US 10700178

Patent Overview — US10700178B2

Title: "Contact resistance reduction employing germanium overlayer pre-contact metalization"

Patent number: US10700178B2 (application US16/416,445; publication US20190341464A1)

Inventors: Glenn A. Glass, Anand S. Murthy, Tahir Ghani

Assignee/current assignee (per source listing): MediaTek Inc; original assignee Intel Corp

Key dates: Priority date 2010-12-21 (priority claimed from US12/975,278); filing date 2019-05-20; publication date 2020-06-30; anticipated expiration 2030-12-21. Status: Active.

Purpose and plain-language scope (from the title and classification data only): The invention addresses reducing electrical contact resistance in semiconductor devices by placing a germanium overlayer before contact metalization. In plain terms, a germanium-containing layer is formed at the contact area prior to depositing the contact metal, to improve the electrical connection between the metal contact and the underlying semiconductor. Classification entries place it in the field of electrodes ohmically coupled to a semiconductor (H10D64/62) and Group IV heterojunctions, e.g. Si/Ge heterojunctions (H10D62/822), consistent with a silicon/germanium contact scheme. Other classifications cover FinFET manufacture, source/drain recess formation and refilling, and SiGe source/drain stress arrangements, indicating the technique is described in the context of fin-based transistors with source/drain regions. Prior-art keywords listed are: source, germanium, concentration, drain region, silicon.

What this excerpt does not establish:

• The actual claims, claim language, or scope of coverage (no claims are included in the excerpt).
• The written description, embodiments, or specific process steps and concentrations.
• Any prior-art analysis, validity finding, or legal conclusion (the source explicitly notes legal status and priority dates are assumptions, not conclusions).
• Litigation, IPR, or assignment details are noted in the source but are outside the permitted scope of this overview and are not evaluated here.

Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US10700178](/patent/US10700178)/en