Dopant profile engineering of advanced Si MOSFET's using ion implantation

Ion implantation has been used to realize non-uniform, steep retrograde (SR) dopant profiles in the active channel region of advanced Si MOSFET's. After defining the transistor configuration, SR profiles were formed by dopant implantation through the poly crystalline Si gate and the gate oxide (through-the-gate, TG, implantation). The steep nature of the as-implanted profile was retained by applying rapid thermal annealing for dopant activation and implantation damage removal. For NMOS transistors, TG implantation of B yields improved transistor performance through increased carrier mobility, reduced junction capacitances, and reduced susceptibility to short-channel effects. Electrical measurements show that the gate oxide quality is not deteriorated by the ion-induced damage, demonstrating that transistor reliability is preserved. For PMOS transistors, TG implantation of P or As leads to unacceptable source/ drain junction broadening as a result of transient enhanced dopant diffusion during thermal activation.