This application claims the priority of Chinese patent application No. 201610664338.6, filed on Aug. 12, 2016, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology and, more particularly, relates to a semiconductor structure and fabrication method thereof.
With continuous development of semiconductor technology, feature dimensions of semiconductor devices continue to decrease. The reduction of the critical dimensions of the semiconductor devices means that a greater number of transistors can be placed on a single chip, which at the same time, raises higher requirements for semiconductor process.
Source and drain doped regions and a gate structure are important components of a transistor. The transistor is electrically connected to external circuits by forming a conductive plug on each of the source and drain doped regions. Concentration of doped ions in the source and drain doped regions greatly affects a contact resistance between the conductive plug and each of the source and drain doped regions. The higher the concentration of the doped ions in the source and drain doped regions, the smaller the contact resistance thereof. Therefore, the contact resistance is usually reduced by doping the source and drain doped regions before forming the conductive plug.
However, distribution of the contact resistivity between each of the source and drain doped regions and the conductive plug in a conventionally-formed semiconductor structure is non-uniform, and the performance of the semiconductor structure is unstable. The disclosed structure structures and methods are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.
One aspect of the present disclosure includes a method for fabricating a semiconductor structure. The method includes forming a base substrate, including a substrate, a gate structure on the substrate, source and drain doped regions in the substrate on both sides of the gate structure, and a dielectric layer on the substrate and on top of the gate structure. The method also includes forming a contact hole, penetrating through the dielectric layer, wherein a bottom of the contact hole extends into each of the source and drain doped regions. In addition, the method includes forming a doped layer, in each of the source and drain doped regions by a doping process via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole. Further, the method includes forming a conductive plug in the contact hole.
Another aspect of the present disclosure includes a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a base substrate, including a substrate, a gate structure on the substrate, source and drain doped regions in the substrate on both sides of the gate structure, and a dielectric layer on the substrate and on top of the gate structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a conductive plug, penetrating through the dielectric layer and into each of the source and drain doped regions. Further, the semiconductor structure includes a doped layer in each of the source and drain doped regions, with doped ions, and surrounding a bottom portion of the conductive plug.
Other aspects of the present disclosure can be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the description, the claims, and the drawings of the present disclosure.
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or the alike parts.
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The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and fabrication method thereof.
As shown in
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In one embodiment, the base substrate may include a first transistor region I and a second transistor region II. The first transistor region I may be used to form an NMOS transistor, and the second transistor region II may be used to form a PMOS transistor. In certain embodiments, the first transistor region I may be used to form a PMOS transistor, and the second transistor region II may be used to form an NMOS transistor.
In one embodiment, the dielectric layer may include a bottom dielectric layer 203 on the substrate, and a top dielectric layer 230 on the bottom dielectric layer 203 and on the top of the gate structure.
A method for forming the base substrate may include the following steps shown in
In one embodiment, forming the substrate may include: providing an initial substrate, and patterning the initial substrate to form the bottom substrate 200 and a plurality of fins 201 on the bottom substrate 200. In certain embodiments, the substrate may be a planar substrate.
In one embodiment, the bottom substrate 200 may be a silicon substrate. In certain embodiments, the bottom substrate 200 may be a germanium substrate, a silicon germanium substrate, a silicon on insulator substrate, a germanium on insulator substrate, or other semiconductor substrates. In one embodiment, the fins 201 may be made of silicon. In certain embodiments, the fins 201 may be made of germanium, or silicon germanium, etc.
In one embodiment, the base substrate may also include an isolation structure 202 formed on the bottom substrate 200 between the adjacent fins 201. The surface of the isolation structure 202 may be lower than the top surface of the fin 201.
In one embodiment, the gate structure may include a first gate structure 221 formed on the fin 201 in the first transistor region I, and a second gate structure 222 formed on the fin 201 in the second transistor region II.
In one embodiment, the first gate structure 221 may include a first gate dielectric layer formed on the fin 201 in the first transistor region I, a first working function layer formed on the first gate dielectric layer, a first capping layer formed on the first working function layer, and a first gate formed on the first capping layer.
