Reduction of Leakage and Low-Frequency Noise in MOS Transistors Through Two-Step RTA of NiSi-Silicide Technology

Author

Yang, Rong ; Loh, W.-Y. ; Yu, M.B. ; Xiong, Yong-Zhong ; Choy, S.F. ; Jiang, Y. ; Chan, D.S.H. ; Lim, Y.F. ; Bera, L.K. ; Wong, L. K Be L Y ; Li, W.H. ; Du, A.Y. ; Tung, C.H. ; Hoe, K.M. ; Lo, G.Q. ; Balasubramanian, N. ; Kwong, D.L.

Author_Institution

Inst. of Microelectron., Sci. Park, Singapore

Volume

27

Issue

10

fYear

2006

Firstpage

824

Lastpage

826

Abstract

A two-step rapid thermal annealing (RTA) nickel salicidation process was employed to fabricate 0.1-mum gate length CMOS transistors. Excess salicidation, common in the conventional one-step RTA NiSi process, is effectively suppressed by this approach, which is confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images. More improvements due to two-step NiSi are observed in NMOS than in PMOS transistors: The n⁺-p junction diode with two-step NiSi exhibits lower reverse leakage and higher breakdown voltage than the one-step silicided diode. For the first time, it is found that two-step NiSi NMOS exhibits significant reduction in off-state leakage (~5times) and low-frequency noise (up to two orders of magnitude) over one-step NiSi NMOS, although there is not much difference in PMOS transistors

Keywords

MOSFET; nickel compounds; rapid thermal annealing; semiconductor device breakdown; semiconductor device noise; transmission electron microscopy; CMOS transistors; NMOS transistors; NiSi; PMOS transistors; leakage noise; low-frequency noise; rapid thermal annealing; salicidation; transmission electron microscopy; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Diodes; Electrons; Low-frequency noise; MOS devices; MOSFETs; Nickel; Rapid thermal annealing; Rapid thermal processing; Breakdown voltage; CMOS; NiSi salicidation; diode; leakage; low-frequency noise;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/LED.2006.882567

Filename

1704912