Effect of Channel Dopant Profile on Difference in Threshold Voltage Variability Between NFETs and PFETs

The mechanism behind the threshold voltage V_T variability difference between n- and p-type field-effect transistors (NFETs and PFETs, respectively) is investigated from the viewpoint of the channel dopant profile. First, the effect of the depth profile is investigated by comparing the V_T variability among FETs with various depth channel profiles. It is clarified that the V_T variability of NFETs is larger than that of PFETs with similar depth profiles. The effect of the lateral channel profile is also examined. As one of the causes of the modulation of the lateral channel profile, the effect of halo implantation is evaluated. It is confirmed that V_T variability is enhanced with halo implantation. However, the V_T variability of NFETs is still larger than that of PFETs even without halo implantation. Without halo implantation, the reverse short-channel effect appears in NFETs but not in PFETs. From this result, we find that lateral channel profile nonuniformity appears in NFETs even without halo implantation because of the transient-enhanced diffusion (TED) of the channel dopant of boron in NFETs. Since arsenic or phosphorus, which shows no TED characteristic, is used as the channel dopant in PFETs, lateral channel profile nonuniformity does not appear in PFETs without halo implantation. Channel profile nonuniformity, which is caused by boron TED, is thought to be the origin of the V_T variability difference between NFETs and PFETs.