In one embodiment, the second gate structure 222 may include a second gate dielectric layer formed on the fin 201 in the second transistor region II, the first working function layer formed on the second gate dielectric layer, a second working function layer formed on the first working function layer, a second capping layer formed on the second working function layer, and a second gate formed on the second capping layer.
In one embodiment, both the first gate and the second gate may be a metal gate. For example, both the first gate and the second gate may be made of tungsten. In one embodiment, the first gate structure 221 and the second gate structure 222 may be formed by a gate-last process.
In one embodiment, the base substrate may also include a barrier layer 231 formed on the bottom dielectric layer 203.
In one embodiment, forming the first gate structure 221 and the second gate structure 222 may include: forming a first dummy gate structure on the fin 201 in the first transistor region I; forming a second dummy gate structure on the fin 201 in the second transistor region II; sequentially forming the bottom dielectric layer 203 and the barrier layer 231 over the isolation structure 202 and the fins 201; removing the first dummy gate structure to form a first opening; removing the second dummy gate structure to form a second opening; forming the first gate structure 221 in the first opening; and forming the second gate structure 222 in the second opening.
The bottom dielectric layer 203 may be used to electrically isolate the first gate structure 221, the second gate structure 222 and external circuits. The barrier layer 231 may be used to protect the bottom dielectric layer 203.
In one embodiment, the gate-last process used to form the metal gate structure is described herein as an example. In another embodiment, the first gate and the second gate may be a polysilicon gate. The dummy gate may provide a space for forming a polysilicon gate of the polysilicon gate transistor. In certain embodiments, the base substrate may be formed by a front-gate process, and the base substrate may not include the bottom dielectric layer and the barrier layer.
In one embodiment, the source and drain doped regions may include first source and drain doped regions 211 formed in the fin 201 on both sides of the first gate structure 221, and second source and drain doped regions 212 formed in the fin 201 on both sides of the second gate structure 222.
In one embodiment, after forming the first dummy gate structure and the second dummy gate structure, and before forming the bottom dielectric layer, the first source and drain doped regions 211 may be formed in the fin 201 on both sides of the first dummy gate structure, and the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be formed in the fin 201 on both sides of the second dummy gate structure.
In one embodiment, the first source and drain doped regions 211 and the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be formed by an epitaxial growth process. The first source and drain doped regions 211 and the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be doped during the epitaxial growth process.
In one embodiment, the first transistor region I may be used to form an NMOS transistor, the first source and drain doped regions 211 may be made of silicon carbon, and the doped ions in the first source and drain doped regions 211 may be phosphorus ions.
In one embodiment, the second transistor region II may be used to form a PMOS transistor, the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be made of silicon germanium, and the doped ions in the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be boron ions.
In one embodiment, the base substrate may also include a sidewall spacer formed between the gate structure and the bottom dielectric layer 203.
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In one embodiment, the top dielectric layer 230 may be made of silicon oxide. In certain embodiments, the top dielectric layer 230 may be made of silicon oxynitride. In one embodiment, the top dielectric layer 230 may be formed by one of a chemical vapor deposition process, a physical vapor deposition process, and an atomic layer deposition process.
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In one embodiment, forming the contact hole 240 may include etching the dielectric layer. The etching process performed on the dielectric layer may include a dry etching process. The etching rate of the dry etching process in the lateral direction may be small, thus the verticality of the sidewall of the formed contact hole 240 may be desired. In one embodiment, forming the contact hole 240 may also include etching the barrier layer 231.
After forming the contact hole 240, the source and drain doped regions may be doped by a doping process to form a doped layer in each of the source and drain doped regions via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240. The ions doped into the source and drain doped regions can be referred to doped ions.
In one embodiment, the doped layer may include a first doped layer in each of the first source and drain doped regions 211, and a second doped layer in each of the second source and drain doped regions 212. The doped ions may include first doped ions in the first doped layer, and second doped ions in the second doped layer.
In one embodiment, the doping process to dope the source and drain doped regions may include: a first doping process to dope the first source and drain doped regions 211 to form the first doped layer in each of the first source and drain doped regions 211 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the first transistor region I; and a second doping process to dope the second source and drain doped regions 212 to form the second doped layer in each of the second source and drain doped regions 212 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the second transistor region II.
