Tunable gate electrode work function material for transistor applications

US7682891B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Intel Corporation · US

Inventors

• Adrien LaVoie · Newberg, US
• Valery M. Dubin · Portland, US
• John J. Plombon · Portland, US
• Juan E. Dominguez · Portland, US
• Harsono S. Simka · Saratoga, US
• Joseph H. Han · San Jose, US
• Mark L. Doczy · Beaverton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 28, 2006
• Grant date: Mar 23, 2010
• Expiry date: Nov 9, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/0177

Abstract

Described herein are metal gate electrode stacks including a low resistance metal cap in contact with a metal carbonitride diffusion barrier layer, wherein the metal carbonitride diffusion barrier layer is tuned to a particular work function to also serve as a work function metal for a pMOS transistor. In an embodiment, the work function-tuned metal carbonitride diffusion barrier prohibits a low resistance metal cap layer of the gate electrode stack from migrating into the MOS junction. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the work function of the metal carbonitride barrier film is modulated to be p-type with a pre-selected work function by altering a nitrogen concentration in the film.