CMOS structure having multiple threshold voltage devices
A method of forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) structure having multiple threshold voltage devices includes forming a first transistor device and a second transistor device on a semiconductor substrate. The first transistor device and second transistor device initially have sacrificial dummy gate structures. The sacrificial dummy gate structures are removed and a set of vertical oxide spacers are selectively formed for the first transistor device. The set of vertical oxide spacers are in direct contact with a gate dielectric layer of the first transistor device such that the first transistor device has a shifted threshold voltage with respect to the second transistor device.
1. A method of forming a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) structure having multiple voltage threshold transistor devices, the method comprising:
forming a first transistor device and a second transistor device on a semiconductor substrate, the first transistor device and second transistor device initially having sacrificial dummy gate structures; and
removing the sacrificial dummy gate structures and selectively forming a set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device, the set of vertical oxide spacers being in direct contact with a high-k gate dielectric layer of the first transistor device such that the set of vertical oxide spacers provides a source of diffused oxygen atoms to the high-k gate dielectric layer so as to result in the first transistor device having a shifted voltage threshold with respect to the second transistor device;
wherein the selectively forming a set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device further comprises depositing a conformal oxide layer over the first transistor device and the second transistor device, removing all horizontal portions of the conformal oxide layer, and removing a set of vertical oxide spacers for the second transistor device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conformal oxide layer comprises a silicon oxide layer.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing an anisotropic, dry etch to remove all the horizontal portions of the conformal oxide layer; and
forming a patterned blocking masking layer over the first transistor device and performing a wet etch to remove a set of vertical oxide spacers for the second transistor device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device is formed directly atop the high-k gate dielectric layer.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein removing the sacrificial dummy gate structures includes removing both sacrificial gate and sacrificial gate dielectric structures so as to expose the semiconductor substrate.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming the high-k gate dielectric layer following forming the set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device is formed directly atop the semiconductor substrate.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the high-k gate dielectric layer for the first transistor device has a vertical portion that directly abuts the set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the vertical portion of the high-k gate dielectric layer for the first transistor device is disposed between the set of vertical oxide spacers for the first transistor device and a metal gate fill material.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a metal gate fill material within recesses defined by the removal of the sacrificial dummy gate structures.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the metal gate fill material comprises one or more of aluminum (Al), tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten (W), tungsten nitride (WN), titanium (Ti) and titanium nitride (TiN).