CMOS metal replacement gate transistors using tantalum pentoxide gate insulator

This paper reports a full CMOS process using a combination of a TiN/W Metal Replacement Gate Transistor design with a high dielectric constant gate insulator of tantalum pentoxide over thin remote plasma nitrided gate oxide. MOS devices with high gate capacitances equivalent to that for <2 nm SiO/sub 2/ but having relatively low gate leakage are reported. Transistors with gate lengths near or below 0.1 /spl mu/m have good characteristics. Working CMOS circuits using Ta/sub 2/O/sub 5/ gate insulator are demonstrated for the first time.