Performance of DRAM Cell Transistor with Thermal Desorption Silicon Etching (TDSE) and Selective Si Channel Epi Techniques

This paper describes thermal desorption silicon etching (TDSE)/channel-epi transistor, which has improved the profile and the electrical characteristics of channel-epi transistor. Thermal desorption silicon etching (TDSE) process is introduced before Si channel-epi growth using ultrahigh vacuum system to improve transistor performance at dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device. TDSE process for etching active silicon was carried out using Cl2 gas at 700°C in UHV chamber. Following the TDSE process, in-situ Si channel-epi was grown at the same chamber. We evaluated the electrical characteristics of TDSE/channel-epi transistor, and also measured the reliability of gate oxide. Compared with the conventional channel-epi which shows the degradation of transistor characteristics due to the raised active profile, TDSE process with channel-epi presents superior transistor performance in terms of transistor hump characteristics and inverse narrow width effect (INWE). TDSE induced interface and junction leakages, however, are observed. To solve these problems, H2 added TDSE process or H2 anneal process after TDSE has been developed.