is etched using the mask to define trenches in the conductive layer. A second insulating layer is formed above the conductive layer and in the trenches. First and second contacts are formed connected to respective ends of the conductive layer. A gate structure of a transistor is formed above at least one of the plurality of fins. The gate structure includes a first portion of the first insulating layer and a second portion of the conductive layer. 
         [0017]    One further illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a plurality of fins in a semiconductor substrate using a common patterning process. A first insulating layer is formed above the plurality of fins. A conductive layer is formed above the first insulating layer. A mask is formed above the conductive layer. The conductive layer is etched using the mask to define trenches in the conductive layer. A first portion of the conductive layer is doped to form a resistive layer. A second insulating layer is formed above the resistive layer and in the trenches. First and second contacts are formed connected to respective ends of the resistive layer. A gate structure of a transistor is formed above at least one of the plurality of fins. The gate structure includes a first portion of the first insulating layer and a second portion of the conductive layer. 
         [0018]    Thanks to the above-mentioned approaches, even when using a metal layer, such as one used for the gate of FinFETs, it is possible to obtain required resistance levels, by using the appropriate length of metal layer, without negatively impacting the amount of wafer&#39;s surface used. This optionally makes it possible to use the same metallic layer for the manufacturing of the resistor and for the manufacturing of the gate of the FinFETs, thus allowing the manufacturing of the resistor by using only process steps already present in the FinFET manufacturing line. 
         [0019]    Still further, the vertical meandering of the resistor may be achieved by using vertical fins as supporting structures. As the tools for realizing the vertical fins are already part of the manufacturing line, no additional costs are needed. Still further, the fins acting as support structure for the resistors and those acting as channels for the FinFETs could be realized in parallel, so as to limit the amount of process steps required. 
         [0020]    Additionally, as the resistor is realized at the bottom layer of the semiconductor stack, the vertical meandering can be much more exploited than at higher levels in the semiconductor stack. That is, the vertical dimension of the vertical surfaces is limited on their top part by the placement of interconnecting layers and others, but can be extended as much as desired on their bottom part, since the substrate has usually a thickness several order of magnitude bigger than the thickness of the functional layers realized thereon. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The disclosure may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0023]      FIG. 1 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 1 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0025]      FIG. 2 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 2 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0026]      FIG. 3 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0027]      FIG. 3 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 3 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0028]      FIG. 4 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0029]      FIG. 4 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 4 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0030]      FIG. 5 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0031]      FIG. 5 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 5 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0032]      FIG. 6 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0033]      FIG. 6 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 6 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0034]      FIG. 7 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0035]      FIG. 7 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 7 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0036]      FIG. 8 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0037]      FIG. 8 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 8 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0038]      FIG. 9 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0039]      FIG. 9 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 9 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0040]      FIG. 10 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0041]      FIG. 10 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 10 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0042]      FIG. 11 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0043]      FIG. 11 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 11 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0044]      FIG. 11 a   -bis schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0045]      FIG. 11 b   -bis schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 11 a   -bis, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0046]      FIG. 12 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0047]      FIG. 12 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 12 a   , according to illustrative embodiments; 
           [0048]      FIG. 13 a    schematically illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure, according to illustrative embodiments; and 
           [0049]      FIG. 13 b    schematically illustrates a cross-sectional view along section A-A′ of  FIG. 13 a   , according to illustrative embodiments. 
       
    
    
       [0050]    While the subject matter disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0051]    Various embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of actual implementations are described in the specification. It will, of course, be appreciated that, in the development of any such actual embodiments, numerous implementations and specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer&#39;s specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development might, therefore, be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefits of this disclosure. 
         [0052]    The following embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to make use of the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments would be evident, based on the present disclosure, and that system, structure, process or mechanical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In the following description, numeral-specific details are given to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be apparent that the embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced without the specific details. In order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure, some well-known circuits, system configurations, structure configurations and process steps are not disclosed in detail. 
         [0053]    The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Various structures, systems and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the present disclosure with details which are well known to those skilled in the art. Nevertheless, the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the present disclosure. The words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art. No special definition of a term or phrase, i.e., a definition that is different from the ordinary or customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art, is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein. To the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning, i.e., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans, such a special definition shall be expressively set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase. 
