Enhanced n-type dopant solubility in tensile-strained Si

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 517; no. 1; pp. 331 - 333
• Main Authors: Bennett, N.S., Radamson, H.H., Beer, C.S., Smith, A.J., Gwilliam, R.M., Cowern, N.E.B., Sealy, B.J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 03-11-2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antimony; Arsenic; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Defects and impurities in crystals; microstructure; Doping and impurity implantation in other materials; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; epitaxy; Exact sciences and technology; Hall effect; implanted silicon; Ion Implantation; junctions; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Solid phase; Solid phase epitaxy; Solid phase epitaxy; growth from solid phases; Stress; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surface and interface electron states; Antimony; Hall effect; Arsenic; Solid phase epitaxy; Ion Implantation; Stress; Ion implantation; Epitaxial layers; Electrical properties; Solubility; Indium additions; Solid-phase epitaxy; Tensile stress; Sheet resistivity; Complementary MOS technology; Electron mobility; Stress effects; Silicon; Thermal stresses
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2008.08.072

The creation of highly conductive ultrashallow-doped regions in strained Si is a key requirement for future Si based devices. It is shown that in the presence of tensile strain, Sb becomes a contender to replace As in strain-engineered CMOS devices due to advantages in sheet resistance. While strain reduces resistance for both As and Sb; a result of enhanced electron mobility, the reduction is significantly larger for Sb due to an increase in donor activation. Differential Hall measurements suggest this is a consequence of a strain-induced Sb solubility enhancement following solid-phase epitaxial regrowth, increasing Sb solubility in Si to levels approaching 10
21 cm
−
3
. Experiments highlight the importance of maintaining substrate strain during thermal annealing to maintain this high Sb activation.