FinFET drive strength modification

US8779527B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD. · TW

Inventors

• Thomas Merelle · Dresden, DE
• Gerben Doornbos · Kessel-Lo, BE
• Robert James Pascoe Lander · Leuven, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 8, 2012
• Grant date: Jul 15, 2014
• Expiry date: Jan 3, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/834

Abstract

A method and circuit in which the drive strength of a FinFET transistor can be selectively modified, and in particular can be selectively reduced, by omitting the LDD extension formation in the source and/or in the drain of the FinFET.One application of this approach is to enable differentiation of the drive strengths of transistors in an integrated circuit by applying the technique to some, but not all, of the transistors in the integrated circuit. In particular in a SRAM cell formed from FinFET transistors the application of the technique to the pass-gate transistors, which leads to a reduction of the drive strength of the pass-gate transistors relative to the drive strength of the pull-up and pull-down transistors, results in improved SRAM cell performance.