         [0054]      FIG. 1 a    illustrates a top view of a semiconductor structure  1  while  FIG. 1 b    illustrates a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor structure  1  taken along line A-A′ of  FIG. 1   a.    
         [0055]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , the semiconductor structure  1  comprises a substrate  100 , for instance a silicon substrate, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, a silicon/germanium (SiGe) substrate, or any other substrate which can be used in semiconductor manufacturing. On the substrate  100 , a hardmask layer  120  is realized. The hardmask layer  120  could be, for instance, a silicon nitride (SiN) layer or an SiO2 hardmask having a thickness T 1  comprised, for instance, in the range of 30-100 nm or with a preferred value of 40 nm. On top of the hardmask layer  120 , a plurality of structures  111 - 113  are realized. The structures  111 - 113  could be realized, for instance, by using a photolithographic resist or with any other deposition technology, such as 3D printing, nanomolding, etc. The structures can have various widths and be separated from each other by various distances. An exemplary value for the illustrated width W 1  may be in the range of, for instance, 20-40 nm or have a preferred value of 27 nm. An exemplary value for the illustrated distance D 1  may be, for instance, in the range of 90-130 nm or have a value of 100 nm. As it will be clear from the following description, these values are indicative only and the skilled person will know how to modify them, in particular when the following manufacturing steps are taken into account, so as to obtain structures, generally referred to as “spacers” or “sidewalls,” used for the subsequent fabrication of vertical structures, generally referred to as “fins,” in the substrate  100 . 
         [0056]    Although not shown in  FIGS. 1 a -1 b   , a well isolation implant could optionally be realized at this step, before carrying out the steps of  FIGS. 2 a -2 b   . In particular, the well isolation implant could be a deep n and/or p well isolation implant(s) for leakage reduction. 
         [0057]      FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  2  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  1 . The views along which  FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. More specifically, as can be seen in  FIGS. 2 a  and 2 b   , a sidewall layer  130  is realized on top of the semiconductor structure  1 , thus resulting in the semiconductor structure  2 . The sidewall layer  130  is also usually known as a spacer. The sidewall layer  130  may have a thickness T 2 , for instance, in the range of 20-30 nm or with a preferred value of 25 nm. In this manner, the sidewall layer  130  creates vertical walls at the edge of each of the structures  111 - 113  having a width W 2 , for instance, in the range of 20-30 nm or having a preferred value of 25 nm. The vertical walls of the sidewall layer  130  are thereafter used in what is usually referred to as a “sidewall image transfer” (SIT) process for the subsequent realization of vertical fins in the substrate  100 . 
         [0058]      FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  3  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  2 . The views along which  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. As can be seen in  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b   , after an etching step is performed on the semiconductor structure  2 , the sidewall layer  130  results in a plurality of sidewalls, or spacers,  131 - 135  left on the hardmask layer  120 . The advantage of this manufacturing approach, known as sidewall image transfer, consists in the fact that the sidewalls  131 - 135  can each have a width W 2  much thinner than the width W 1  of the structures  111 - 113  realized, for instance, by a photolithographic step. Also, since the thickness W 2  is controlled based on the growth of the sidewall layer  130  and not based on a lithographic process, it can be more precisely controlled and uniform on the entire wafer. 
         [0059]      FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  4  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  3 . The views along which  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. As can be seen in  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   , the semiconductor structure  4  results from the semiconductor structure  3  after an etching step during which the regions of the hardmask layer  120  not protected by sidewalls  131 - 135  are removed and after a subsequent removal step of the sidewalls  131 - 135 , thus resulting in the realization of hardmask spacers  121 - 125 . The location and dimensions of the hardmask spacers  121 - 125  along directions X and Z, therefore, substantially correspond to the location and dimensions of the sidewalls  131 - 135 . The hardmask spacers  121 - 125  may be used as a hard mask for etching the substrate layer  100  underneath, thus resulting in the creation of vertical fins within the substrate layer  100 , as will be described with reference to the following figures. 
         [0060]      FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  5  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  4 . The views along which  FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. As can be seen in  FIGS. 5 a  and 5 b   , the semiconductor structure  5  results from the semiconductor structure  4  after an etching step of the semiconductor substrate  100 , resulting in the creation of vertical fins  101 - 105  in the areas of the substrate  100  below the hardmask spacers  121 - 125 . The location and dimensions of the vertical fins  101 - 105  along directions X and Z, therefore, substantially correspond to the location and dimensions of the hardmask spacers  121 - 125 . 
