Fabrication of High Quality MOS Devices for Application in Hazardous Environments Based on RTP Gate Dielectrics with In Situ RTCVD of Polysilicon Gates

Abstract

ABSTRACTProcess modules for MOS gate fabrication were developed which can be completed subsequently in one RTP reactor: atmospheric process sequences for gate oxides and oxynitrides as well as low pressure chemical vapor deposition of polysilicon (RTCVD). Prior to the Rapid Thermal Oxidation (RTO), the wafers were treated with a Rapid Thermal Cleaning process (RTC) in H2/Ar ambient. After the desoxidation step the RTO was done in O2/H2/Ar followed by an anneal (RTA) for the gate oxide or a nitridation in NH3 (RTN) and reoxidation for the oxynitrides, respectively. The polysilicon gate electrode was fabricated either by RTCVD in situ or in a conventional furnace reactor. The two-step RTCVD process resulted in a very good thickness uniformity for the polysilicon layers of 3% (3mm from the edge). The influence of the process variations on breakdown field, fixed oxide charge, interface state density, flatband voltage, and threshold voltage of the different types of gate dielectrics was investigated. The charges and voltages were determined by LF-HF CV measurements. In order to characterize the radiation tolerance of electronic devices, radiation induced flatband and threshold voltage shifts as well as the build up of interface charges were determined. The irradiation was performed at a Co - 60 gamma source. Breakdown fields in the range of 19 MV/cm, interface state densities of less than 109 eV−1cm−2, and radiation induced threshold voltage shifts below 0.1 V after 1.5 Mrad(Si) were obtained.