Recent progress and challenges in enabling embedded Si:C technology

Abstract

This: paper discusses the fundamental challenges and reports the recent progress in enabling embedded Si:C (eSi:C) nMOS source/drain stressor technology. A thick oxide (SiON, Toxgl ∼ 26Å) long channel (Lgate in the range of 80nm-11Onm, gate-pitch =336nm) nMOS device was used as the main test structure to evaluate the impact of eSi:C stressor to the device electrical characteristics, such as channel mobility and drive current. It was demonstrated that modifying the conventional Si CMOS fabrication process to accommodate the intrinsically meta-stable eSi:C material property is crucial in keeping carbon in its substitutional site thus to preserve strain in the eSi:C stressor throughout the device fabrication process. Significant channel mobility and drive current enhancement was demonstrated in the thick-oxide long-channel nMOS devices using in situ phosphorus-doped (ISPD) epitaxial eSi:C source/drain material. ©The Electrochemical Society.