Abstract: A semiconductor device such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) including at least one FET that includes a gate electrode including a metal carbide and method of fabrication are provided. The CMOS comprises dual work function metal gate electrodes whereby the dual work functions are provided by a metal and a carbide of a metal.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure, particularly a pFET, which includes a dielectric material that has a dielectric constant of greater than that of SiO2 and a Ge or Si content of greater than 50% and at least one other means for threshold/flatband voltage tuning by material stack engineering is provided. The other means contemplated in the present invention include, for example, utilizing an insulating interlayer atop the dielectric for charge fixing and/or by forming an engineered channel region. The present invention also relates to a method of fabricating such a CMOS structure.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to CMOS structures that include at least one nMOS device located on one region of a semiconductor substrate; and at least one pMOS device located on another region of the semiconductor substrate. In accordance with the present invention, the at least one nMOS device includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a low workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of less than 4.2 eV, an in-situ metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer and the at least one pMOS includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a high workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of greater than 4.9 eV, a metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer. The present invention also provides methods of fabricating such a CMOS structure.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to CMOS structures that include at least one nMOS device located on one region of a semiconductor substrate; and at least one pMOS device located on another region of the semiconductor substrate. In accordance with the present invention, the at least one nMOS device includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a low workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of less than 4.2 eV, an in-situ metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer and the at least one pMOS includes a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric, a high workfunction elemental metal having a workfunction of greater than 4.9 eV, a metallic capping layer, and a polysilicon encapsulation layer. The present invention also provides methods of fabricating such a CMOS structure.

Abstract: Stabilized metal gate electrode for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (“CMOS”) applications and methods of making the stabilized metal gate electrodes are disclosed. Specifically, the metal gate electrodes are stabilized by alloying wherein the alloy comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Re, Ru, Pt, Rh, Ni, Al and combinations thereof and an element selected from the group consisting of W, V, Ti, Ta and combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of source and drain diffusion regions located therein, each pair of source and drain diffusion regions are separated by a device channel. The structure further includes a first gate stack of pFET device located on top of some of the device channels, the first gate stack including a high-k gate dielectric, an insulating interlayer abutting the gate dielectric and a fully silicided metal gate electrode abutting the insulating interlayer, the insulating interlayer includes an insulating metal nitride that stabilizes threshold voltage and flatband voltage of the p-FET device to a targeted value and is one of aluminum oxynitride, boron nitride, boron oxynitride, gallium nitride, gallium oxynitride, indium nitride and indium oxynitride.

Abstract: An electroplating apparatus and method for depositing a metallic layer on the surface of a wafer is provided wherein said apparatus and method do not require physical attachment of an electrode to the wafer. The surface of the wafer to be plated is positioned to face the anode and a plating fluid is provided between the wafer and the electrodes to create localized metallic plating. The wafer may be positioned to physically separate and lie between the anode and cathode so that one side of the wafer facing the anode contains a catholyte solution and the other side of the wafer facing the cathode contains an anolyte solution. Alternatively, the anode and cathode may exist on the same side of the wafer in the same plating fluid. In one example, the anode and cathode are separated by a semi permeable membrane.

Abstract: A MOSFET is disclosed that comprises a channel between a source extension and a drain extension, a dielectric layer over the channel, a gate spacer structure formed on a peripheral portion of the dielectric layer, and a gate formed on a non-peripheral portion of the dielectric layer, with at least a lower portion of the gate surrounded by and in contact with an internal surface of the gate spacer structure, and the gate is substantially aligned at its bottom with the channel. One method of forming the MOSFET comprises forming the dielectric layer, the gate spacer structure and the gate contact inside a cavity that has been formed by removing a sacrificial gate and spacer structure.

Abstract: A compound metal comprising HfSiN which is a n-type metal having a workfunction of about 4.0 to about 4.5, preferably about 4.3, eV which is thermally stable on a gate stack comprising a high k dielectric and an interfacial layer. Furthermore, after annealing the stack of HfSiN/high k dielectric/interfacial layer at a high temperature (on the order of about 1000° C.), there is a reduction of the interfacial layer, thus the gate stack produces a very small equivalent oxide thickness (12 ? classical), which cannot be achieved using TaSiN.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor structure including a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of source and drain diffusion regions located therein, each pair of source and drain diffusion regions are separated by a device channel. The structure further includes a first stack of a pFET device located on top of some of the device channels, the first gate stack including a high-k gate dielectric, an insulating interlayer abutting the gate dielectric and a fully silicided metal gate electrode abutting the insulating interlayer, the insulating interlayer includes an insulating metal nitride that stabilizes threshold voltage and flatband voltage of the p-FET device to a targeted value and is one of aluminum oxynitride, boron nitride, boron oxynitride, gallium nitride, gallium oxynitride, indium nitride and indium oxynitride.

Abstract: A MOSFET is disclosed that comprises a channel between a source extension and a drain extension, a dielectric layer over the channel, a gate spacer structure formed on a peripheral portion of the dielectric layer, and a gate formed on a non-peripheral portion of the dielectric layer, with at least a lower portion of the gate surrounded by and in contact with an internal surface of the gate spacer structure, and the gate is substantially aligned at its bottom with the channel.

