One-time-programmable memory device including an antifuse structure and methods of forming the same

1. A one time programmable (OTP) memory device comprising:

a field effect transistor including a source region, a drain region, a body region, a gate dielectric, a dielectric gate spacer, and a gate electrode and located on a substrate, wherein the dielectric gate spacer laterally surrounds the gate electrode, and a shallow trench isolation structure laterally surrounds the source region, the drain region, and the body region;

a semiconductor-insulator-metal (SIM) antifuse structure including the drain region that constitutes a first node, a drain-side metallic material portion that constitutes a second node that is spaced from the first node and is in direct contact with a first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, and a dielectric structure comprising an antifuse dielectric layer, the dielectric structure located between the first node and the second node and contacting the first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, a top surface of the drain region and a top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure;

a source-side metallic material portion contacting a top surface of the source region and a second sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, wherein the source-side metallic material portion and the drain-side metallic material portion have a same material composition throughout, the same material composition containing a material selected from a metal-semiconductor alloy material and at least one conductive metallic nitride material, and an entirety of an interface between the antifuse dielectric layer and the drain-side metallic material portion is an interface between a dielectric material of the antifuse dielectric layer and a material portion having the same material composition;

a contact-level dielectric layer comprising a dielectric material overlying the gate electrode, contacting a peripheral portion of a top surface of the drain-side metallic material portion, contacting a peripheral portion of a top surface of the source-side metallic material portion;

a drain-side contact via structure comprising a bottom surface contacting a center portion of the top surface of the drain-side metallic material portion below a horizontal plane including a top surface of the gate electrode and having a top surface located above the horizontal plane including a top surface of the gate electrode; and

a source-side contact via structure comprising a bottom surface contacting a center portion of the top surface of the drain-side metallic material portion below the horizontal plane including the top surface of the gate electrode and having a top surface located above the horizontal plane including the top surface of the gate electrode.

2. The OTP memory device of claim 1 , wherein the contact-level dielectric layer is in direct contact with a sidewall of the drain-side metallic material portion and with a sidewall of the drain-side contact via structure.

3. The OTP memory device of claim 2 , wherein:

the drain-side metallic material portion has a greater lateral extent than the drain-side contact via structure; and

the contact-level dielectric layer laterally surrounds the gate electrode; and

the drain-side contact via structure has a top surface within a same horizontal plane as a top surface of the contact-level dielectric layer.

4. The OTP memory device of claim 1 , wherein the antifuse dielectric layer has a lateral extent that is greater than, or the same as, a lateral extent of the drain-side metallic material portion.

5. The OTP memory device of claim 1 , wherein the antifuse dielectric layer has a lateral extent that is less than a lateral extent of the drain-side metallic material portion.

6. The OTP memory device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric structure comprises the an etch stop dielectric layer located on a top surface of the drain region.

7. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein the antifuse dielectric layer comprises:

a planar portion overlying a top surface of the etch stop dielectric layer; and

a downward protruding portion located within an opening in the etch stop dielectric layer and adjoined to a bottom end of the planar portion.

8. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein sidewalls of the antifuse dielectric layer are laterally offset inward from outer sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer such that the antifuse dielectric layer has a lesser area than an area enclosed by the outer sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer.

9. The OTP memory device of claim 8 , wherein the sidewalls of the antifuse dielectric layer are laterally offset outward from inner sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer that defines the opening in the etch stop dielectric layer such that the antifuse dielectric layer has a greater area than an area enclosed by the inner sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer.

10. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein the etch stop dielectric layer comprises a material having a higher dielectric breakdown electrical field strength than a material of the antifuse dielectric layer.

11. The OTP memory device of claim 10 , wherein:

the etch stop dielectric layer comprises a dielectric metal oxide material; and

the antifuse dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide.

12. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein: the etch stop dielectric layer contacts the first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer; and

the antifuse dielectric layer does not contact, and is laterally spaced from, the dielectric gate spacer.

13. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein the shallow trench isolation structure is located within the substrate and contacting a sidewall of the drain region, wherein the drain-side metallic material portion is in contact with a segment of the top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure.

14. The OTP memory device of claim 13 , wherein the etch stop dielectric layer is in contact with a second segment of the top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure.

15. The OTP memory device of claim 6 , wherein an entirety of the source-side metallic material portion and a portion of the drain-side metallic material portion overlying a horizontal top surface of the antifuse dielectric layer have a same thickness along a vertical direction that is perpendicular to a horizontal plane including a top surface of the substrate.

16. A one time programmable (OTP) memory device comprising:

a field effect transistor including a source region, a drain region, a body region, a gate dielectric, a dielectric gate spacer, and a gate electrode and located on a substrate, wherein the dielectric gate spacer laterally surrounds the gate electrode, and a shallow trench isolation structure laterally surrounds the source region, the drain region, and the body region;

a semiconductor-insulator-metal (SIM) antifuse structure including the drain region that constitutes a first node, a drain-side metallic material portion that constitutes a second node that is spaced from the first node and is in direct contact with a first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, an etch stop dielectric layer located between the first node and the second node on a top surface of the drain region and contacting the first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer and a top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure, and an antifuse dielectric layer comprising a portion located within an opening in the etch stop dielectric layer and contacting the first node and the second node; and

a source-side metallic material portion contacting a top surface of the source region and a second sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, wherein the source-side metallic material portion and the drain-side metallic material portion have a same material composition throughout, the same material composition containing a material selected from a metal-semiconductor alloy material and at least one conductive metallic nitride material, and an entirety of an interface between the antifuse dielectric layer and the drain-side metallic material portion is an interface between a dielectric material of the antifuse dielectric layer and a material portion having the same material composition.

17. The OTP memory device of claim 16 , wherein the antifuse dielectric layer comprises a planar portion overlying a top surface of the etch stop dielectric layer.

18. The OTP memory device of claim 16 , wherein sidewalls of the antifuse dielectric layer are laterally offset inward from outer sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer such that the antifuse dielectric layer has a lesser area than an area enclosed by the outer sidewalls of the etch stop dielectric layer.

19. The OTP memory device of claim 16 , wherein the etch stop dielectric layer comprises a material having a higher dielectric breakdown electrical field strength than a material of the antifuse dielectric layer.

20. A one time programmable (OTP) memory device comprising:

a field effect transistor including a source region, a drain region, a body region, a gate dielectric, a dielectric gate spacer, and a gate electrode and located on a substrate, wherein the dielectric gate spacer laterally surrounds the gate electrode, and a shallow trench isolation structure laterally surrounds the source region, the drain region, and the body region;

an etch stop dielectric layer located on a top surface of the drain region and contacting the first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer and a top surface of the shallow trench isolation structure;

an antifuse dielectric layer comprising a portion located within an opening in the etch stop dielectric layer;

a drain-side metallic material portion contacting a top surface of the etch stop dielectric layer and contacting a top surface of the antifuse dielectric layer and is in direct contact with a first sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer the etchstop dielectric and the antifuse dielectric layer being located between the drain region and the drain-side metallic material portion; and

a source-side metallic material portion contacting a top surface of the source region and a second sidewall of the dielectric gate spacer, wherein the source-side metallic material portion and the drain-side metallic material portion have a same material composition throughout, the same material composition containing a material selected from a metal-semiconductor alloy material and at least one conductive metallic nitride material, and an entirety of an interface between the antifuse dielectric layer and the drain-side metallic material portion is an interface between a dielectric material of the antifuse dielectric layer and a material portion having the same material composition.