The effect of the elevated source/drain doping profile on performance and reliability of deep submicron MOSFETs

Deep submicron NMOSFETs with elevated source/drain (ESD) were fabricated using self-aligned selective epitaxial deposition and engineered ion implanted profiles in the elevated layers, Deeper source/drain (S/D) junctions give rise to improved drive current over shallower profiles when the same spacer thickness and LDD doping level are used, Shallower junctions, especially with the heavily-doped S/D residing in the elevated layer, give better immunity to drain-induced-barrier lowering (DLBL) and bulk punchthrough. Tradeoffs between short-channel behavior and drive current with regard to S/D junction depth and spacer thickness were further studied using process/device simulations to cover a broader range of structure parameters. Despite the existence of epi facets along the sidewall spacers, the elevated S/D could be used as a sacrificial layer for silicidation, without degradation of the low-leakage junctions. The effects of the elevated S/D doping profile on substrate current and hot-electron-induced degradation were measured and analyzed. The simulated results were used, for the first time, to define the range of spacer thickness and LDD doses that are required in order for the lightly-doped region in the elevated S/D to effectively suppress the lateral electric field.