Hiroaki Akamatsu

Channel strain analysis in high-performance damascene-gate p-metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors using high-spatial resolution Raman spectroscopy

Channel strain analysis in damascene-gate p-metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (pMOSFETs) with a compressive stress liner and embedded SiGe after the dummy gate removal was studied using micro-Raman spectroscopy with a UV laser (λ=363.8 nm) and a quasiline excitation source. Using a quasiline excitation source, we obtained spatial and energy information simultaneously with a high spatial resolution in the one-dimensional strain profile. For Lgate>210 nm samples, we performed laser exposure for 10 min to measure the channel strain. However, the channel strain for Lgate<210 nm samples was impossible to evaluate due to the limitation of the spatial resolution. Therefore, we increased the laser exposure time to 40 min for Lgate<210 nm samples. Super invar metal with an extremely low thermal coefficient was installed in the monochromator, which achieved a very long measurement. Finally, we found an extremely large stress of −2.4 GPa in the channel of Lgate=30 nm samples. These results demonstra...

Study of Strain Induction for Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors using Transparent Dummy Gates and Stress Liners

Strain induction was studied on a sample that had a dummy gate tetraethyl orthosilicate–silicon dioxide (TEOS–SiO2) and SiN film by UV-Raman spectroscopy with high spatial and high wave-number resolution. The UV laser penetrated through the dummy gate that was transparent to UV light, which enabled us to evaluate strain in the channel of the metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) model. Furthermore, we compared stress profiles obtained by finite element (FE) calculations with those obtained by UV-Raman measurements. There was a difference between the stress profiles in the line-and-space pattern sample and in the dummy-gate sample; large compressive (tensile) strains were concentrated at the channel edges in the dummy-gate sample with the compressive (tensile) stress liner, although both tensile and compressive strains existed at the channel edge in the line-and-space pattern sample. The results from UV-Raman spectroscopy were consistent with those obtained by the FE calculation.

Evaluation of Strained-Silicon by Electron Backscattering Pattern Measurement: Comparison Study with UV-Raman Measurement and Edge Force Model Calculation

We demonstrate the results of strain (stress) evaluation obtained from electron backscattering pattern (EBSP) measurement for samples of a strained Si-on-insulator (SSOI) and a Si substrate with a patterned SiN film. Two-dimensional stress distributions were obtained in 40×40 µm2 areas of the SSOI. The biaxial stress state was also obtained in the SSOI. Furthermore, clear cross-hatch contrast was observed, especially in the distribution of shear stress Sxy, in contrast to with the other distributions of normal stress Sxx and Syy. One- and two-dimensional stress distributions in the Si substrate with the patterned SiN film were also obtained from EBSP measurement. Moreover, the results were compared with those of UV-Raman measurement and edge force model calculation, and were found to have a good correlation with each other. EBSP measurement was used to measure the complicated biaxial stress including the shear stress in a sample with a 150-nm-wide space pattern. We can conclude that EBSP measurement is a useful method for precisely measuring stress with high spatial resolution.

Mobility and Velocity Enhancement Effects of High Uniaxial Stress on Si (100) and (110) Substrates for Short-Channel pFETs

An experimental study of mobility and velocity enhancement effects is reported for highly strained short-channel p-channel field-effect transistors (pFETs) using a damascene-gate process on Si (100) and (110) substrates. The relationship between the mobility and the saturation velocity of hole under a compressive stress over 2.0 GPa is discussed. The local channel stress of 2.4 GPa is successfully measured with ultraviolet-Raman spectroscopy for the 30-nm-gate-length device with top-cut compressive-stress SiN liner and embedded SiGe. Mobility and saturation-velocity enhancements of (100) substrate are larger than those of (110) under the high channel stress. In consequence, the saturation current on (100) is larger than that on (110) for the pFETs with higher channel stress and shorter gate length. Moreover, the large enhancement rate of saturation velocity to mobility by the uniaxial stress suggests high injection velocity for the pFETs with the stressors since the high channel stress is induced near the potential peak of the source by using the damascene-gate technology.

