Dopant and carrier profiling in FinFET-based devices with sub-nanometer resolution

Atom probe tomography (APT) in conjunction with scanning spreading resistance microscopy (SSRM) is demonstrated for the first time to profile dopant and carrier distributions in FinFET-based devices with sub-nanometer resolution. These two techniques together provide information on the degree of conformality, the dose retention and the dopant activation. These results are also compared with a methodology involving secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Ion implantation for increased conformality of source/drain extensions is demonstrated for tilted implants, which clearly leads to improved device performance.