METHODS OF STRESSING TRANSISTOR CHANNEL WITH REPLACED GATE AND RELATED STRUCTURES

• US 20070281405A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.), International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.), International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Luo, Zhijiong, Zhu, Huilong, Chong, Yung Fu, Tessier, Brian L
• Application Number:
  US11/421,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281405A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/183
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/665 using self aligned silicidation, i.e. salicide formation of conductive layers comprising silicides H01L21/28518
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66545 using a dummy, i.e. replacement gate in a process wherein at least a part of the final gate is self aligned to the dummy gate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/6656 using multiple spacer layers, e.g. multiple sidewall spacers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7843 the means being an applied insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7845 the means being a conductive material, e.g. silicided S/D or Gate

Abstract

Methods of stressing a channel of a transistor with a replaced gate and related structures are disclosed. A method may include providing an intrinsically stressed material over the transistor including a gate thereof; removing a portion of the intrinsically stressed material over the gate; removing at least a portion of the gate, allowing stress retained by the gate to be transferred to the channel; replacing (or refilling) the gate with a replacement gate; and removing the intrinsically stressed material. Removing and replacing the gate allows stress retained by the original gate to be transferred to the channel, with the replacement gate maintaining (memorizing) that situation. The methods do not damage the gate dielectric. A structure may include a transistor having a channel including a first stress that is one of a compressive and tensile and a gate including a second stress that is the other of compressive and tensile.

Claims

1. A method of stressing a channel of a transistor, the method comprising:

providing an intrinsically stressed material over the transistor including a gate thereof;

removing a portion of the intrinsically stressed material over the gate;

removing at least a portion of the gate, allowing stress retained by the gate to be transferred to the channel;

replacing the gate with a replacement gate; and

removing the intrinsically stressed material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing includes providing an intrinsically tensilely stressed material over an n-channel transistor and an intrinsically compressively stressed material over a p-channel transistor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the providing further includes providing a protective layer over the intrinsically tensilely stressed material.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a protective layer over the transistor prior to providing the intrinsically stressed material.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the intrinsically stressed material removing includes performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) to the protective layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gate includes a silicide portion over a polysilicon germanium portion over a polysilicon portion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gate removing includes performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) selective to the polysilicon portion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing further includes providing a planarizing layer about the gate prior to the removing for the at least a portion of the gate.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising etching back the replacement gate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing further includes providing a metal layer over the transistor prior to the intrinsically stressed material, and the gate removing includes removing a portion of the metal layer over the gate;

wherein the replacement gate includes a metal;

further comprising;

annealing prior to the intrinsically stressed material removing to form a silicide from the metal in the replacement gate and to form a silicide in a source/drain region of the transistor from the metal layer and to memorize the stress from the intrinsically stressed material in the silicide;

removing at least a portion of the replacement gate prior to the intrinsically stressed material removing; and

removing the metal layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the metal layer includes a first metal layer including one of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti) and osmium (Os), and a second titanium nitride (TiN) layer.

12. A method of stressing a channel of a transistor, the method comprising:

first providing a metal layer over the transistor including a gate and a source/drain region thereof;

second providing an intrinsically stressed material over the transistor including the gate and the source/drain region thereof;

removing a portion of the intrinsically stressed material over each gate;

removing a portion of the metal layer over the gate;

removing at least a portion of the gate;

replacing the gate with a metal;

annealing to form a stressed silicide gate and stressed silicide portions in the source/drain region; and

removing the intrinsically stressed material and the metal layer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first providing includes providing an intrinsically tensilely stressed material over an n-channel transistor and an intrinsically compressively stressed material over a p-channel transistor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the metal layer includes a first metal layer including one of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti) and osmium (Os), and a second titanium nitride (TiN) layer, and the stressed silicide gate includes a silicide of the first metal.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the intrinsically stressed material removing includes performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) to the metal layer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the gate portion removing includes performing a reactive ion etch (RIE) selective to a polysilicon portion of the gate.

17. A structure comprising:

a transistor having a channel including a first stress that is one of compressive and tensile and a gate including a second stress that is the other of compressive and tensile.

18. The structure of claim 17, further comprising another transistor having another channel including the second stress and another gate including the first stress.

19. The structure of claim 17, wherein in the case that the channel is an n-type channel, the first stress is tensile and the second stress is compressive.

20. The structure of claim 17, wherein in the case that the channel is a p-type channel, the first stress is compressive and the second stress is tensile.

21. The structure of claim 17, wherein the gate includes a stressed silicide for memorizing a stress therein, and the transistor further includes a source region and a drain region each including a stress silicide portion for memorizing the stress.

22. A structure comprising:

a transistor having a gate including a stressed silicide for memorizing a stress therein; and

a source region and a drain region each including a stress silicide portion for memorizing the stress.

23. The structure of claim 22, wherein the transistor further includes a channel including a first stress that is one of compressive and tensile and the gate includes a second stress that is the other of compressive and tensile.

24. The structure of claim 23, further comprising another transistor having another channel including the second stress and another gate including the first stress.

25. The structure of claim 23, wherein in the case that the channel is an n-type channel, the first stress is tensile and the second stress is compressive.

26. The structure of claim 23, wherein in the case that the channel is a p-type channel, the first stress is compressive and the second stress is tensile.