Tunneling currents and reliability of atomic-layer-deposited SiBCN for low-κ spacer dielectrics

Reduced gate-to-contact thickness is prompting a search for compatible spacer dielectrics with reduced dielectric constants (κ). We compare the reliability of the traditional spacer dielectric, Si
₃
N
₄
, with a lower κ material, SiBCN. Weibull slopes and power-law exponent are measured to be close to that of SiO
₂
. Guidance is given on the minimum SiBCN spacer thickness.