Performance boost of scaled Si PMOS through novel SiGe stressor for HP CMOS

In this paper, we present a highly-performant PMOS transistor architecture featuring a buried strained SiGe layer (stressor) underneath the Si channel and in between the epitaxially grown Si S/D regions. This stressor together with the shallow trench isolation (STI) induces pseudo-biaxial compressive stress in small devices Si channel. A completely different behaviour compared to bulk-Si devices is shown. Transistors featuring a 50nm gate length, a 1.5nm physical gate oxinitride and an active area width of 0.28μm demonstrate drive currents up to 740μA/μm with only 48nA/μm Ioff at a supply voltage of 1.4V. Those results, regarding the oxide thickness, are in the range of the best ever reported. Moreover, this solution provides easy co-integration possibilities between HP, GP and LP (bulk-like or SON: silicon-on-nothing) devices on the same chip.