NBTI Reliability of P-Channel Transistors With Diamond-Like Carbon Liner Having Ultrahigh Compressive Stress

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) characteristics of p-channel field-effect transistors (p-FETs) with diamond-like carbon (DLC) liner stressor having ultrahigh compressive stress (~ 5 GPa) are investigated for the first time. Ultrafast measurement was employed for NBTI study. Power law slopes ranging from ~ 0.058 to ~ 0.072 are reported here. P-FETs with higher channel strain show greater threshold voltage shift (DeltaV
_th
) and transconductance degradation than those with lower or no channel strain under the same NBT stress condition V
_stress
. Strained p-FETs with Si S/D and DLC stressors are projected to have an NBTI lifetime of ten years at V
_G
= -0.99 V using E
_ox
power law lifetime extrapolation model or at V
_G
= -0.76 V using the exponential V
_stress
model.