Tensile dielectric films using UV curing
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- providing a substrate including a layer of a silicide;
depositing a dielectric layer directly on the layer of silicide, wherein the dielectric layer is selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon carbide, oxygen-doped silicon carbide, nitrogen-doped silicon carbide, silicon boron nitride, silicon boron carbide, and silicon oxide; and
exposing the dielectric layer to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature of no more than 450°
C.,whereby stress is induced in the dielectric layer.
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Abstract
A highly tensile dielectric layer is generated on a heat sensitive substrate while not exceeding thermal budget constraints. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is used to produce highly tensile films to be used, for example, in strained NMOS transistor architectures. UV curing of as-deposited PECVD silicon nitride films, for example, has been shown to produce films with stresses of at least 1.65 E10 dynes/cm2. Other dielectric capping layer film materials show similar results. In transistor implementations, the stress from a source/drain region capping layer composed of such a film is uniaxially transferred to the NMOS channel through the source-drain regions to create tensile strain in the NMOS channel.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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providing a substrate including a layer of a silicide; depositing a dielectric layer directly on the layer of silicide, wherein the dielectric layer is selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon carbide, oxygen-doped silicon carbide, nitrogen-doped silicon carbide, silicon boron nitride, silicon boron carbide, and silicon oxide; and exposing the dielectric layer to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature of no more than 450°
C.,whereby stress is induced in the dielectric layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method, comprising:
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providing a substrate comprising a silicide; depositing a dielectric layer on the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is selected from the group consisting of a silicon nitride, a silicon carbide, oxygen-doped silicon carbide, nitrogen-doped silicon carbide, silicon boron nitride, silicon boron carbide, silicon oxide, and combinations thereof; and exposing the dielectric layer to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature of no more than 450°
C.,whereby tensile stress in excess of 1E10 dynes/cm2 is induced in the dielectric layer. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A method, comprising:
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providing a substrate comprising a silicide; depositing a dielectric layer on the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is selected from the group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon carbide, oxygen-doped silicon carbide, nitrogen-doped silicon carbide, silicon boron nitride, silicon boron carbide, silicon oxide, and combinations thereof; and exposing the dielectric layer to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature of no more than 450°
C.,whereby the tensile stress in the dielectric layer changes in excess of 5E9 dynes/cm2. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification