Gate Barrier Nitride Gradient for Lower Junction Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face challenges in optimizing the barrier layer properties to enhance performance, particularly in balancing barrier effect and reducing junction leakage current while maintaining stability, as fixed nitrogen atom concentrations in the barrier layer either lead to poor barrier effect or affect the energy gap of the gate conductive layer.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a gate structure featuring a first barrier layer composed of transition metal nitride, where the concentration of nitrogen atoms is higher adjacent to the gate insulating layer and lower away from it, allowing for improved barrier effect and reduced junction leakage current.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the nitrogen atom concentration in the barrier layer is increased to improve the barrier effect, then the barrier effect is enhanced, but the junction leakage current increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a barrier layer with non-uniform nitrogen atom concentration distribution. The nitrogen concentration is higher in the region adjacent to the gate insulating layer to provide strong barrier effect, and lower in the region adjacent to the gate conductive layer to reduce junction leakage current. This spatial variation in material composition allows simultaneous optimization of both contradictory requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of nitrogen atoms within the barrier layer from a fixed value to a graded distribution. By controlling the nitrogen concentration to decrease from the gate insulating layer interface toward the gate conductive layer interface, the patent achieves both enhanced barrier effect and reduced junction leakage current through parameter optimization.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the nitrogen atom concentration in the barrier layer is decreased to reduce junction leakage current, then the junction leakage current is reduced, but the barrier effect deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses this contradiction by ensuring that the barrier layer has higher nitrogen concentration specifically in the region where it interfaces with the gate insulating layer, which is the critical area for barrier effect. The nitrogen concentration is deliberately reduced in the region adjacent to the gate conductive layer, allowing low junction leakage current while maintaining strong barrier properties where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the nitrogen concentration parameter by creating a graded profile rather than using a uniform concentration. The nitrogen concentration is tuned to be high near the gate insulating layer for barrier effect and low near the gate conductive layer for leakage reduction, achieving both goals through parameter gradient control.
3Ease of manufacture
If the nitrogen atom concentration is uniformly distributed in the barrier layer, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the semiconductor device performance cannot be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves optimized device performance by implementing local quality variation in the barrier layer's nitrogen concentration. Rather than uniform distribution, the nitrogen concentration is tailored to be high near the gate insulating layer and low near the gate conductive layer, enabling simultaneous achievement of good barrier effect and low junction leakage current while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through controlled deposition processes.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a gate structure. The gate structure, form bottom to top, includes a gate insulating layer, a first barrier layer and a gate conductive layer. The gate insulating layer is disposed on a substrate. The first barrier layer is disposed on the gate insulating layer. The first barrier layer includes a transition metal nitride, and a concentration of nitrogen atom of a portion of the first barrier layer adjacent to the gate insulating layer is higher than a concentration of nitrogen atom of a portion of the first barrier layer away from the gate insulating layer. The gate conductive layer is disposed on the first barrier layer.