Performance enhancement of semiconductor devices by control of discrete dopantdistribution

Abstract

As semiconductor devices are scaled down to the nanometre level, random dopantfluctuation in the conducting channel caused by the small number of dopant atoms willsignificantly affect device performance. We fabricated semiconductor devices withrandom discrete dopant distribution in the drain side and then evaluated howwell we could control the drain current of the devices. The results showed thatthe drain current in devices with the dopant distribution in the drain side wasseveral per cent higher than that in devices with the dopant distribution in thesource side. We believe that this increase in current is caused by the suppression ofinjection velocity degradation in the source side. The capability to control thelocation of individual dopant atoms enhances drain current and, therefore, theperformance of nanodevices. Accurately controlling both the amount and thepositioning of dopant atoms is critical for the advancement of true nanoelectronics.