Recent progress and challenges in enabling embedded Si:C technology

This: paper discusses the fundamental challenges and reports the recent progress in enabling embedded Si (eSi) 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 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 material property is crucial in keeping carbon in its substitutional site thus to preserve strain in the eSi 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 source/drain material. ©The Electrochemical Society.