Abstract: A method of forming a CMOS structure, and the device produced therefrom, having improved threshold voltage and flatband voltage stability. The inventive method includes the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate having an nFET region and a pFET region; forming a dielectric stack atop the semiconductor substrate comprising an insulating interlayer atop a high k dielectric; removing the insulating interlayer from the nFET region without removing the insulating interlayer from the pFET region; and providing at least one gate stack in the pFET region and at least one gate stack in the nFET region. The insulating interlayer can be AlN or AlOxNy. The high k dielectric can be HfO2, hafnium silicate or hafnium silicon oxynitride. The insulating interlayer can be removed from the nFET region by a wet etch including a HCl/H2O2 peroxide solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a gate stack structure that has high mobilities and low interfacial charges as well as semiconductor devices, i.e., metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) that include the same. In the semiconductor devices, the gate stack structure of the present invention is located between the substrate and an overlaying gate conductor. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating the inventive gate stack structure in which a high temperature annealing process (on the order of about 800° C.) is employed. The high temperature anneal used in the present invention provides a gate stack structure that has an interface state density, as measured by charge pumping, of about 8×1010 charges/cm2 or less, a peak mobility of about 250 cm2V-s or greater and substantially no mobility degradation at about 6.0×1012 inversion charges/cm2 or greater.

Abstract: A method of forming a CMOS structure, and the device produced therefrom, having improved threshold voltage and flatband voltage stability. The inventive method includes the steps of providing a semiconductor substrate having an nFET region and a pFET region; forming a dielectric stack atop the semiconductor substrate comprising an insulating interlayer atop a high k dielectric; removing the insulating interlayer from the nFET region without removing the insulating interlayer from the pFET region; and providing at least one gate stack in the pFET region and at least one gate stack in the nFET region. The insulating interlayer can be AlN or AlOxNy. The high k dielectric can be HfO2, hafnium silicate or hafnium silicon oxynitride. The insulating interlayer can be removed from the nFET region by a wet etch including a HCl/H2O2 peroxide solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metal stack structure that stabilizes the flatband voltage and threshold voltages of material stacks that include a Si-containing conductor and a Hf-based dielectric. This present invention stabilizes the flatband voltages and the threshold voltages by introducing a rare earth metal-containing layer into the material stack that introduces, via electronegativity differences, a shift in the threshold voltage to the desired voltage. Specifically, the present invention provides a metal stack comprising a hafnium-based dielectric; a rare earth metal-containing layer located atop of, or within, said hafnium-based dielectric; an electrically conductive capping layer located above said hafnium-based dielectric; and a Si-containing conductor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a metal stack structure that stabilizes the flatband voltage and threshold voltages of material stacks that include a Si-containing conductor and a Hf-based dielectric. This present invention stabilizes the flatband voltages and the threshold voltages by introducing a rare earth metal-containing layer into the material stack that introduces, via electronegativity differences, a shift in the threshold voltage to the desired voltage. Specifically, the present invention provides a metal stack comprising: a hafnium-based dielectric; a rare earth metal-containing layer located atop of, or within, said hafnium-based dielectric; an electrically conductive capping layer located above said hafnium-based dielectric; and a Si-containing conductor.

Abstract: A compound metal comprising HfSiN which is a n-type metal having a workfunction of about 4.0 to about 4.5, preferably about 4.3, eV which is thermally stable on a gate stack comprising a high k dielectric and an interfacial layer. Furthermore, after annealing the stack of HfSiN/high k dielectric/ interfacial layer at a high temperature (on the order of about 1000° C.), there is a reduction of the interfacial layer, thus the gate stack produces a very small equivalent oxide thickness (12 ? classical), which cannot be achieved using TaSiN.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures, such as, for example, field effect transistors (FETs) and/or metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAPs), are provided in which the workfunction of a conductive electrode stack is changed by introducing metal impurities into a metal-containing material layer which, together with a conductive electrode, is present in the electrode stack. The choice of metal impurities depends on whether the electrode is to have an n-type workfunction or a p-type workfunction. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such semiconductor structures.

Abstract: An opto-thermal annealing method for forming a field effect transistor uses a reflective metal gate so that electrical properties of the metal gate and also interface between the metal gate and a gate dielectric are not compromised when opto-thermal annealing a source/drain region adjacent the metal gate. Another opto-thermal annealing method may be used for simultaneously opto-thermally annealing: (1) a silicon layer and a silicide forming metal layer to form a fully silicided gate; and (2) a source/drain region to form an annealed source/drain region. An additional opto-thermal annealing method may use a thermal insulator layer in conjunction with a thermal absorber layer to selectively opto-thermally anneal a silicon layer and a silicide forming metal layer to form a fully silicide gate.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures, such as, for example, field effect transistors (FETs) and/or metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor (MOSCAPs), are provided in which the workfunction of a conductive electrode stack is changed by introducing metal impurities into a metal-containing material layer which, together with a conductive electrode, is present in the electrode stack. The choice of metal impurities depends on whether the electrode is to have an n-type workfunction or a p-type workfunction. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating such semiconductor structures.