Masahiro Oka

Conformal doping of topographic silicon structures using a radial line slot antenna plasma source

Fin extension doping for 10 nm front end of line technology requires ultra-shallow high dose conformal doping. In this paper, we demonstrate a new radial line slot antenna plasma source based doping process that meets these requirements. Critical to reaching true conformality while maintaining fin integrity is that the ion energy be low and controllable, while the dose absorption is self-limited. The saturated dopant later is rendered conformal by concurrent amorphization and dopant containing capping layer deposition followed by stabilization anneal. Dopant segregation assists in driving dopants from the capping layer into the sub silicon surface. Very high resolution transmission electron microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, used to prove true conformality, was achieved. We demonstrate these results using an n-type arsenic based plasma doping process on 10 to 40 nm high aspect ratio fins structures. The results are discussed in terms of the different types of clusters that form during the pl...

Formation, nature, and stability of the arsenic-silicon-oxygen alloy for plasma doping of non-planar silicon structures

We demonstrate stable arsenic-silicon-oxide film formation during plasma doping of arsenic into non-planar silicon surfaces through investigation of the nature and stability of the ternary oxide using first principles calculations with experimental validations. It is found that arsenic can be co-mingled with silicon and oxygen, while the ternary oxide exhibits the minimum energy phase at x ≈ 0.3 in AsxSi1−xO2−0.5x. Our calculations also predict that the arsenic-silicon-oxide alloy may undergo separation into As-O, Si-rich As-Si-O, and Si-O phases depending on the composition ratio, consistent with experimental observations. This work highlights the importance of the solid-state chemistry for controlled plasma doping.

Mechanisms for dose retention in conformal arsenic doping using a radial line slot antenna microwave plasma source

Topographic structures such as Fin FETs and silicon nanowires for advanced gate fabrication require ultra-shallow high dose infusion of dopants into the silicon subsurface. Plasma doping meets this requirement by supplying a flux of inert ions and dopant radicals to the surface. However, the helium ion bombardment needed to infuse dopants into the fin surface can cause poor dose retention. This is due to the interaction between substrate damage and post doping process wet cleaning solutions required in the front end of line large-scale integration fabrication. We present findings from surface microscopy experiments that reveal the mechanism for dose retention in arsenic doped silicon fin samples using a microwave RLSA™ plasma source. Dilute aqueous hydrofluoric acid (DHF) cleans by themselves are incompatible with plasma doping processes because the films deposited over the dosed silicon and ion bombardment damaged silicon are readily removed. Oxidizing wet cleaning chemistries help retain the dose as sil...

Microwave plasma doping: Arsenic activation and transport in germanium and silicon

Microwave RLSA™ plasma doping technology has enabled conformal doping of non-planar semiconductor device structures. An important attribute of RLSA™ plasma doping is that it does not impart physical damage during processing. In this work, carrier activation measurements for AsH3 based plasma doping into silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge) using rapid thermal annealing are presented. The highest carrier concentrations are 3.6 × 1020 and 4.3 × 1018 cm−3 for Si and Ge, respectively. Secondary ion mass spectrometry depth profiles of arsenic in Ge show that intrinsic dopant diffusion for plasma doping followed by post activation anneal is much slower than for conventional ion implantation. This is indicative of an absence of defects. The comparison is based on a comparison of diffusion times at identical annealing temperatures. The absence of defects, like those generated in conventional ion implantation, in RLSA™ based doping processes makes RLSA™ doping technology useful for damage free conformal doping of topographic structures.