Two-dimensional profiling of shallow junctions in Si metal-oxide-semiconductor structures using scanning tunneling spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy

Abstract

We have used cross-sectional scanning tunneling spectroscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy to perform two-dimensional profiling of shallow pn junctions in Si metal-oxide-semiconductor structures. In the tunneling spectroscopy measurements, clear differences were observed between current-voltage spectra obtained from p-type, n-type, and depleted regions of the metal-oxide-semiconductor structures; current images generated from the tunneling spectra revealed the profiles of the pn junctions with spatial resolution in both the lateral and vertical directions on the order of 10 nm. Calculated tunneling current-voltage spectra were found to be consistent with observed differences in experimental spectra obtained from p-type and n-type regions of the junctions. Junction profiles obtained by scanning tunneling spectroscopy have also been compared to transmission electron microscopy images of chemically delineated junctions and measurements of vertical dopant profiles obtained by secondary ion mass spectrometry. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.