         [0061]      FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  6  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  5 . The views along which  FIGS. 6 a  and 6 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. Semiconductor structure  6  results from semiconductor structure  5  after a subsequent etching step consisting in the removal of hardmask spacers  121 - 125  from the top of respective fins  101 - 105 . At this stage, the fins  101 - 105  are then finalized and can have a height T 3  in the Y direction of, for instance, in the range of 80-120 nm or a preferred value of 100 nm. The width of fins  101 - 105  is substantially similar to the width W 2  of the sidewalls  131 - 135  and of the hardmask spacers  121 - 125 . 
         [0062]    It should be noted here that, as it will be clear to those skilled in the art, this is not the only possible manufacturing method for realizing the vertical fins  101 - 105  in a semiconductor substrate  100 . In alternative embodiments, the fins could be vertically grown on top of the substrate  100 . Still alternatively, they may be realized by a standard lithographic approach. For the purpose of the present invention, any technology that can realize vertical structures on a substrate may be employed, while the one described above is only one possible implementation. 
         [0063]    Moreover, although five vertical fins  101 - 105  have been illustrated in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto and any number of fins may be realized instead, as it will be clear to those skilled in the art. 
         [0064]    Although not illustrated, at this point, an optional fin isolation implant could be carried out. In one embodiment, a fin diode may be created for avoiding a leakage down through the fin into the substrate. This could be achieved, for instance, by a fin isolation implantation. 
         [0065]      FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  7  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  6 . The views along which  FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. In  FIG. 7 a   , as well as the following corresponding figures from the same point of view, the location of the fins  101 - 105  has been illustrated in dashed lines, so as to clarify the positional relationship of the various layers placed on top of it. 
         [0066]    As can be seen in  FIGS. 7 a  and 7 b   , the semiconductor structure  7  differs from the semiconductor structure  6  due to the presence of an insulating layer  150  and a conducting layer  140 . In particular, the insulating layer  150  is deposited on the semiconductor substrate  100 , thus resulting in a conformal deposition over the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate  100  and the fins  101 - 105 . The thickness of the insulating layer  150  may be, for instance, in the range of 3-10 nm or have a preferred value of 4 nm. The insulating layer  150  may be realized, for instance, by a conformal deposition, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD), of an insulating material, such as silicon oxide (SiO2). Subsequently, the conducting layer  140  may be deposited with techniques such as chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, inkjet printing, or any other technique that is capable of realizing a conducting layer. The conducting layer  140  may have a thickness T 4 , for instance, in the range of 120-160 nm or a preferred value of 140 nm. The conducting layer  140  may be, for instance, made of polysilicon or metal. Even more specifically, doped polysilicon could settle the resistance layer, dopants like B, P, As, etc. may be used, or any conducting material, having a resistivity in the range of, for instance, 300-1000 Ohm/sq or with a preferred value of 600 Ohm/sq. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the conducting layer  140  may be first deposited and then subjected to a planarization step, such as a CMP process, in order to obtain the shape illustrated in  FIG. 7   b.    
         [0067]      FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  8  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  7 . The views along which  FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. As illustrated in  FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b   , a mask  161 - 164 , in particular a hardmask, may be realized on the conducting layer  140 . Here, the hardmask is positioned with respect to the fins  101 - 105  so that openings of the mask correspond to the location of subsequent vertical trenches in the conducting layer  140 , between adjacent fins. Additionally, the mask  161 - 164  may be structured so as to realize the trenches only between some of the fins  101 - 105  for the subsequent realization of the meander resistor. In the particular example illustrated in  FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b   , the parts  161 - 163  of the mask  161 - 164  are used in order to open trenches between fins  101 - 102  and  102 - 103 , which will be used for the subsequent realization of the meander resistor R (see  FIG. 13 b   ). On the other hand, the part  164  of the mask  161 - 164  is used for covering fins  104  and  105  which will be used for the subsequent realization of a FinFET transistor. It should, however, be noted that the illustrated implementation is an example only and that the co-presence of the meander resistor R and of a FinFET transistor F (see  FIG. 13 b   ) in the semiconductor structure is only provided as an advantageous example of how the present invention may be implemented so as to realize multiple structures with a single process flow. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the meander resistor R could be implemented alone, independently of the presence of any FinFET transistor F, which may be realized either before or after the realization of the resistor R or may not be realized at all in the semiconductor structure. 
