Vertical transistor top epitaxy source/drain and contact structure
An nFET vertical transistor is provided in which a p-doped top source/drain structure is formed in contact with an n-doped semiconductor region that is present on a topmost surface of a vertical nFET channel. The p-doped top source/drain structure is formed utilizing a low temperature (550° C. or less) epitaxial growth process.
1. A method of forming a semiconductor structure, the method comprising:
forming a first structure in an nFET device region of a semiconductor substrate, the first structure comprising an nFET bottom source/drain structure comprising an n-doped semiconductor material region and an n-doped extension region, an nFET semiconductor channel material pillar extending upwards from the n-doped extension region, and an nFET gate stack located on each sidewall of the nFET semiconductor channel material pillar, wherein an interlevel dielectric material (ILD) laterally surrounds the first structure and has a topmost surface that is located above a topmost surface of the nFET semiconductor channel material pillar;
recessing the ILD material to physically expose the topmost surface and a sidewall surface of the nFET semiconductor channel material pillar;
implanting, after the recessing of the ILD material, an n-type dopant into an upper portion of nFET semiconductor channel material pillar to provide an n-doped semiconductor region located on a remaining portion of nFET semiconductor channel material pillar; and
forming a p-doped top source/drain structure on physically exposed surfaces of the n-doped semiconductor region.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the p-doped top source/drain structure is performed utilizing an epitaxial growth process.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the top epitaxial growth process is carried out at a temperature of 550° C. or less.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein sidewalls of the n-doped extension region, the remaining portion of nFET semiconductor channel material pillar, and the n-doped semiconductor region are vertically aligned to each other.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the n-doped semiconductor region has an n-type dopant concentration greater than 1×10 21 atoms/cm 3 , and the p-doped top source/drain structure comprises a semiconductor material having a p-type dopant concentration greater than 1×10 21 atoms/cm 3 .
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the p-doped top source/drain structure comprises a boron doped silicon germanium alloy.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a second structure in a pFET device region of the semiconductor substrate, the second structure comprising a pFET bottom source/drain structure comprising an p-doped semiconductor material region and a p-doped extension region, a pFET semiconductor channel material pillar extending upwards from the p-doped extension region, and a pFET gate stack located on each sidewall of the pFET semiconductor channel material pillar; and
forming a pFET top source/drain structure on and within an upper portion of the pFET semiconductor channel material pillar, wherein the forming the pFET top source/drain structure is performed prior to, after, or simultaneously with, the forming of the p-doped top source/drain structure and is performed utilizing an epitaxial growth process that is carried out at a temperature of 550° C. or less.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the forming the second structure occurs prior to, or after, the forming of the first structure.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pFET top source/drain structure of the pFET vertical transistor and the p-doped top source/drain structure of the nFET vertical transistor both comprise a boron doped silicon germanium alloy.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming an additional interlevel dielectric material (ILD) on a surface of the recessed ILD material and surrounding the p-doped top source/drain structure.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the p-doped top source/drain structure is located on a sidewall surface and a topmost surface of the n-doped semiconductor region.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nFET semiconductor channel material pillar is an undoped semiconductor material.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an nFET bottom gate spacer formed between the nFET gate stack and the n-doped semiconductor material region and having a sidewall directly contacting a sidewall of the n-doped extension region.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising an nFET top gate spacer located on a topmost surface of the nFET gate stack and having a sidewall directly contacting a sidewall of the n-doped semiconductor region.