Thunderbird Technologies, Inc.

Michael W Dennen

Albert W Vinal

William R Richards, Jr

Field effect transistors include a semiconductor substrate of first conductivity type having a surface. A tub region of second conductivity type is in the semiconductor substrate at the surface and extends into the semiconductor substrate a first depth from the first surface. Spaced apart source and drain regions of the second conductivity type are included in the tub region of second conductivity type at the surface, to define single conductivity junctions of the second conductivity type with the tub region of second conductivity type. The spaced apart source and drain regions extend into the tub region a second depth that is less than the first depth. A trench is included in the tub region, between the spaced apart source and drain regions, and extending from the surface into the tub region to a third depth that is more than the second depth but is less than the first depth. An insulated gate electrode is included in the trench. Source and drain electrodes are provided on the surface that electrically contact the source and drain regions respectively. These field effect transistors may be fabricated by forming a tub region of second conductivity type in a semiconductor substrate of first conductivity type at a surface thereof, and extending into the semiconductor substrate a first depth from the surface. A source/drain region of the second conductivity type is formed in the tub region of second conductivity type at the surface, to define a single conductivity junction of the second conductivity type with the tub region of second conductivity type. The source/drain region extends into the tub region a second depth that is less than the first depth. A trench is formed in the source/drain region, to define spaced apart source and drain regions therefrom. The trench extends from the surface into the tub region a third depth that is more than the second depth but is less than the first depth. An insulated gate electrode is formed in the trench. Source and drain electrodes are formed on the surface that electrically contact the source and drain regions, respectively.

Trench gate fermi-threshold field effect transistors

A Fermi-FET includes a drain field termination region between the source and drain regions, to reduce and preferably prevent injection of carriers from the source region into the channel as a result of drain bias. The drain field terminating region prevents excessive drain induced barrier lowering while still allowing low vertical field in the channel. The drain field terminating region is preferably embodied by a buried counterdoped layer between the source and drain regions, extending beneath the substrate surface from the source region to the drain region. The buried counterdoped layer may be formed using a three tub structure which produces three layers between the spaced apart source and drain regions. The drain field terminating region may also be used in a conventional MOSFET. The channel region is preferably formed by epitaxial deposition, so that the channel region need not be counterdoped relative to the drain field terminating region. Higher carrier mobility in the channel may thereby be obtained for a given doping level.

Methods of fabricating short channel fermi-threshold field effect

A Fermi-threshold field effect transistor includes spaced-apart source and drain regions which extend beyond the Fermi-tub in the depth direction and which may also extend beyond the Fermi-tub in the lateral direction. In order to compensate for the junction with the substrate, the doping density of the substrate region is raised to counteract the shared charge. Furthermore, the proximity of the source and drain regions leads to a potential leakage due to the drain field which can be compensated for by reducing the maximum tub depth compared to a low capacitance Fermi-FET and a contoured-tub Fermi-FET while still satisfying the Fermi-FET criteria. The tub depth is maintained below a maximum tub depth. Short channel effects may also be reduced by providing source and drain extension regions in the substrate, adjacent the source and drain regions and extending towards the channel regions. The source and drain extension regions are doped the same conductivity type and doping concentration as the source and drain themselves. A Fermi-FET which is particularly suitable for small linewidths is thereby provided.

Short channel fermi-threshold field effect transistors

A Fermi-FET, including but not limited to a tub-FET, a contoured-tub Fermi-FET or a short channel Fermi-FET includes a drain extension region of the same conductivity type as the drain region and a drain pocket implant region of opposite conductivity type from the drain region. The drain pocket implant region acts as a drain field stop to reduce or prevent drain-to-source field reach-through. Reduced low drain field threshold voltage, significantly reduced drain induced barrier lowering and reduced threshold dependence on channel length may be obtained, resulting in higher performance in short channels.

Fermi-threshold field effect transistors including source/drain pocket

Short channel fermi-threshold field effect transistors including drain

A Fermi-threshold field effect transistor includes a contoured-tub region of the same conductivity type as the source, drain and channel regions and having nonuniform tub depth. The contoured-tub is preferably deeper under the source and/or drain regions than under the channel region. Thus, the tub-substrate junction is deeper under the source and/or drain regions than under the channel region. The diffusion capacitance is thereby reduced compared to a tub having a uniform tub depth, so that a high saturation current is produced at low voltages. The contoured-tub may be formed by an additional implant into the substrate using the gate as a mask.

Contoured-tub fermi-threshold field effect transistor and method of

A field effect transistor includes a polycrystalline silicon gate having a semiconductor junction therein. The semiconductor junction is formed of first and second oppositely doped polycrystalline silicon layers, and extends parallel to the substrate face. The polycrystalline silicon gate including the semiconductor junction therein is perfectly formed by implanting ions into the top of the polycrystalline silicon gate simultaneous with implantation of the source and drain regions. The semiconductor junction thus formed does not adversely impact the performance of the field effect transistor, and provides a low resistance ohmic gate contact. The gate need not be masked during source and drain implant, resulting in simplified fabrication.

Method of fabricating field effect transistor having polycrystalline

A high current Fermi-FET includes an injector region of the same conductivity type as the Fermi-Tub region and the source and drain regions, located adjacent the source region and facing the drain region. The injector region is preferably doped at a doping level which is intermediate the relatively low doping concentration of the Fermi-Tub and the relatively high doping concentration of the source region. The injector region controls the depth of the carriers injected into the channel and maximizes injection of carriers into the channel at a predetermined depth below the gate. The injector region may also extend to the Fermi-tub depth to decrease bottom leakage current. Alternatively, a bottom leakage current control region may be used to decrease bottom leakage current. Lower pinch-off voltage and increased saturation current are obtained by providing a gate sidewall spacer which extends from adjacent the source injector region to adjacent the sidewall of the polysilicon gate electrode of the Fermi-FET. The gate sidewall spacer preferably comprises an insulator having permittivity which is greater than the permittivity of the gate insulating layer.

High current fermi threshold field effect transistor

Field effect transistor having polycrystalline silicon gate junction

A Fermi-FET includes a Fermi-tub region at a semiconductor substrate surface, wherein the Fermi-tub depth is bounded between a maximum tub depth and a minimum tub depth. The Fermi-tub depth is sufficiently deep to completely deplete the Fermi-tub region by the substrate tub junction at the threshold voltage of the field effect transistor, and is also sufficiently shallow to produce a closed inversion injection barrier between the source region and the drain region below the threshold voltage of the Fermi-FET. High saturation current and low leakage current are thereby produced simultaneously. Source and drain injector regions and a gate sidewall spacer may also be provided.

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Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Michael W Dennen