         [0068]    Additionally, although in the illustrated example of  FIGS. 8 a  and 8 b   , a mask  161 - 164  is used for the opening of the trenches within the conducting material  140 , the present invention is not limited thereto. Alternatively, or in addition, a sidewall image transfer process, such as the one illustrated by  FIGS. 1 a  to 5 b   , may be employed instead, in order to realize the trenches within the conducting material  140 , particularly if the width of the trenches is smaller than the minimum width achievable by a photolithographic step realizing the mask  161 - 164 . 
         [0069]      FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  9  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  8 . The views along which  FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively.  FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    illustrate a semiconductor structure  9  resulting from the semiconductor structure  8  after trenches  171 - 174  have been realized in the conducting material  140  thanks to the presence of openings in the mask  161 - 164 . In particular, the trenches  171 - 174  may have a thickness T 5 , for instance, in the range of 80-120 nm or with a preferred value of 100 nm. Additionally, the trenches, in particular trenches  172  and  173  in between neighboring fins, may have a width W 3 , for instance, in the range of 10-60 nm or with the preferred value of 20 nm. 
         [0070]    Moreover, illustrated in  FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    is an ion implantation, schematically depicted by arrows IB, performed on the conductive layer  140  left exposed after the etching process realizing the trenches  171 - 174  and after the mask  161 - 164  has been removed. In some embodiments, P, As or similar materials could be implanted, in concentrations such as 1-10 E14 1/cm 2  and energy values such as 3-10 keV. In some embodiments, it can be guaranteed that the implant on the top of the resistor is also the same on the bottom as the RTA will diffuse it into a very uniform state in the layer. If not, resistivity can be computed, for instance, by using Fick&#39;s law, Gaussian distribution, SRIM or similar approaches. Thanks to this doping step, the conductive layer  140  is converted into a meander resistive layer  141 . Conversely, thanks to the presence of a mask  180 , the ion implant IB is not performed in the conducting layer  140  being placed underneath the mask  180 , thus resulting in conducting layer  142  having substantially the same characteristics as conducting layer  140 . 
         [0071]    In particular, due to the ion implant IB, the meander resistive layer  141  may have a resistance, for instance, in the range of 300-1000 Ohm/sq or with a preferred value of 600 Ohm/sq. In this manner, although a single material is used at first for regions  141  and  142 , namely conducting material  140 , the regions  141  and  142  can have different resistivity values with respect to each other. The ion implant D 3  is, however, not necessary and the invention could be carried out as well without it. In such embodiments, the resistor would be made of the same material as conducting layer  140 . 
         [0072]    Although the mask  180  has been defined as a new mask compared to the mask  161 - 164 , the present invention is not limited thereto and, in the specific example of  FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b   , the mask  180  could correspond to part  164  of the mask  161 - 164 , which has not been removed during the etching process removing parts  161 - 163  of the mask  161 - 164  after the realization of the trenches  171 - 174 . 
         [0073]    At this manufacturing step, the vertically meandering resistor can be considered to be already realized. In particular, thanks to the presence of the resistive layer  141  having a vertically developing meander structure based on the supporting geometry of the fins  101 - 103 , a resistor going from point B to point C is present in the semiconductor structure  9 . Advantageously, the resistor occupies a reduced surface area of the semiconductor structure  9  along directions X and Z thanks to the vertical extension in the Y direction of the fins  101 - 103  on top of which the resistor is realized. In this manner, in a small surface area of the semiconductor structure  9 , it is possible to realize a resistor having an area substantially wider than the surface area it occupies on the wafer. 
         [0074]    As will be clear to those skilled in the art, the thickness of the vertically meandering resistive layer  141  may be controlled by controlling the width W 3  of the trenches  171 - 174 . Still additionally, it may be controlled by controlling the thickness in the Y direction of the meander resistive layer  141 . This may be done, for instance, by controlling the duration of the etching step resulting in the depth of the trenches  171 - 174  and by subsequently proceeding to a planarization of the meander resistive layer  141  along direction X following the removal of the mask  161 - 164 . Still additionally, the thickness in the Y direction of the meander resistive layer  141 , particularly on the region above the fins  101 - 103 , may also be controlled by controlling the thickness T 4  (see  FIG. 7 b   ) of the conducting layer  140  with relation to the thickness T 3  (see  FIG. 6 b   ) of the fins  101 - 105 . 