After forming the doped layer, an anti-diffusion treatment may be performed on the doped layer. The anti-diffusion treatment performed on the doped layer may include a first anti-diffusion treatment performed on the first doped layer, and a second anti-diffusion treatment performed on the second doped layer.
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The second doping process may be an isotropic process. In other words, the second doping process may be capable of doping the second source and drain doped regions 212 in all directions, and doping concentration in each direction may be uniform. Therefore, the second doping process may be capable of doping the bottom and sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the second transistor region II. Thus the second doped layer 252 may be formed in each of the second source and drain doped regions 212 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the second transistor region II.
The second doping process may be an isotropic process and the concentration of the second doped ions in the second doped layer 252 may be uniform, thus the resistivity between the subsequently formed conductive plug and each of the second source and drain doped regions 212 may be uniform. Therefore, the performance of the formed semiconductor structure may be improved.
In one embodiment, the second doping process to dope the second source and drain doped regions 212 may include: forming a first photoresist layer 210 in the contact hole 240 and on the top dielectric layer 230 in the first transistor region I; doping the second source and drain doped regions 212 by the second doping process with the first photoresist layer 210 as a mask to form the second doped layer 252 in each of the second source and drain doped regions 212 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the second transistor region II; and removing the first photoresist layer 210.
In one embodiment, the process of forming the first photoresist layer 210 may include a spin coating process. In one embodiment, the second transistor region II may be used to form a PMOS transistor, thus the second doped ions may be boron ions. In certain embodiments, the second doped ions may be indium ions.
In one embodiment, the second doping process may include a plasma doping process. The plasma doping process is based on the diffusion of plasma into the second source and drain doped regions 212 to dope the second source and drain doped regions 212. The diffusion of plasma is isotropic, and the scattering between plasmas may also increase the uniformity of the doped concentration. Therefore, the plasma doping process may enable isotropic doping.
If the concentration of the second doped ions in the second doped layer 252 is too small, the resistance between each of the second source and drain doped regions 212 and the subsequently formed conductive plug may not be effectively reduced. In one embodiment, the concentration of the second doped ions in the second doped layer 252 may be greater than 5×1014 atoms/cm3.
The doping dose is related to the doping concentration. The too low doping dose may cause the doping concentration to be too low, and the too large doping dose may easily waste materials. In one embodiment, the doping dose may be in a range of approximately 1×1015 atoms/cm3-5×1015 atoms/cm3.
In one embodiment, the small doping energy of the second doping process may reduce the directivity of the second doping process. While if the doping energy is too small, the doping efficiency may be affected. Therefore, the doping energy may be in a range of approximately 10 eV-20 KeV.
In one embodiment, the higher the doping temperature, the higher the diffusion rate of the plasma into the second source and drain doped regions, and the higher the production efficiency. However, the high temperature may easily degrade the performance of the semiconductor structure. For example, in one embodiment, the doping temperature may be in a range of approximately 25° C.-800° C.
In one embodiment, the lower the pressure, the higher the vacuum degree, and the smaller the influence on the plasma diffusion. The too high vacuum degree may easily increase the equipment requirements. Therefore, in one embodiment, the vacuum degree may be in a range of approximately 1 mtorr-1000 mtorr.
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In one embodiment, the second anti-diffusion treatment may include performing a second ion implantation process on the second doped layer 252. The implanted ions in the second ion implantation process may be referred to second anti-diffusion ions. When performing the second ion implantation process, the second anti-diffusion ions may have a certain kinetic energy and may collide with the second doped ions, as a result, the second doped ions may be moved toward the inside of the second doped layer 252.
In one embodiment, the atomic weight of the second anti-diffusion ion may be larger than the atomic weight of the second doped ion. In certain embodiments, the atomic weight of the second anti-diffusion ion may be equal to or smaller than the atomic weight of the second doped ion.
If the atomic weight of the second anti-diffusion ion is larger than the atomic weight of the second doped ion, the second doped ions may be easily moved toward the inside of the second doped layer 252 when performing the second ion implantation process. Therefore, the loss of the second doped ions may be reduced. In one embodiment, the second doped ions may be boron ions, and the second anti-diffusion ions may be indium ions.
