Ruthenium based metals using atomic vapor deposition for gate electrode applications

The impacts of ruthenium-based metal gate electrodes (Ru, RuOx, RuSiOx) with atomic vapor deposition (AVD) on flatband voltage (VFB) and equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) are demonstrated using a low temperature (<400 °C) process. Increasing thickness of Ru and RuOx exhibits higher VFB, attributed to filling oxygen vacancies [Vo] in high- k gate dielectric with oxygen supplied from AVD metal gate electrodes upon annealing. Ru is efficient to attain a higher work-function and thinner EOT compared to RuOx and RuSiOx. Subsequent physical-vapor-deposition (PVD) TiN capping on AVD metals blocks oxygen out-diffusion, leading to higher VFB than PVD W or AVD TiN capping. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.