This invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices, and even more particularly to MOS devices having ultra-shallow junctions and methods for forming the same.
With the increasing down-scaling of integrated circuits, there exist increasingly demanding requirements for reducing the sheet resistance of source and drain regions of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices, and particularly the sheet resistance of source and drain extension regions. Reduced sheet resistances in the source and drain extension regions may help increase carrier mobility, hence resulting in increased drive currents.
To reduce the sheet resistance of source and drain extension regions, the junction depth of the source and drain extension regions needs to be reduced. In addition, the activation rate of the source and drain extension regions needs to be increased. These can be achieved by performing pre-amorphized implantation (PAI), in which a portion of a silicon substrate is amorphized before the source and drain regions are formed. The PAI has two functions. First, vacancies are created in the semiconductor substrate, so that the subsequently implanted p-type or n-type impurities may occupy the vacancies more easily. Accordingly, the activation rate may be improved. Second, in the amorphized substrate, atoms are arranged randomly, and hence the subsequently implanted p-type or n-type impurities cannot channel through the spaces between the periodically located atoms to reach a great depth. The PAI, however, also incurs problems. For example, after the activation, residue defects may still exist and will cause an increase in leakage currents. Such leakage currents prevent further improvement of device performance.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an integrated circuit device includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate structure on the semiconductor substrate; and performing a pre-amorphized implantation (PAI) by implanting a first element selected from a group consisting essentially of indium and antimony to a top portion of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the gate structure. The method further includes, after the step of performing the PAI, implanting a second element different from the first element into the top portion of the semiconductor substrate. The second element includes a p-type element when the first element includes indium, and includes an n-type element when the first element includes antimony.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an integrated circuit device includes providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate structure on the semiconductor substrate; performing a PAI by implanting a first element selected from a group consisting essentially of indium and antimony to a top portion of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the gate structure; and, after the step of performing the PAI, implanting a second element different from the first element into the top portion of the semiconductor substrate. A second depth of the second element is substantially no greater than a first depth of the first element.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of forming an integrated circuit device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having an NMOS region and a PMOS region; forming a first gate structure over the NMOS region of the semiconductor substrate; forming a second gate structure over the PMOS region of the semiconductor substrate; performing a first PAI by implanting a first element into the NMOS region of the semiconductor substrate; and performing a second PAI by implanting a second element different from the first element into the PMOS region of the semiconductor substrate.
The advantageous features of the present invention include reduced sheet resistance and reduced junction depth in source and drain extension regions, and reduced leakage currents compared to the commonly used Ge PAI method.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The making and using of the embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the embodiments provide many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.
Conventionally, pre-amorphized implantation (PAI) was performed by implanting germanium ions into silicon substrates. However, it has been found that the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) device formed using germanium PAI can no longer provide low sheet resistances, small junction depths, and low leakage currents that satisfy the demanding requirements of 32 nm and 22 nm technologies. A novel method for forming MOS devices and performing the PAI is thus provided. The intermediate stages of manufacturing an embodiment of the present invention are illustrated. The variations of the embodiments are then discussed. Throughout the various views and illustrative embodiments of the present invention, like reference numbers are used to designate like elements.
Referring to
Referring to
Spacers 140 and 240 are used as masks for the formation of the N+S/D regions 142 and P+S/D regions 242, respectively. The implantation processes are known in the art, and hence are not repeated herein. The dosage of N+S/D regions 142 and P+S/D regions 242 may be between about 5×1014/cm2 and about 5×1015/cm2. The formation of P+S/D regions 242 may also include forming silicon germanium stressors.
The dopants introduced in the preceding processes are then activated. The activation annealing can be conducted using commonly used methods such as furnace annealing, rapid thermal annealing (RTA), laser annealing, flash annealing, and the like. During the activation annealing, the p-type dopants such as boron and the n-type dopants such as phosphorous will diffuse both vertically and laterally. However, with the antimony ions implanted to NMOS region 100 and indium ions implanted to PMOS region 200, the diffusion of boron and phosphorous is reduced. Less diffusion of boron and phosphorous results in higher concentrations in SDE regions 136 and 236 and S/D regions 142 and 242, and hence higher current drivability can be achieved for the resulting NMOS device 160 and PMOS device 260.
The effect of the indium PAI to the performance of PMOS device 260 is shown in
The effect of the antimony PAI to the performance of NMOS device 160 is shown in
The desirable effect caused by indium PAI may be due to the great tetrahedral radius of indium, which is greater than the tetrahedral radius of germanium and the tetrahedral radius of boron. It is realized that indium, which has a greater tetrahedral radius than silicon, causes the distortion of the lattice of silicon and stress in the respective silicon substrate. Boron, which has a smaller tetrahedral radius than silicon, may ease the lattice distortion caused by indium. Accordingly, boron has the tendency to stay close to indium to compensate for the stress generated by indium. As a result, indium may retard the diffusion of boron, resulting in more abrupt SDE regions and an improved p-type junction profile, hence improved drive currents. Also, indium has the tendency to segregate from the substrate and to diffuse to the top surface of the substrate as a result of the activation annealing, and hence the residue indium in the respective substrate is further reduced, resulting in fewer defects after the activation annealing. For similar reasons, antimony can also reduce the diffusion of phosphorous, and hence results in improved drive currents for NMOS devices.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, and composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. In addition, each claim constitutes a separate embodiment, and the combination of various claims and embodiments are within the scope of the invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/154,667 filed on Feb. 23, 2009, entitled “Fabrication of Source/Drain Extensions with Ultra-Shallow Junctions,” which application is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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