Ultra-thin decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN) oxynitride gate dielectric for 80-nm advanced technology

Tseng, Hsing‐Huang; Jeon, Young‐Jin; Abramowitz, P.; Luo, Tzy-Jiun M.; Hebert, L.; Lee, J.J.; Jiang, Jun; Tobin, Philip J.; Yeap, Gary; Moosa, M.; Alvis, J.; Anderson, S. G.; Cave, N.; Chua, Thai Cheng; Hegedus, A.; Miner, G.; Jeon, Joong S.; Sultan, A.

doi:10.1109/led.2002.805758

Cited by 42 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Traditional bottom nitridation of TO, incorporating nitrogen in the oxide near the cell's channel, has been implemented to harden the TO and reduce the damage from the high-field Fowler-Nordheim (FN) stress or channel hot carrier [2], [3]. Top nitridation (TN), such as decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN) and remote plasma nitridation, has been used for CMOS logic devices in which the main purpose was to reduce the gate leakage without excessive mobility degradation [4]. Recently, the impact of TN for Flash Manuscript memory has been compared for DPN and an NH 3 treatment for cycling endurance and retention [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Understanding on the Role of Tunnel Oxide Top Nitridation for the Reliability of Nanoscale Flash Memory

Kim

Sarpatwari

Koka

et al. 2013

IEEE Electron Device Lett.

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We report the role of tunnel oxide (TO) top nitridation (TN) in the reliability of nanoscale Flash memory and provide comprehensive understanding for the mechanism. TN was expected to potentially improve the TO quality by protecting against damages from edge encroachment and other processes. However, instead of net improvement, we found a tradeoff between endurance (charge trap) and retention (charge detrap and leakage) in the reliability of the cell array. We find that more charges are trapped in the TO with increasing nitrogen concentration, although detrapping can be decreased in a limited concentration. This suggests that the defect in the TN layer (SiON) includes a deep energy trap, thus resulting in a more strongly bound charge. Increasing nitrogen concentration also degrades charge retention from TO leakage but can be better for the same electrical oxide thickness. Evaluating a band diagram suggests that the possible improvement arises from the greater physical oxide thickness, although the barrier height for electron transmission is lower. This suggests that TO leakage is dominated by an inelastic trap-assisted tunneling mode using multiple direct tunneling through deep oxide traps. The results are indicative of the intrinsic impact of TN, regardless of bulk nitrogen or hydrogen incorporation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Understanding on the Role of Tunnel Oxide Top Nitridation for the Reliability of Nanoscale Flash Memory

Kim

Sarpatwari

Koka

et al. 2013

IEEE Electron Device Lett.

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“…In these prepared samples, the nitridation processes with low-pressure decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN) [19]- [21] technology on HK dielectric film were with lower and higher nitrogen concentration labeled as [L N 2 ] and [H N 2 ], respectively. Both of these concentrations were below 20%.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modification of Early Effect for 28-nm nMOSFETs Deposited With HfZrO<sub><italic>x</italic></sub> Dielectric After DPN Process Accompanying Nitrogen Concentrations

Lee

Wang

et al. 2014

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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The model of the Early effect at nanonode devices should be modified owing to the unignored contribution of vertical gate field. This effect is more obvious when the channel length is decreased more. Using higher decoupled plasma nitridation nitrogen treatment after high-k dielectric deposition, besides enhancing the drive current due to promoting the microscopic homogeneity of the Hf-based film, seems also to little suppress the Early effect. This phenomenon at L = 0.03 μm device is proved and due to the lower β-slope of influencing the high-vertical field.Index Terms-Decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN), Early effect, high-k (HK) dielectric, model, MOSFET.

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“…Adding some nitrogen in Hf-based film besides improving the microscopic homogeneity of the film [12] is to indirectly diminish the amount of oxygen vacancy in HK dielectric and possibly decrease the gate leakage. This benefit can be applied with a low-pressure decoupled-plasma nitridation (DPN) [13]- [15] process.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gate Leakage Characteristics for 28 nm HfZrO<sub><italic>x</italic></sub> pMOSFETs After DPN Process Treatment With Different Nitrogen Concentration

Lee

Wang

et al. 2014

IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.

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Feasibly adjusting the gate leakage and the device performance in balance is an obvious challenge. Additionally, stacking the high-k dielectric as a gate dielectric in nanonode process is an appreciate way to promote the drive current in pMOSFETs. Unfortunately, the amount of oxygen vacancy or the interfacial layer thickness on the surface channel will possibly reduce the drive current owing to the increasing magnitude of threshold voltage and increase in the gate leakage degrading the standby capability in circuit operation. To retard this disadvantage or intensify the device quality, applying a lower pressure decoupled-plasma nitridation process to obliquely reform the amount of oxygen vacancy is a feasible alternative. On the basis of tested data, the nitridation treatment in a higher N 2 concentration is better than that in a lower one, such as the improvement of gate leakage, drive current, subthreshold swing, and channel mobility in pMOSFETs, especially for shorter channel-length devices.Index Terms-Decoupled-plasma nitridation (DPN), gate dielectric, gate leakage, high-k dielectric.

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Ultra-thin decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN) oxynitride gate dielectric for 80-nm advanced technology

Cited by 42 publications

References 2 publications

Comprehensive Understanding on the Role of Tunnel Oxide Top Nitridation for the Reliability of Nanoscale Flash Memory

Comprehensive Understanding on the Role of Tunnel Oxide Top Nitridation for the Reliability of Nanoscale Flash Memory

Modification of Early Effect for 28-nm nMOSFETs Deposited With HfZrO<sub><italic>x</italic></sub> Dielectric After DPN Process Accompanying Nitrogen Concentrations

Gate Leakage Characteristics for 28 nm HfZrO<sub><italic>x</italic></sub> pMOSFETs After DPN Process Treatment With Different Nitrogen Concentration

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