Millisecond anneal for ultra-shallow junction applications

As CMOS devices are scaled down, dopant activation, junction profile control and silicide engineering become increasingly important. To address these ultra-shallow junction (USJ) challenges, millisecond anneal (MSA) has emerged as a main stream thermal process technology for advanced CMOS device fabrication. In this paper, we will discuss two major classes of applications for MSA in USJ: achieving effective dopant activation with limited diffusion and to facilitate Ni-based silicidation with reduced leakage. Some issues and process solutions to address them will also be examined.