In one embodiment, the process parameters of the second anti-diffusion treatment performed on the second doped layer 252 by the second ion implantation process may include the following. The implantation energy may be in a range of approximately 200 eV-20 KeV, the implantation dose may be lower than 1×1014 atoms/cm3, and the implantation angle may be in a range of approximately 0°-20°.
In certain embodiments, the second anti-diffusion treatment may be performed on the second doped layer by a plasma doping process to dope the second doped layer with heavy ions. The atomic weight of the heavy ion may be larger than the atomic weight of the second doped ion.
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The first doping process may be an isotropic process. In other words, the first doping process may be capable of doping the first source and drain doped regions 211 in all directions, and doping concentration in each direction may be uniform. Therefore, the first doping process may be capable of doping the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the first transistor region I. The first doped layer 251 may be formed in each of the first source and drain doped regions 211 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the first transistor region I.
The first doping process may be an isotropic process and the concentration of the first doped ions in the first doped layer 251 may be uniform, thus the resistivity between the subsequently formed conductive plug and each of the first source and drain doped regions 211 may be uniform. Thus, the performance of the formed semiconductor structure may be improved.
In one embodiment, the first doping process to dope the first source and drain doped regions 211 may include: forming a second photoresist layer 220 in the contact hole 240 and on the top dielectric layer 230 in the second transistor region II; doping the first source and drain doped regions 211 by the first doping process with the second photoresist layer 220 as a mask to form the first doped layer 251 in each of the first source and drain doped regions 211 via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole 240 in the first transistor region I; and removing the second photoresist layer 220.
In one embodiment, the process of forming the second photoresist layer 220 may include a spin coating process. In one embodiment, the first transistor region I may be used to form an NMOS transistor, thus the first doped ions may be phosphorus ions. In certain embodiments, the first doped ions may be arsenic ions, or antimony ions, etc.
In one embodiment, the first doping process may include a plasma doping process. The plasma doping process is based on the diffusion of plasma into the first source and drain doped regions 211 to dope the first source and drain doped regions 211. The diffusion of plasma is isotropic, and the scattering between plasmas may also increase the uniformity of the doped concentration. Therefore, the plasma doping process may enable isotropic doping.
If the concentration of the first doped ions in the first doped layer 251 is too small, the resistance between each of the first source and drain doped regions 211 and the subsequently formed conductive plug may not be effectively reduced. In one embodiment, the concentration of the first doped ions in the first doped layer 251 may be greater than 5×1014 atoms/cm3.
The doping dose may be related to the doping concentration. The too low doping dose may cause the doping concentration to be too low, and the too large doping dose may easily waste materials. In one embodiment, the doping dose may be in a range of approximately 1×1015 atoms/cm3-5×1015 atoms/cm3.
In one embodiment, the small doping energy of the first doping process may reduce the directivity of the first doping process. While the too small doping energy may affect the doping efficiency. Therefore, the doping energy may be in a range of approximately 10 eV-20 KeV.
In one embodiment, the higher the doping temperature, the higher the diffusion rate of the plasma into the first source and drain doped regions 211, and the higher the production efficiency. However, the high temperature may easily degrade the performance of the semiconductor structure. For example, in one embodiment, the doping temperature may be in a range of approximately 25° C.-800° C.
In one embodiment, the lower the pressure, the higher the vacuum degree, and the smaller the influence on the plasma diffusion. The too high vacuum degree may easily increase the equipment requirements. Therefore, in one embodiment, the vacuum degree may be in a range of approximately 1 mtorr-1000 mtorr.
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In one embodiment, the first anti-diffusion treatment may include performing a first ion implantation process on the first doped layer 251. The implanted ions in the first ion implantation process may be referred to first anti-diffusion ions. When performing the first ion implantation process, the first anti-diffusion ions may have a certain kinetic energy and may collide with the first doped ions, as a result, the first doped ions may be moved toward the inside of the first doped layer 251.
In one embodiment, the atomic weight of the first anti-diffusion ion may be larger than the atomic weight of the first doped ion. In certain embodiments, the atomic weight of the first anti-diffusion ion may be equal to or smaller than the atomic weight of the first doped ion.
