N-Channel (110)-sidewall strained FinFETs with silicon-carbon source and drain stressors and tensile capping layer

Abstract

The performance of n-channel (110)-sidewall trigate fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) is seriously compromised as (110) surfaces have significantly lower electron mobility than (100) surfaces. Straining the channel in (110)-sidewall FinFETs using lattice-mismatched silicon-carbon (Si1-yCy) stressors alone was experimentally determined to be far less effective than doing the same with (100)-sidewall FinFETs. By additionally incorporating a tensile silicon nitride contact etch-stop layer, the increase in longitudinal tensile stress and the introduction of vertical compressive stress result in significant further IDsat enhancement, highlighting the importance of the vertical compressive stress component for enhancing (110)-sidewall FinFET performance. © 2007 IEEE.