Semiconductor device having a metal gate electrode
View Patent ↗A method for making a semiconductor device is described. That method comprises forming a dielectric layer on a substrate, and forming an impurity containing metal layer on the dielectric layer. A metal gate electrode is then formed from the impurity containing metal layer. Also described is a semiconductor device that comprises a metal gate electrode that is formed on a dielectric layer, which is formed on a substrate. The metal gate electrode includes a sufficient amount of an impurity to shift the workfunction of the metal gate electrode by at least about 0.1 eV.
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a dielectric layer on a substrate; and
an impurity containing metal layer on the dielectric layer;
wherein a first portion of the impurity containing metal layer includes a sufficient amount of a first element to lower the metal layer's workfunction, wherein a second portion of the impurity containing metal layer includes a sufficient amount of a second element to raise the metal layer's workfunction, and wherein the first element has an electronegativity value that is less than about 1.7.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the dielectric layer comprises a high-k gate dielectric layer.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 wherein the high-k gate dielectric layer is formed by atomic layer chemical vapor deposition, and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of hafnium oxide, hafnium silicon oxide, lanthanum oxide, zirconium oxide, zirconium silicon oxide, titanium oxide, tantalum oxide, barium strontium titanium oxide, barium titanium oxide, strontium titanium oxide, yttrium oxide, aluminum oxide, lead scandium tantalum oxide, and lead zinc niobate.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the first element is present in the first portion at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent; and the second element is present in the second portion at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent.
5. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the first portion includes a sufficient amount of the first element to lower the workfunction of the first portion by at least about 0.1 eV, and the second portion includes a sufficient amount of the second element to raise the workfunction of the second portion by at least about 0.1 eV.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 wherein:
the first portion serves as the gate electrode for an NMOS transistor;
the first element is selected from the group consisting of a lanthanide, scandium, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and tungsten, and is present in the first metal gate electrode at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent;
the second portion serves as the gate electrode for a PMOS transistor; and
the second element has an electronegativity value that is greater than about 2.8, is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, chlorine, oxygen, fluorine, and bromine, and is present in the second metal gate electrode at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein:
the first portion serves as the gate electrode for an NMOS transistor;
the second portion serves as the gate electrode for a PMOS transistor; and
the second element has an electronegativity value that is greater than about 2.8.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the first element is selected from the group consisting of a lanthanide metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, scandium, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and tungsten.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 7 wherein the second element is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, chlorine, oxygen, fluorine, and bromine.
10. A semiconductor device comprising:
a dielectric layer on a substrate; and
an impurity containing metal layer on the dielectric layer; wherein: a first portion of the metal layer includes a first doping impurity and has a first workfunction, and a second portion of the metal layer includes a second doping impurity and has a second workfunction that is higher than the first workfunction, wherein the first doping impurity has an electronegativity value that is less than about 1.7.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first workfunction is between about 4.0 eV and about 4.2 eV, and the second workfunction is between about 5.0 eV and about 5.2 eV.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the first doping impurity is selected from the group consisting of a lanthanide metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, scandium, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and tungsten.
13. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the second doping impurity is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, chlorine, oxygen, fluorine, and bromine.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the first doping impurity is present in the first portion at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent; and the second doping impurity is present in the second portion at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the first portion includes a sufficient amount of the first doping impurity to lower the workfunction of the first portion by at least about 0.1 eV, and the second portion includes a sufficient amount of the second doping impurity to raise the workfunction of the second portion by at least about 0.1 eV.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 wherein:
the first portion serves as the gate electrode for an NMOS transistor;
the first doping impurity is selected from the group consisting of a lanthanide, scandium, zirconium, hafnium, aluminum, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and tungsten, and is present in the first metal gate electrode at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent;
the second portion serves as the gate electrode for a PMOS transistor; and
the second doping impurity has an electronegativity value that is greater than about 2.8, is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, chlorine, oxygen, fluorine, and bromine, and is present in the second metal gate electrode at a concentration of between about 3 and about 50 atomic percent.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein:
the first portion serves as the gate electrode for an NMOS transistor;
the second portion serves as the gate electrode for a PMOS transistor; and
the second doping impurity has an electronegativity value that is greater than about 2.8.