If the atomic weight of the first anti-diffusion ion is larger than the atomic weight of the first doped ion, the first doped ions may be easily moved toward the inside of the first doped layer 251 when performing the first ion implantation process. Therefore, the loss of the first doped ions may be reduced. In one embodiment, the first doped ions may be phosphorus ions, and the first anti-diffusion ions may be arsenic ions, or antimony ions, etc.
In one embodiment, the process parameters of the first anti-diffusion treatment performed on the first doped layer 251 by the first ion implantation process may include the following. The implantation energy may be in a range of approximately 200 eV-20 KeV, the implantation dose may be lower than 1×1014 atoms/cm3, and the implantation angle may be in a range of approximately 0°-20°.
In certain embodiments, the first anti-diffusion treatment may be performed on the first doped layer by a plasma doping process to dope the first doped layer with heavy ions. The atomic weight of the heavy ion may be larger than the atomic weight of the first doped ion.
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In one embodiment, the conductive plug 241 may be made of tungsten. In certain embodiments, the conductive plug 241 may be made of copper. In one embodiment, the conductive plug 241 may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition process. The conductive plug 241, formed by the chemical vapor deposition process, may have a desired step coverage.
In one embodiment, before forming the conductive plug 241, a metal layer may be formed on the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole. The metal layer in contact with the doped layer may react with the doped layer to form metal compounds.
A semiconductor structure is also provided in the present disclosure. The semiconductor structure may include a base substrate including a substrate, a gate structure on the substrate, source and drain doped regions in the substrate on both sides of the gate structure, and a dielectric layer on the substrate and top of the gate structure. The semiconductor structure may also include a conductive plug penetrating through the dielectric layer and into each of the source and drain doped regions. Further, the semiconductor structure may include a doped layer in each of the source and drain doped regions, with doped ions, and surrounding a bottom portion of the conductive plug. Concentration of the doped ions in the doped layer may be uniform.
In one embodiment, the base substrate may include a first transistor region and a second transistor region. The gate structure may include a first gate structure in the first transistor region and a second gate structure in the second transistor region. The source and drain doped regions may include first source and drain doped regions in the substrate on both sides of the first gate structure in the first transistor region, and second source and drain doped regions in the substrate on both sides of the second gate structure in the second transistor region. The doped layer may include a first doped layer in each of the first source and drain doped regions, and a second doped layer in each of the second source and drain doped regions. The doped ions may include first doped ions in the first doped layer, and second doped ions in the second doped layer.
In one embodiment, the first transistor region may be used to form an NMOS transistor, thus the first doped ions may be phosphorus ions. In certain embodiments, the first doped ions may be arsenic ions, or antimony ions, etc. In one embodiment, the second transistor region may be used to form a PMOS transistor, thus the second doped ions may be boron ions. In certain embodiments, the second doped ions may be indium ions.
Accordingly, in the present disclosure, the source and drain doped regions may be doped by the doping process to form the doped layer in each of the source and drain doped regions via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole. The doped layer may reduce the resistance between each of the source and drain doped regions and the conductive plug. After doping the source and drain doped regions, the doped ions may be evenly distributed in the source and drain doped regions via the bottom and a portion of sidewalls of the contact hole. Therefore, the resistivity between the conductive plug and each of the source and drain doped regions may be uniform, and the performance of the formed semiconductor structure may be improved.
Further, before forming the conductive plug, the anti-diffusion process may be performed on the doped layer. The anti-diffusion process may reduce the diffusion of the doped ions in the doped layer toward the surface of the doped layer. As a result, the concentration of the doped ions in the doped layer may be increased, and the resistance between the conductive plug and each of the source and drain doped regions may be further reduced. Therefore, the performance of the formed semiconductor structure may be further improved.
The above detailed descriptions only illustrate certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can understand the specification as whole and technical features in the various embodiments can be combined into other embodiments understandable to those persons of ordinary skill in the art. Any equivalent or modification thereof, without departing from the spirit and principle of the present disclosure, falls within the true scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201610664338.6 | Aug 2016 | CN | national |