Structures and methods that facilitate the formation of gate contacts for vertical transistors constructed with semiconductor pillars and spacer-like gates are disclosed. In a first embodiment, a gate contact rests on an extended gate region, a piece of a gate film, patterned at a side of a vertical transistor at the bottom of the gate. In a second embodiment, an extended gate region is patterned on top of one or more vertical transistors, resulting in a modified transistor structure. In a third embodiment, a gate contact rests on a top surface of a gate merged between two closely spaced vertical transistors. Optional methods and the resultant intermediate structures are included in the first two embodiments in order to overcome the related topography and ease the photolithography. The third embodiment includes alternatives for isolating the gate contact from the semiconductor pillars or for isolating the affected semiconductor pillars from the substrate.

Techniques for area scaling of contacts in VTFET devices are provided. In one aspect, a VTFET device includes: a fin(s); a bottom source/drain region at a base of the fin(s); a gate stack alongside the fin(s); a top source/drain region present at a top of the fin(s); a bottom source/drain contact to the bottom source/drain region; and a gate contact to the gate stack, wherein the bottom source drain and gate contacts each includes a top portion having a width W1.sub.CONTACT over a bottom portion having a width W2.sub.CONTACT, wherein W2.sub.CONTACT<W1.sub.CONTACT, and wherein a sidewall along the top portion is discontinuous with a sidewall along the bottom portion. The bottom portion having the width W2.sub.CONTACT is present alongside the gate stack and the top source/drain region. A method of forming a VTFET device is also provided.

A transistor comprises a top source/drain region, a bottom source/drain region, a channel region vertically between the top and bottom source/drain regions, and a gate operatively laterally-adjacent the channel region. The channel region is crystalline and comprises a plurality of vertically-elongated crystal grains that individually are directly against both of the top source/drain region and the bottom source/drain region. Other embodiments, including methods, are disclosed.

Semiconductor devices are provided. In one example, a semiconductor device includes: a substrate, a first circuit region and a second circuit region extending in a first direction, and a gate structure extending in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The gate structure further includes: two gate electrode sections respectively located in the first and second circuit regions, and a low-resistance section between and interconnecting the two gate electrode sections. The two gate electrode sections are configured as gate electrodes for two transistors respectively located in the first and second circuit regions. The two gate electrodes have a first width (W.sub.0) along the first direction, the low-resistance section has a second width (W) along the first direction, and a ratio of W to W.sub.0 (W/W.sub.0) is at least 1.1.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a stacked layer and a top select gate layer located on the stacked layer. The semiconductor device may include a gate-line structure extending through the top select gate layer and the stacked layer. A portion of the gate-line structure that extends through the top select gate layer may be a first isolation structure, and the first isolation structure may include a contact layer in contact with the top select gate layer. The semiconductor device may include a channel structure extending through the stacked layer and a first dielectric layer located on the top select gate layer, where the first dielectric layer and the contact layer comprise different insulating materials. The semiconductor device may include a channel local contact extending through the first dielectric layer and corresponding to the channel structure.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first transistor and a second transistor on the substrate, a bit line electrically connected to the first transistor, a channel layer on the bit line, a gate insulating layer on the channel layer, a word line on the gate insulating layer, a landing pad electrically connected to the channel layer, a connection pad electrically connected to the word line and the second transistor, and a division structure separating the landing pad from the connection pad. The division structure includes an intervening portion between the landing pad and the connection pad.

A semiconductor device includes a gate stacking structure that includes a plurality of gate electrodes and a plurality of insulating layers alternately stacked with each other, and a plurality of channel structures that penetrate the gate stacking structure. The plurality of channel structures include a first channel structure that includes a first channel layer, and a plurality of second channel structures adjacent to the first channel structure and that include a plurality of second channel layers. The first channel layer in the first channel structure and the plurality of second channel layers in the plurality of second channel structures have a same crystal orientation.

A vertical channel transistor includes a substrate having a bit line thereon, and a vertical channel layer including a first metal oxide, on the bit line. A lower insertion layer is provided, which extends between the bit line and a first end of the channel layer, and includes a second metal oxide having a greater bonding energy relative to the first metal oxide. A lower source/drain region is provided, which extends between the first end of the channel layer and the lower insertion layer, and includes a first metal dopant that is a reduced form of the first metal oxide. An upper source/drain region is provided, which is electrically connected to a second end of the channel layer, and includes the first metal dopant. An insulated gate line is provided on the channel layer.

A memory device includes a vertical transistor including a semiconductor body extending in a first direction. The semiconductor body includes a doped source, a doped drain, and a channel portion. The memory device further includes a storage unit coupled to one of the source and the drain, a word line extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a body line coupled to the channel portion of the semiconductor body. The word line is between the storage unit and the body line in the first direction.

The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer which has a main surface, a switching device which is formed in the semiconductor layer, a first electrode which is arranged on the main surface and electrically connected to the switching device, a second electrode which is arranged on the main surface at an interval from the first electrode and electrically connected to the switching device, a first terminal electrode which has a portion that overlaps the first electrode in plan view and a portion that overlaps the second electrode and is electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second terminal electrode which has a portion that overlaps the second electrode in plan view and is electrically connected to the second electrode.