Oxygen Barrier Layer for Semiconductor Source-Drain Impurity Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The scaling down of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOS-FETs) in semiconductor devices leads to deterioration in operation characteristics, necessitating improved methods to maintain performance and prevent impurity diffusion.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a barrier layer containing oxygen between the source/drain regions and the active pattern in semiconductor devices, which is conformally formed and spaced apart to prevent impurity diffusion and enhance epitaxial growth, while allowing for thermal treatment at high temperatures to activate impurities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If MOS-FETs are scaled down to reduce pattern size and design rule, then device density and integration are improved, but operation characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by introducing a barrier layer with specific oxygen concentration at the interface between source/drain regions and active pattern, rather than uniformly treating the entire device structure. This localized modification at the critical interface region prevents impurity diffusion while maintaining overall device scaling benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by incorporating oxygen into the barrier layer structure. This parameter change transforms the barrier layer's properties to prevent impurity diffusion, thereby maintaining operation characteristics despite device scaling
2Reliability
If barrier layer is formed to prevent impurity diffusion, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier layer acts as an intermediary element between the source/drain regions and the active pattern. This intermediate layer with oxygen incorporation mediates the interaction between doped regions and the channel, preventing harmful impurity diffusion while maintaining a relatively simple overall device architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The barrier layer is formed as a composite structure with oxygen incorporated into the material composition. This composite approach combines the base barrier material with oxygen to create enhanced properties for impurity blocking, achieving reliable protection without excessive structural complexity
3Reliability
If thermal treatment is performed at high temperature to activate impurities, then electrical conductivity is improved, but impurity diffusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The barrier layer with oxygen incorporation is formed in advance before thermal treatment to prevent impurity diffusion. This preliminary protective action is taken before the high-temperature process that would otherwise cause harmful diffusion, allowing impurity activation without the associated harmful effects
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution improves the electric characteristics of semiconductor devices by preventing impurity diffusion and reducing electric resistance, thereby maintaining performance even at reduced scales.
Implementation Method 1
a barrier layer between at least one of the source/drain regions and the at least one active pattern, the barrier layer being at least on bottoms of the source/drain regions and including oxygen
Implementation Method 2
forming source/drain regions on the at least one active pattern by an epitaxial growth process
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes at least one active pattern on a substrate, at least one gate electrode intersecting the at least one active pattern, source/drain regions on the at least one active pattern, the source/drain regions being on opposite sides of the at least one gate electrode, and a barrier layer between at least one of the source/drain regions and the at least one active pattern, the barrier layer being at least on bottoms of the source/drain regions and including oxygen.