Impact of hydrogen in capping layers on BTI degradation and recovery in high-κ replacement metal gate transistors

Author

Jin, M. ; Tian, C.E. ; La Rosa, G. ; Uppal, S. ; McMahon, W. ; Kothari, H. ; Liu, Yanbing ; Cartier, E. ; Lai, W.L. ; Dasgupta, Avirup ; Polvino, S. ; Belyansky, M. ; Chen, Aaron ; Zhou, Xiaoxin ; Madan, A. ; Yao, Yiying ; Klymko, N. ; Narayanan, Vijaykri

Author_Institution

Samsung Electron., Hopewell Junction, NY, USA

fYear

2013

fDate

14-18 April 2013

Abstract

Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) degradation and recovery with different types of MOL capping layers are investigated in a 20nm Replacement Metal Gate (RMG) CMOS technology. It is found that less compressive RMG capping layers substantially improve reliability and device performance because of less hydrogen within the RMG capping material. The hydrogen content plays an important role in BTI degradation and recovery. Increased hydrogen enhances interface state generation during NBTI stress and suppresses h+ trap activation. This change in interface states has minimal impact on PBTI.

Keywords

CMOS integrated circuits; MOSFET; hydrogen; integrated circuit reliability; semiconductor device reliability; stress analysis; BTI degradation; H; MOL capping layer; NBTI stress; PBTI; bias temperature instability; compressive RMG capping layer material; h+ trap activation suppression; high-replacement metal gate transistor; reliability; replacement metal gate CMOS technology; size 20 nm; Degradation; Films; Hydrogen; Interface states; Logic gates; MOSFET circuits; Stress; Bias temperature instability (BTI); High-κ Replacement Metal Gate Transistor (RMG); Hydrogen; Interface states; Middle-of-line (MOL); Oxide traps;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS), 2013 IEEE International

Conference_Location

Anaheim, CA

ISSN

1541-7026

Print_ISBN

978-1-4799-0112-8

Electronic_ISBN

1541-7026

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IRPS.2013.6532106

Filename

6532106