Incorporation of Nitrogen Atoms at Si/SiO2 Interfaces of Field Effect Transistors (FETs) to Improve Device Reliability

Incorporation of N-atoms at the Si-Si02 interface in field effect transistors, FETs, with ultrathin dielectrics (≤ 5.5 nm) improves device reliability. Four aspects of our recent research on nitrided Si-Si02 interfaces are discussed in this paper: i) the low-temperature/low-thermal budget process by which interface chemistry is controlled, and optimized; ii) the use of on-line and off-line diagnostics to determine the spatial confinement and concentration of interfacial N-atom incorporation; iii) comparisons of device properties for non-nitrided and nitrided interfaces; and iv) the proposal of an atom-scale model for the role that interfacial N-atoms play in improving device reliability.