Improvement of CVD SiO2 by Post Deposition Microwave Plasma Treatment

We evaluated density and chemical bonding states of the CVD SiO2 film with and without plasma treatment to clarify an effect of the plasma treatment. It was found that the chemical bonding states were homogenized by the plasma treatment from the results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In addition, an increase of the film density was also observed. These results indicate the densification of SiO2 film, suppression of bond-angle fluctuation, and decrease of impurities (e.g. Hydrogen, Nitrogen and so on) in the SiO2 film. These results can well explain the improvement of the electrical properties by the plasma treatment. Furthermore, UV-Raman measurement was performed to evaluate the modification of Si stress and crystal quality at the SiO2/Si interface.

Evaluation of Anisotropic Biaxial Stress by Raman Spectroscopy with a High Numerical Aperture Immersion Objective Lens

It is expected to be necessary to measure the stress tensors in Si because the stress field in the channels of metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors is remarkably complicated. Raman spectroscopy enables us to evaluate the stress precisely, nondestructively, and with relatively high spatial resolution, although its standard implementation fails to resolve the stress tensor. The goal of this study is to establish a procedure for measuring an unknown plane-stress state. In this study, the anisotropic biaxial stress in Si induced by a SiN film was evaluated by Raman spectroscopy with an immersion objective lens with a high numerical aperture.

Evaluation of Strained Silicon by Electron Back Scattering Pattern Compared with Raman Measurement and Edge Force Model Calculation

Global and local strained-Si samples, namely strained-Si on insulator (SSOI) wafer and a Si substrate with a patterned SiN film were each evaluated by electron backscattering pattern (EBSP). In the EBSP measurements for SSOI, biaxial tensile stresses (biaxial tensile strains and compressive strain perpendicular to the surface) were obtained, whose values were consistent with those obtained by UV-Raman spectroscopy. One-dimensional stress distributions in the Si substrate with the patterned SiN film were obtained by EBSP, UV-Raman spectroscopy with a deconvolution method, and edge force model calculation. The results were well consistent with each other. EBSP allows us to measure stress and strain in the patterned SiN sample with 150-nm wide space. Furthermore, anisotropic biaxial stress including shear stress was also obtained by EBSP.

Improvement of Spatial Resolution in Raman Spectroscopy Selecting Measurement Area by Opaque Material Deposition

We have succeeded in the strain analysis beyond the spatial resolution in conventional Raman measurements, which can be achieved by selecting the strain-induced measurement area by an opaque material. Tungsten (W) film deposited by electron beam (EB)-assisted deposition was used for the opaque material in this study. The EB-W film has the properties of a relatively high absorption coefficient and a low density. These features give rise to shading of the excitation light without stress induction into Si. As a result, the wave number shift of 0.86 cm-1 was obtained in the Si substrate with 100-nm-wide space SiN pattern, whose value was higher than that obtained in conventional Raman measurements, 0.3–0.4 cm-1. Furthermore, the spatial resolution of Raman spectroscopy with the W film deposition was better than that of Raman spectroscopy with an immersion lens. We can say that the methodology is a promising candidate to measure strain in fine structures.

Study of Charge Trap Sites in SiN Films by Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAX-PES) was performed at SPring-8, and has enabled us to study the bulk properties of SiN films deposited by microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and deeply buried SiN/SiO2 interfaces, owing to the large inelastic mean free path of a photoelectron with a high kinetic energy. The defect states in the SiN films were examined by HAX-PES in order to verify the charge-trapping mechanism in a silicon–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon flash memory device. X-ray reflectometry (XRR) was also performed at SPring-8. There is a complementary relationship between photoelectron spectroscopy and XRR. This methodology is proposed in this paper as a powerful tool for examining material properties. The detailed depth profile analysis of the chemical states in the SiN films obtained by angle-resolved HAX-PES also helped us to examine the charge-trapping mechanism.

HAX-PES Study of SiN Film for Charge Storage Layer in High Performance SONOS Type Flash Memory Cell

1 School of Science and Technology, Meiji University 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki, 214-8571, Japan Phone: +81-44-934-7324 E-mail: d_kose@isc.meiji.ac.jp 2 TOKYO ELECTRON AT LTD 1-8 Fuso-cho, Amagasaki, Hyogo, 660-0891, Japan 3 Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) 1-1-1 Koto, Saya-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo, 679-5198, Japan 4 Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 8 Ichiban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8472, Japan