         [0075]      FIGS. 10 a  and 10 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  10  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  9 . The views along which  FIGS. 10 a  and 10 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. The semiconductor structure  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 10 a  and 10 b    differs from the semiconductor structure  9  due to the removal of the mask  180  protecting part of the semiconductor structure  9  from the ion implantation IB and due to the deposition of an insulating layer  190 , on top of which a mask  201 - 202  is realized. The insulating layer could be, for instance, silicon nitride (SiN) or SiO2. Due to the presence of the mask, in subsequent manufacturing steps, the region containing the FinFET F can be further modified, while the region containing the resistor R is protected by the mask. 
         [0076]    Generally, in an embodiment, the FinFET itself can then subsequently be built based on a replacement metal gate flow or a gate first, where the insulation layer will protect the resistor, and, on the FinFET areas, the hard mask/insulation layer will be removed for the process steps that are necessary only for the FinFET structure. 
         [0077]      FIGS. 11 a  and 11 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  11  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  10 . The views along which  FIGS. 11 a  and 11 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. In particular, in the semiconductor structure  11 , the part of the insulating layer  190  not covered by the mask  201 - 202  has been removed and the mask  201 - 202  has been etched away. In this manner, regions  191  and  192  are left from the insulating layer  190 . The region  191  insulates the resistor R from the external environment and provides electrical insulation between neighboring vertical surfaces of the resistor R which may, in the absence of any material therebetween, touch each other during time, for instance because of electron migration, thus changing the value of the resistor R. The region  192  can be used to protect the underlying conducting layer  142  during a subsequent realization of regions  221  and  222 , the position of which is schematically represented by dashed lines in  FIGS. 11 a   . Regions  221  and  222  can comprise, for instance, SiC, or SiGe, Si for realizing the source and drain of the FinFET F. 
         [0078]    Also illustrated in  FIGS. 11 a  and 11 b    are sidewall spacers  210  and  230 . Although illustrated as surrounding the entire regions  191  and  192 , the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, the sidewall spacer should be provided along the X direction between the source and the channel of the transistor, as well as between the drain and the channel. The presence of the sidewall spacer  230  also along the Z direction, as well as the presence of the spacer  210 , is only an exemplary embodiment in which the sidewall spacer has been realized as surrounding the regions  191  and  192  for process flow integration purposes. The thickness of the sidewall spacers  210  and  230  could be in the region of 10-50 nm. The depth along the Y direction of the spacers  210  and  230  could be, as illustrated, substantially reaching the bottom of the fins  101 - 105 . In general, any depth that allows separation of the drain/source region from the channel region of the FinFET may be used. 
         [0079]    In this manner, the finalization of resistor R can be completed by connecting elements thereto, particularly to points B and C illustrated in  FIG. 9 b   . At the same time, for the FinFET F, conducting material  142  may be maintained as a gate material, and the remaining parts of the FinFET F, such as source, drain, spacers and contacts, can be realized. 
         [0080]      FIGS. 11 a   -bis and  11   b -bis schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  11 bis resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  10 . The views along which  FIGS. 11 a   -bis and  11   b -bis have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. The semiconductor structure  11 bis is an alternative to the semiconductor structure  11 . In particular, the semiconductor structure  11 bis is obtained from the semiconductor structure  10  in cases where only the mask  201  is present, while the mask  202  is absent. In this way, the insulating layer  190  is removed over the region of the FinFET F leaving only the insulating region  191  covering the resistor R. Thanks to this approach, the conducting material  142  can be accessed for further processing. 
         [0081]    Generally, this is mainly valid for an n gate first approach aiming to build a FinFET on an HKMG first scheme, where the poly can be removed immediately after the resistor hard mask. For the full replacement gate process, this poly can be used as a dummy poly and can be patterned in a standard easy way. 
