Reduced gate leakage current and boron penetration of 0.18 /spl mu/m 1.5 V MOSFETs using integrated RTCVD oxynitride gate dielectric

High gate leakage current and severe boron penetration are two major problems for ultra-thin gate oxide especially for portable applications where chip standby power must be minimized. We report for the first time that the use of integrated RTCVD oxynitride (ION), fabricated in a commercially available CVD nitride system, can reduce the gate leakage current by two orders of magnitude and significantly increase the resistance to boron penetration. The ION retains the excellent MOSFET performance, HCI (Hot Carrier Injection) reliability, and ring oscillator results of the control oxide for 0.18 /spl mu/m 1.5 V CMOS technology. This approach should be an attractive gate dielectric for advanced technology.