Abstract: A method of making an integrated circuit chip is provided, which combines a smart grading implant with a diffusion retarding implant, e.g., to improve short channel effect controllability and improve dopant grading in the source/drain regions. Using a smart grading implant, a relatively low-energy high-dose implant is performed before a relatively low-energy high-dose implant. Hence, a relatively high-energy low-dose implant of ions is performed into a source/drain region of a substrate. A diffusion retarding implant is performed into the source/drain region of the substrate. Then after performing the high-energy low-dose implant and the diffusion retarding implant (together, overlapping, or separately), a relatively low-energy high-dose implant of ions is performed into the source/drain region of the substrate.