         [0082]      FIGS. 12 a  and 12 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  12  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  11 bis. The views along which  FIGS. 12 a  and 12 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. Here, in the semiconductor structure  12 , the conducting layer  142  and the insulating layer  150  are removed, thereby leaving the fins  104  and  105  in the FinFET F region open for further processing, illustrated in  FIGS. 13 a  and 13 b   . In particular, in some embodiments, in the FinFET region, the implants could be done, for instance the gate doping, the gate oxide can be deposited, followed by an HKMG process, a dummy gate and a replacement gate. In the replacement gate process, in the middle of the line, the dummy poly can get removed and the gate will be re-filled with the HK and a work-function material, as well as the metal gate material. 
         [0083]      FIGS. 13 a  and 13 b    schematically illustrate a semiconductor structure  13  resulting from further processing of the semiconductor structure  12 . The views along which  FIGS. 13 a  and 13 b    have been taken correspond to the views of  FIGS. 1 a  and 1 b   , respectively. As illustrated in  FIGS. 13 a  and 13 b   , an insulating layer  250  is realized over the fins  104  and  105 , for instance by using a high-k material. On top of the insulating layer  250 , a gate can then be deposited, for instance by using a metal gate. Additionally, source  262  and drain  261  are also realized over fins  104  and  105 . Source  262  and drain  261  could be realized, for instance, by SiGe, or SiC, or a combination thereof. On top of the source  262 , a source contact  252  can also be realized. Similarly, on top of the drain  251 , a drain contact  261  can also be realized. 
         [0084]    In some embodiments, re-building the FinFET with new layers instead of using the layers  150  and  142  can optionally be preferred, in order to make the device more versatile from a technology integration point of view. 
         [0085]    In the resistor R, contacts  271  and  272  are also realized, for accessing the resistor R. Such contacts, although not illustrated, can also be realized for the resistor R in  FIG. 11   b.    
         [0086]    Alternatively, although not illustrated, the end C of the resistor can be directly connected to the gate, source or drain of the FinFET F, while the end B can be connected via a contact  271  (see  FIG. 9 a    for ends B and C). 
         [0087]    Spacers  210  and  230  correspond to the same elements in  FIGS. 11 a  and 11 b   . Also in this embodiment, the same considerations done for the embodiment of  FIGS. 11 a  and 11 b    apply. 
         [0088]    In the above-described embodiment, the height T 3  (see  FIG. 6 b   ) of the fins  101 - 103  resulting in the resistor R is equal to the height T 3  of the fins  104  and  105  resulting in the FinFET F. The present invention is, however, not limited thereto. Alternatively, or in addition, the height of the fins in the resistor R could be different from the height of the fins in the FinFET F. For instance, the fins  101 - 103  could have a bigger height than the fins  104  and  105 . This could be advantageous, for instance, in those cases where the thickness of the fins cannot be precisely controlled if a certain height is surpassed. Thus, for those fins for which the thickness must be precisely controlled, namely those of the FinFET F, the height may be lower than for those for which the thickness is a less sensitive parameter, namely those of the resistor R. The advantage in this case would be that the resistor R could extend further vertically into the substrate  100 , thus occupying an area on the X and Z direction still further reduced. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the opposite approach can also be implemented. Namely, having a height for the fins  104  and  105  higher than the height for the fins  101 - 103 . 
         [0089]    Still further, although all of fins  101 - 103  have been described above as having the same height, the present invention is not limited thereto. Alternatively, or in addition, some of the fins  101 - 103  could have heights different from some other of the fins  101 - 103 . This could be, for instance, exploited when the etching of the fins is not the same for those on the periphery, such as  101  and  103 , and for those in the center, such as  102 . In this case, the difference of etching efficiency could be taken into account when determining the length of the resistor, instead of adding dummy fins outside of the fins  101  and  103  so as to equalize their height with that of fin  102 . 
         [0090]    Additionally, although the fins  101 - 105  have all been described as being made of semiconductor material, the present invention is not limited thereto. In particular, fins used for the implementation of the resistor, such as the fins  101 - 103 , do not necessarily need to be made of semiconductor material and could be made as well of insulating material, conducting material or a combination of any of those. One advantage of using a semiconductor material for all fins  101 - 105  consists in that the fins can all be realized at a single stage and subsequently be used both for the realization of the resistor R and the FinFET F. 
         [0091]    The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. For example, the process steps set forth above may be performed in a different order. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7