Stress immunity enhancement of the SiN uniaxial strained n-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect-transistor by channel fluorine implantation

Channel fluorine implantation (CFI) has been successfully integrated with silicon nitride contact etch stop layer (SiN CESL) to investigate electrical characteristics and stress reliabilities of the n-channel metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect-transistor (nMOSFET) with HfO2/SiON gate dielectric. Although fluorine incorporation had been used widely to improve device characteristics, however, nearly identical transconductance, subthreshold swing and drain current of the SiN CESL strained nMOSFET combining the CFI process clearly indicates that stress-induced electron mobility enhancement does not affect by the fluorine incorporation. On the other hand, the SiN CESL strained nMOSFET with fluorine incorporation obviously exhibits superior stress reliabilities due to stronger Si–F/Hf–F bonds formation. The channel hot electron stress and constant voltage stress induced threshold voltage shift can be significantly suppressed larger than 26% and 15%, respectively. The results clearly demonstrate that combining the SiN CESL strained nMOSFET with fluorinated gate dielectric using CFI process becomes a suitable technology to further enhance stress immunity.